Learning Analytics: Benefit, Types, and Implementation

Education world is progressing very fast as time goes by. Supported with technological developments that continue to advance, the learning method have to change too.   One of the ways to measure the effectiveness of the learning method is using the learning analytics.  

Definition

1. Solarsearch.org: 

According to solarsearch.org, 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, as defined back in 2011 for the first LAK, this general definition still holds true even as the field has grown. Learning analytics is both an academic field and commercial marketplace which have taken rapid shape over the last decade. 

As a research and teaching field, Learning Analytics sits at the convergence of Learning(e.g. educational research, learning and assessment sciences, educational technology), Analytics(e.g. statistics, visualization, computer/data sciences, artificial intelligence), and Human-Centered Design(e.g. usability, participatory design, sociotechnical systems thinking).

2. Trainingindustry.com

International Conference Learning Analytics and Knowledge, as quoted from trainingindustry.com, said that “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”

Based from this definition, there are 3 major elements in this definition: 

1. Data (The basic asset that provides analytical insights)

2. Analysis (Involves research methodologies and adding intelligence to data using algorithms)

3. Action(Taking steps toward informing decisions, applying the insights gained and attaining the purpose. For instance, improving learners’ performance)

3.  Elearningindustry.com 

According from elearningindustry.com, learning analytics is to put it simply, learning analytics is the collection, measurement and reporting of learners’ data (while they are engaged in the learning process), which can be used to gain valuable insights into the learning experience and find ways to optimize and improve that experience.

So, based from that 3 definitions, it can be said that learning analytics is a process to collect, measure, analyze, and report data about learning process in an organizational with a purpose to measure a successful of the learning process at once for the evaluation material to increase and repair the quality of the organization in the future. 

The data that collected is not only from the learners’ aspects, but also the aspects from the educators, learning materials, and the organizational as the organizer of the education activity. So, the analytical it’s not only from one aspects, but also many aspects that can be analyzed to make a progress in the future.

We can call this a holistical analysis method, because it doesn’t analyze from one aspects, but also many aspects

Benefits

Some organizational have applied this analytical method, and they made a great progress for the learning process, and of course it also has an effect on the organizational. 

Now, let’s see what are the benefits of using this method

1. Improved Engagement

In this digital era, the organisations usually give the freedom to their employees in give their opinions. With freedom of giving the opinion, then indirectly it also improves their soft skills like collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity which is useful in life.Learning Analytics is very useful to make an engagement between employees, and organizational. With this method, both of them can give opinion to increase their quality. 

2. Personalized Learning 

With the personalized learning, employees can know about their learning style. Other than that, the educators can know about the learning style from each employees and it give the benefits to the both of them. Especially when they use learning analytics to improve each other.From the Learning and Development Team side, they can know what kind of learning style that each employee like and improvement for their teaching style.   

3. Effective E Learning Program 

E learning has become one of the modern lifestyle, especially in this digital area. There are so many benefits of e-learning, like employees can save their time especially when they live in a big city which is always gets traffic jam, they can learn anywhere without have to attend and come to the class, etc. With using the learning analytics, the organizational can improve the quality of learning and teaching of e-learning. 

4. Increased Retention 

Retention is very important in learning process.  To increased the retention, LnD Departments must make the materials become easy to understand.   Learning analytics also help analyze the retention of the employees about the learning materials that have been thought in the organizational. With the strong retention, it can also helps the employees to improve their lifelong learning skill and strategies. 

5. Behaviour Prediction 

In the past, employees only were assessed based from their score (pre or post test of ) learning program.  But now, the assessment is very different. Employees are assessed not only from their score of subjects, but also from their behaviors.  

Implementation 

There are so many implementations of this method. But in general, learning analytics use the Kirkpatrick model of evaluation. The Kirkpatrick model of evaluation was found by Donald Kirkpatrick, a former Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin. It was published for the first time in 1959, then he updated it twice in 1975 and 1993. 

Then he developed more with his son, James; and then by James and his wife, Wendy Kayser Kirkpatrick. In 2016, they launched book “Four Levels Of Training Evaluation”, which contained The New World Kirkpatrick Model that was the revision and clarification of the original theory. 

There are four levels in this model. The four levels are: 

1. Learners’ Reactions

Learner’s reaction is an evaluation based from the participants, or the employees’ feedbacks based from the activities of the training, or the learning process. 

2.  Learning 

Learning is an evaluation based from the acquisition of knowledge and skills as a result of training.

3. Behaviour 

This assessment is aim to assess the new knowledge and skills that applies on their jobs, or business.

4. Results 

This is the last part of this model. But it has important roles in the learning methods. The results give us the report of the performance of the employees, or participants after they finished their education, or training. For example: The participant has reduced their promotional cost about 50% after joined and participated this training. 

Now, how do you analyze the process to get the data that you want?  

Analytics

After we got the implementation of this method, we’ll continue to analyze. This is very important, because analytics help us to get the result that we want. But first, you have to determine the goals that you want from the learning analytics. For example, if you want to know about employees’ satisfaction and KPI of the organization, you will use the different method of analytics, right? 

There are 4 types of analysis methods that often to be used in learning analytics and it has different function too.   

1. Descriptive Analytics

This typical of analytics usually is used for check what happened in the past and usually, they collect and collate data from multiple resources to give insight about past performance. This data usually used to make decision about the relevant decisions that will impact the future program.

For example: A sales department unit will learn about the average monthly sales and for a healthcare provider, the number of patients admitted in a week.  

2. Diagnostic Analytics

Diagnostic analytics can be used to ask and check why something happened. Also, figure out the dependent elements as well as identify patterns to get insights into a particular problem or opportunity. This method would help ensure the training program is not redundant while impacting all learners’ performance positively. 

For example: E-Learning course on service excellence experienced low completion rates among senior executives while new hires found it effective. Further diagnosis found that the course content was too basic for the senior executives, suggesting the organization needs to roll out an advanced level of service excellence course for them.

3. Predictive Analytics

As the name suggest, this method is used to predict what will happen in the future. However, the predictions are just an estimation and the accuracy highly depends on the quality of data and stability of the associated situations. Hence, it is important to analyze the data carefully.

The benefits of this method are help identify the probable difficult learners might face during a learning experience. This will help the organizational to anticipate if something bad will happen. 

For example:   Data from a post-course (training) survey revealed that some learners did not prefer accessing the e-Learning program from a desktop. Since most of them are hard-pressed for time and often on-the-go, they prefer accessing the training anytime, anywhere on their mobile devices. In this case, learner profiles and predictive analyticscan help you offer solutions in bite-sized formats that meet individual needs.

4. Perspective Analytics

This method usually uses the questions about what should be done. In other words, perspective analytics focus on the result after the training, or class. 

For example:  Curriculum of eLearning courses that need to be implement for employees in the manufacturing industry. Learner surveys on courses conducted in the past revealed 2 aspects. The courses excel theoretically; however, it would be beneficial if learners could learn on how to transfer this learning to their workplace. In this scenario, on the job trainings/simulations can be designed to equip learners in applying the learning in a simulated environment so will increase the impact of the training program.

Conclusion

Learning analytics is unique method that can be applied for the progress of learning and performance in organization. This method use the holistic method, which approach not only from the employees’ perspective, but also from many perspective, like the material, facilitators, behaviors assessment, etc 

Sources :

·            https://elearningindustry.com/learning-analytics-benefits-ld

·            https://trainingindustry.com/articles/measurement-and-analytics/the-why-how-and-now-of-learning-analytics/

https://www.solaresearch.org/about/what-is-learning-analytics/