learning analytics, learning design and moocs

Learning design and learning analytics: building the links with MOOCsEuropean Conference for e-Learning 2015

Rebecca Ferguson

• The Open University (200,000 learners)• Informal learning:• YouTube (30 million views) FutureLearn

(2.5 million learners)OpenLearn (39.3 million visits)

• Making use of big data for 45 years

• Learning analytics research / events• LACE project – learning analytics

community exchange

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Lead on MOOC evaluation at The Open University, UK

http://www.laceproject.eu/

Workshop overview

14.00 IntroductionLinking learning analytics, learning design and MOOCs14.30 Initial group workLearning outcomes in MOOCs15.00 Coffee break and discussion15.10 Group workLearning design in MOOCs15.30 Discussion15.40 Group workLearning analytics in MOOCs15.40 Final plenary16.00 Workshop end

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You can view and download a version of these slides athttp://www.slideshare.net/R3beccaF

Learning analyticsWhat are they, and how are they used?

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What are learning analytics?

High-level figuresBrief overviews for internal and external reports

Academic analyticsFigures on retention and success, for the institution to assess performance

Learning analyticsUse of big data to provide actionable intelligence for learners and educators

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Educators use analytics to

• Monitor the learning process• Explore student data• Identify problems• Discover patterns• Find early indicators for success• Find early indicators for poor marks or drop-out• Assess usefulness of learning materials• Increase awareness, reflect and self reflect• Increase understanding of learning environments• Intervene, supervise, advise and assist• Improve teaching, resources and the environment

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Dyckhoff, A L, Lukarov, V, Muslim, A, Chatti, M A, & Schroeder, U. (2013). Supporting Action Research with Learning Analytics. Paper presented at LAK13.

Learners use analytics to

• Monitor their own activities and interactions• Monitor the learning process• Compare their activity with that of others• Increase awareness, reflect and self reflect• Improve discussion participation• Improve learning behaviour• Improve performance• Become better learners• Learn!

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Dyckhoff, A L, Lukarov, V, Muslim, A, Chatti, M A, & Schroeder, U. (2013). Supporting Action Research with Learning Analytics. Paper presented at LAK13.

Analytics example: UK schools

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• Aligned with clear aims• Huge and sustained effort• Agreed proxies for learning• Clear and standardised visualisation• Driving behaviour at every level

BUT• Stressed, unhappy learners• Analytics with little value for learners or educators• Omission of key areas, such as collaboration

Analytics example: Course SignalsDeveloped at Purdue University

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Arnold, K E, & Pistilli, M (2012). Course Signals at Purdue: Using Learning Analytics To Increase Student Success. Paper presented at LAK12, Vancouver, Canada.

Analytics example: SNAPPNetwork analysis

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Analytics example: iSpotHeading

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Making the links between learning

analytics and learning design

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Learning design in MOOCs

●Puts the learning journey at the heart of the design process●Provides a set of tools and information to support a learner-

activity based approach ●Helps to show the costs and performance outcomes of

design decisions●Enables the sharing of best practice●Helps MOOC designers to choose and integrate a coherent

range of media, technologies and pedagogies

●Enables a consistent and structured approach to review and analytics

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Mor, Y, Ferguson, R, & Wasson, B. (2015). Editorial: learning design, teacher inquiry into student learning and learning analytics: a call for action. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(2), 221-229.

MOOC learning design tools

• MOOC design template

• MOOC planner

• MOOC map

• Journey planner

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Design template analytics

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Learning outcome How this is assessed

1. Be able to define an ecosystem.

2. Have joined the iSpot community and obtained identifications for animals, plants or fungi.

1. Multiple choice. Week 1, question 5

2. Self report.

Analytics

1. How many attempted that question? How many got it right 1st / 2nd / 3rd time? How many followed the link back to resources?

2. Access to iSpot data. Use of MOOC hashtag. Persistence over time. Ethical implications of tracking off-site.

Short description of course and learning outcomes

MOOC planner

• Delivered• Reflection• Collaboration• Conversation• Networking• Browsing• Assessment

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Blocking out types of learning activity

Conole, Gráinne. (2010). Learning design – making practice explicit. Paper presented at ConnectEd, Sydney, Australia. http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/4001

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/4001

MOOC planner analytics

Delivered Content (reading, watching, listening and observing)Analytics: amount of content viewed, dwell time

Reflection (thinking, considering and reflecting)Analytics: returns to the same material, reflection exercises completed, quality of reflection

Collaboration (constructing, collaborating, defining and engaging)Analytics: collaboration exercises completed, quality of collaboration

Conversation (debating, arguing, questioning, discussing…)Analytics: number and length of contributions, quality of discussion

Browsing (exploring, searching, finding and discovering)Analytics: Number of click-throughs to external links, number of visits, number of resources

Assessment (answering, presenting, demonstrating, critiquing…)Analytics: Assessments completed, scores, dwell time on hints, persistence in answering questions

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MOOC map analytics

●How long did you expect learners to spend on these key elements?

●How long did learners actually spend on the key elements

●How many missed out these elements?

●How many jumped ahead to these elements?

●Which types of element are consistently (un)popular?

●How many left the MOOC at these points?

