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The Value and Instructor Perceptions of Learning Analytics for Small Classes

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

July 12, 2024

Conference Session

DSA Technical Session 6

Tagged Topic

Data Science & Analytics Constituent Committee (DSA)

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/48145

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Paper Authors

biography

Smitesh Bakrania Rowan University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0003-0663-0241

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Dr. Smitesh Bakrania is an associate professor in Mechanical Engineering at Rowan University. He received his Ph.D. from University of Michigan in 2008 and his B.S. from Union College in 2003. His technical focus area is nanomaterials research. He is primarily involved in educational research with educational app development and instructional tools to engage students, including online learning and instructional video production.

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Abstract

After the majority of education moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic, it became increasingly critical to gauge student learning and engagement without in-person interactions. Without the visual cues present in classrooms, instructors were blind to the nuances of engagement afforded by face-to-face instructions. Instead, instructors relied on student performances on assessments as the proxy or the lagging indicator for engagement. Learning analytics, on the other hand, provides an additional window into student engagement that is frequently underutilized. Learning analytics uses the data generated as the students interact with the learning management system (LMS) to augment instructor insights. Learning analytics has been often used to conduct predictive functions for student performance within massive open online courses. How can learning analytics assist instructors teaching smaller classes or even in-person classes? To investigate the value learning analytics provides, two fully online, small asynchronous engineering courses were studied retroactively. Aspects of student engagement and performance were analyzed for trends. The trends were then used to draw insights that can be used to improve the student experience for both in-person and remote settings. Secondly, recognizing the value of learning analytics, instructor perspectives were surveyed to gain useful insights on current practices and attitudes towards the topic. The results suggest that challenges exist for widespread adoption of learning analytics for typically smaller courses. Common hurdles were documented. The combination of the learning analysis and the faculty survey provide insights on the opportunities that exist as we continue to leverage the lessons learned during the pandemic. The exercise can also guide the development of effective online or in-person learning environments.

Bakrania, S. (2024, June), The Value and Instructor Perceptions of Learning Analytics for Small Classes Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48145

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