How can you make learning analytics professional development inclusive?

1 Assess your LAPD needs

Before you design or participate in any LAPD, you need to assess your own needs and those of your colleagues and learners. What are your goals, expectations, and motivations for using LA? What are your current skills, knowledge, and attitudes regarding LA? What are the gaps and challenges that you face? How do you learn best? What are the resources and support that you have or need? You can use various tools, such as surveys, interviews, self-assessments, or portfolios, to collect and reflect on this information. You can also involve your colleagues and learners in the process, to get their perspectives and feedback.

3 Adapt your LAPD content

The content of LAPD should be relevant, meaningful, and applicable to your teaching practice and your learners' needs. You should not just accept or adopt any LA tool or technique without considering its purpose, value, and impact. You should also be aware of the ethical, legal, and social implications of using LA, such as privacy, consent, transparency, and bias. You should adapt the content of LAPD to your own context, culture, and curriculum, and use examples, cases, and scenarios that reflect your reality and challenges. You should also seek out and use diverse and inclusive sources of information and knowledge, such as from different disciplines, perspectives, and backgrounds.

5 Evaluate your LAPD outcomes

The outcomes of LAPD should be measurable, meaningful, and manageable, to help you assess your progress and improvement, and to inform your future actions and decisions. You should not just rely on external or formal assessments, such as tests, certificates, or badges, but also on internal or informal assessments, such as self-assessments, portfolios, or feedback. You should also not just focus on the quantitative or objective indicators, such as scores, ratings, or statistics, but also on the qualitative or subjective indicators, such as satisfaction, confidence, or impact. You should also not just compare yourself with others, but with yourself, and celebrate your achievements and learning.

6 Continue your LAPD journey

LAPD is not a one-time event, but a continuous journey, that requires ongoing learning, practice, and improvement. You should not just stop or forget what you learned or did, but keep up to date with the latest developments, trends, and research in LA. You should also not just stick to what you know or do, but seek out new opportunities, challenges, and resources to expand your skills, knowledge, and attitudes. You should also not just work alone, but maintain and grow your network of colleagues and learners, to exchange, support, and inspire each other. You should also not just settle for what you have or achieve, but set new goals, expectations, and motivations for yourself and your learners.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?