ABSTRACT
Learning analytics refers to the process of capturing, exploring, analysing, visualising and reporting data about learners. This method is used to gain insight into learners and the learning environment, to improve teaching and learning practice and help with retention and support. Learning analytics are also used in business by companies interested in professional development (de Laat and Schreurs, 2013) and in assessing, managing and developing corporate education and training. The method draws on insights, developments and methodologies from a number of methods, techniques and fields of study, including data mining (Chapter 12), educational data mining (Chapter 17), social network analysis (Chapter 53) web and mobile analytics (Chapter 58), sociology, psychology and education. Examples of learning analytics research include a mixed methods project using click-data, user-generated content and student interviews from online higher education courses (Scott and Nichols, 2017), a pilot project to develop experimental approaches to learning analytics with the aim of fostering critical awareness of computational data analysis among teachers and learners (Knox, 2017) and a study into how data might be collected and analysed to improve online learning effectiveness (Martin et al., 2016).
