iadis: shanghai

Envisioning a system-wide learning analytics platform

George SiemensDecember 8, 2011

Shanghai, China

Data is an asset

Data reveals our sentiments, our attitudes,our social connections,our intentions,and what we might do next.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903885604576486330882679982.

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International Business Machines Corp.,

which has invested more than $14 billion

buying analytics industry companies…since

2005, has teamed up with more than 200

schools…to develop analytics curriculum

and training.

What’s different today?

volume (apparently, there’s lots of data)velocity (processing capacity)variety (internet of things, social media)

Applying big data and analytics in education

Learning analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs.

Society of Learning Analytics Research

“A university where staff and students understand data and, regardless of its volume and diversity, can use it and reuse it, store and curate it, apply and develop the analytical tools to interpret it.”

Learning Analytics

Business Intelligence

Big Data

EDM

Statistical methods

Intelligent Tutors

Personalization

Adaptive learning

Roots of learning analytics

We can make great progress with analytics as individuals, but the nature of ‘big data’ requires a systemic focus

SNA: in Moodle introduction forum

Limited interaction. Most are isolated

Source: King James Bible Old and New Testaments

What is behind a simple visualization?

Ah, the value of open data…

User-accessible tools

Tools for analytics

- Single functionality tools (SNAPP)- Multi-function tools (ManyEyes, Gephi)- Visualization (Tableau)- Existing research tools (SPSS, Wolfram)

Acquisition: how do we get the data – structured and unstructured?Storage: how do we store large quantities?Cleaning: how do we get the data in a working formatIntegration: How do we “harmonize” varying data sets togetherAnalysis: which tools and methods should be used?Representation/visualization: tools and methods to communicate important ideas

Many tools are currently stand alone and single functionality

(anyone remember learning management systems in the late 1990’s?)

Players

Startups (Grockit, Knewton)Existing vendors (Cisco, Catatel)Systemic learning analytics players (iStrategy)(they get bought up quickly)

Predictive Analytics Reporting

Check my activity

To date, a system-wide open source analytics platform is NOT available.

We want to change that.

Given how important analytics are…maybe we should start with openness

The Vision: Open Learning Analytics Architecture

OLA:An open, extensible platform for researchers, educators, and administrators for broad-scale

analytics in education and learning.

Principles of a systems-wide analytics tool

1. Algorithms should be open, customizable for context2. Students should see what the organization sees3. Analytics engine as a platform: open for all researchers and organizations to build on4. Specific analytics strategies and tools: APIs5. Integrate and connect with existing open tools6. Modularized and extensible

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Privacy & Ethics

Just because we can…should we?

Particularly due to the exponential insight Possible with integration of multiple data sets

Getting involved

http://www.solaresearch.org/

http://lak12.sites.olt.ubc.ca/

April 29-May 2, 2012Vancouver

Open online course: Learning AnalyticsJanuary 23 - March 17, 2012

http://www.solaresearch.org/

Simon Buckingham Shum

Shane Dawson Erik Duval Dragan Gasevic George Siemens

http://www.educationaldatamining.org/

change.mooc.ca

Twitter: gsiemens

www.learninganalytics.net

http://www.solaresearch.org/