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The MOOC map identifies key elements of the course

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MOOC journey planner analytics

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Relationships between tools, resources, activities & narrative

A framework for data collection

Analytics to solve problemsAnalytics could filter discussions or group learners

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You have been actively engaged in the discussions, which is excellent, thank you, but with more than 23,000 participants it

means that our responses and comments risk getting lost.

This will be primary school material for some of you and exactly the opposite for others. It is just not possible to tailor the

material to each of you […]Introduction to Forensic Science:University of Strathclyde

Start with the pedagogy

• How do people learn?

• How can we use data to facilitate that process in our MOOC?

• Which elements are learners struggling with?

• Which sections engage them the most?

• What prompts them to ask questions?

• Are they finding assessment challenging?

• What misconceptions have learners shown?

• Are there any accessibility issues?

• How can analytics be used to obtain desired learning outcomes?

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Learning analytics and design

Learning design – helping to identify useful analytics●What do learners need to know in order to –

network, collaborate, browse or reflect?●What do educators need to know to support them?

Learning design – helping to identify gaps in the data●What data do we need to collect? Learning design – helping to identify gaps in our toolkit●Which design elements can we look at easily?●Which ones still pose problems?

Learning design – helping to frame & focus analytics questions●What did they learn?… in relation to learning outcomes●Were they social?... when they were collaborating●Did they share links?... when encouraged to browse●Did they return to steps?... when encouraged to reflect

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Making the links

Workshop activity

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Learning outcomes

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Make a note of the learning outcomes in these two videos

Promotional video for The University of Southampton’s FutureLearn MOOC: Agincourt 1415: Myth and RealityYou can currently access this without registering at futurelearn.com/courses/agincourt

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, learners should know:●Something about medieval weaponry from the period●How important the long bow was at the battle of Agincourt●How important gunpowder weaponry was at the time●Why the battle still means so much today●How historians operate

●What the Hundred Years War was●Whether Henry V had a legitimate claim to the French crown●Why Henry launched the campaign when he did●How the soldiers were recruited, transported and organised●What is meant by the ‘Southampton plot’●Whether their ancestors served on the campaign

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FutureLearn MOOC from University of Southampton

Reflecting, discussing

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Shakespeare is to blame

Being French, we were taught of course about the battle of Agincourt although not in the

same way as English students have been! :)

it's the difference

between myth and reality.

I do Medieval re-creation in the SCA and my persona is that of a historian who lived

only a hundred years after the Battle.

For me it's like being interested in ancient sport reviews, as if the hundred years war was like the six

nations tournament of medieval times!

I am an archer

My 17th great grandfather served as a man at arms in the retinue of the Duke of Gloucester at Agincourt.

Agincourt was presented to us

as the epitome of britishness

My ancestor was easily found

Exploring, searching, finding

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Screenshots from The University of Southampton’s FutureLearn MOOC: Agincourt 1415: Myth and RealityYou can currently access this without registering at futurelearn.com/courses/agincourt

I think my family would have been on the other side!

Debating, arguing

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Thinking, considering, reflecting

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Why the battle still means so muchDelivered Content (reading, watching, listening and observing)Ask learners to read a recent article on the subject

Reflection (thinking, considering and reflecting)Ask ‘What reasons are given for the importance of Agincourt?’, and ask them to watch a video of the recent commemoration event

Collaboration (constructing, collaborating, defining and engaging)Ask learners to put together their own reasons for considering that the battle is important

Conversation (debating, arguing, questioning, discussing…)Ask learners to discuss an audio recording about the battle

Browsing (exploring, searching, finding and discovering)Point learners to some key resources and ask them to develop a list of reasons for the importance of the battle

Assessment (answering, presenting, demonstrating, critiquing…)Ask learner to post a list of the five main reasons for the battle’s importance, and then comment on another learner’s list 30

Group activity15 minutes

https://www.futurelearn.com/

Take the learning outcomes of the Agincourt MOOC and briefly outline a

different type of learning activity for each one (delivered, reflection, conversation,

collaboration, browsing or assessment).

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Types of learning behaviour

Delivered Contentreading, watching, listening and observing

Reflectionthinking, considering and reflecting

Collaborationconstructing, collaborating, defining and engaging

Conversationdebating, arguing, questioning, discussing…

Browsingexploring, searching, finding and discovering

Assessmentanswering, presenting, demonstrating, critiquing…

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Example analytics questionsRead a recent articleIs the article engaging learners? How long did they spend on it? How many skipped it?Reflect on a video of a commemoration eventAre learners engaging in behaviours that indicate they are reflecting? Did they return to the video? Did they pause the video?Put together reasons why the battle is importantDoes this work as a discusssion activity? How many engaged? How detailed were the comments? Were they key words in the discussion the same as key words in the previous video?Develop a list of reasons for the importance of the battleWhat misunderstandings do I need to address? What reasons did they identify? Did they miss the importance of any reasons? Post a list of five reasons, and then commentWhat type of general feedback can I provide as a model for this activity in future? What were common mistakes? What did they generally get right?

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Group activity15 minutes

https://www.futurelearn.com/

For each of your learning activities, identify questions you would like answered in order

to improve learning and teaching on the MOOC

What types of data would help you to answer these questions?

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