Incorporating student-facing learning analytics into pedagogical practice

Abstract

Despite a narrative that sees Learning Analytics (LA) as a field that enhances student learning, few student-facing solutions have been developed. A lack of tools enables a sophisticated student focus, and it is difficult for educators to imagine how data can be used in authentic practice. This is unfortunate, as LA has the potential to be a powerful tool for encouraging metacognition and reflection. We propose a series of learning design patterns that will help people to incorporate LA into their teaching protocols: do-analyse-change-reflect, active learning squared, and group contribution. We discuss these learning design patterns with reference to a case study provided by the Connected Learning Analytics (CLA) toolkit, demonstrating that student-facing learning analytics is not just a future possibility, but an area that is ripe for further development.