University of Strathclyde

Learning analytics status:

There is a system in place linked to online programmes with an institutional data mart in development.  

System in place: 

Moodle.  

Journey so far: 

Strathclyde’s main objectives regarding learning analytics are centred around improving the student experience and ensuring students are supported, engaged and on track. A further key driver is utilising data and analytics to support, inform and enhance the student experience with an emphasis on assessment and feedback.  

The university’s current learning analytics focus is on fully online courses and graduate apprenticeships which were designed as predominately online. There is a student centred, staff-led approach to supporting these students. For example, a coordinated system with one staff member making lead contact if there are concerns rather each academic getting in touch with the student. Staff members have control of reports being produced through the VLE. For example, deciding what is important, merits follow up and what constitutes a ‘complete’ element. This is beneficial because the data which is acted on, is meaningful to the people using it and ensures the process is student centred; not all automated. 

To further enhance learning analytics within the university two new tools have been trialled and implemented. An Engagement Report has been launched and is generating an activity completion report through Moodle allowing data (live included) to be sorted and filtered. There is also a first phase development taking place on an Assessment & Feedback Workload Planning tool.  

Furthermore, sharing practice with other higher education institutions is a key objective of the university.  For example, with the University of Strathclyde taking the lead role for the Enhancement Theme’s Learning Analytics Collaborative Cluster and engaging with Jisc’s Learning Analytics Network. 

Future goals:

Moving forward Strathclyde aims to incorporate learning analytics into all other major institutional strategies and existing projects. A business case was developed and supported to build an institutional data-mart to look for relationships in the data and developing a front-end dashboard for programme staff.  

Ultimately a key aim is to provide a feedback portfolio for student which can also feedforward to other assignments. This data was presented to Programme Leaders to allow them to make the appropriate steps rather than presenting it directly to the students. It will also be used to monitor student workload and ensure students are not overloaded and support feedback to enhance future module and programme design.  

Students have been heavily involved throughout the learning analytics journey. From the beginning student interns were running student focus groups to capture student feedback on learning analytics. Student interns were hired in the 2018-2019 academic year to develop a wiki for all higher institutions regarding learning analytics.

In addition, student interns identified a lack of knowledge and understanding of the digital footprint and the possible uses for this data. As such, a digital course ‘Digital Footprint: Watch your Step!’ was designed by students for students, and this has been embedded into the online induction and transition course for incoming first year students.

A plan was also in place for a further two student interns in the 2019-2020 academic year to write an ethics policy surrounding learning analytics. Clearly these plans have been delayed as key education development staff have been required to support the University’s response to the Covid pandemic. Moving forward Learning Analytics and the student data mart project will be re-established and the data mart implemented.  

The University recognises that the change in teaching model due to COVID will also impact upon the range of new and emerging data sources as well as the historical data that would have been collected for this year, and potentially have long lasting changes to the way we teach.