Learning Analytics and Teaching and Learning Data Access

Learning analytics provides educators with tools to understand and optimize learning and learning environments.

Overview

Learning analytics is the process of collecting, analyzing, and reporting data about learners and learning environments in order to understand and optimize learning. Skylight is working to analyze the use of teaching and learning data in UBC Science with the goal of providing faculty with resources and supporting departments and programs with data-driven decisions toward student success and research/evaluation projects related to teaching and learning. 

Goals

  • Support UBC Science departments and programs with data-driven decisions toward student success
  • Develop resources to facilitate access to learning data and support faculty working on research and evaluation projects related to teaching and learning 

Skylight's Contribution and Support

After our first Research Analyst joined in December, 2021, Skylight established the Science Learning Analytics Steering Committee to follow up the work of an earlier needs analysis committee. 

In Summer 2022, Skylight conducted a needs analysis around the use of teaching and learning data and analytics tools in the Faculty of Science, meeting with representatives from all nine Science departments as well as six Program Directors to discuss each department and program’s needs and interests in this area. Participants also shared what data is routinely being used in their unit and what kinds of teaching and learning reports and analysis are being generated.  Following these consultations, Skylight prepared a report summarizing the emergent themes, suggestions of potential projects to undertake, and a list of next steps.  Skylight is currently working on a few learning analytics projects identified as part of this needs analysis. More updates on these projects will be provided soon. 

Academic Data Access Primer for UBC Science

In August 2022, Skylight released the Academic Data Access Primer for UBC Science. This document summarizes the existing academic data sources at UBC and the types of information available, with the goal of facilitating Science data access and governance for teaching and learning projects, including research and quality assurance. This document also offers guidelines on how to access data from these data sources.  

If you have any questions about this document or you want to talk about your project ideas, learn more about different data sets, identify opportunities for your learning analytics projects, or want feedback on a current project, please contact Zohreh Moradi, Skylight’s Research Analyst, at moradi@science.ubc.ca or Warren Code, Skylight’s Associate Director, at warcode@science.ubc.ca. 

Resources

Publications and Presentations

Presentations to the LAVA Community of Practice: