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= = = Learning Analytics =


 * A little Background... What are analytics? **
 * Analytics ** is the science of examining raw data with the purpose of drawing conclusions about that information. It is used in many industries to allow companies and organizations to make better business decisions and in the sciences to verify or approve existing models or theories. Data miners sort through huge data sets using sophisticated software to identify undiscovered patterns and hidden relationships. DA is focused on inference, the process of coming to a conclusion based what is already known by the researcher.This science is generally divided into exploratory data analysis, confirmatory data analysis, and qualitative data analysis. Banks and credit card companies, for insurance reasons, analyze withdrawl and spending patterns to prevent fraud and identity theft.

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Learning analytics is much like data analytics. It is a field of study, and as a practice, is a way to analyze and collect educational data. Data Exaust is all the digital traces from learner's online activities - what they, do say, read, write, interact with, and where they're connected. All this data exaust leaves behind an amazing oppertunity for learning analytics. If we focus on this, it could come to conclusions that we couldnt before. Learning Analytics focuses on attempts to boost student rentention and coarse completion.Quantified self movement in learning analytics implies personal ownership, control, and goals. Although, the goal of Learnign Analytics isnt just to boost the graduation rate, but to support student learning. =====


 * Innovation ** is the act or process of inventing or introducing something new. Learning analytics is known as just educational data mining but the circumstances and what people are doing with it are different now. It is "a relatively new phenomenon in education." ** The "innovation" factor is figuring out ways to support student learning and set personal goals for students. ** "Are we at a stage where learning analytics is going to lock down and reinforce everything we don’t like about the current education system?” and "How is this improving student learning?" The answers to these questions are simple. Analyzing online student behavior can help higher education institutions to gain a better understanding of student's study behavior, the quality of the educational resources used, how the digital learning and environment is used, quality of test items, and student progress. Learning Analytics can improve the quality of education provided and offer personal supervision. These things can tell us where the strength and opportunities are for students and teachers. The goal is to build something new with learning analytics, not something we do to students, but something we do with them.

With quantity of digital data available increasing in a daily basis, powerful computers becoming more and more accessible, and further development of tools to better mine data and techniques to better analyze it in meaningful ways to educate. ** Analytics plays a crucial role in the evolution of Education. ** Learning institutions are becoming aware of the huge potential Analytics presents, and are beginning to invest in its development. The Academic community is also focusing on this trend, as can be observed in the 2011 Horizon Report. The adoption of Analytics in Education can improve the quality of the learning process in many ways. The most visible one is assisting teachers and students during the process of teaching and learning. Using the predictive models obtained through the analysis of data extracted from previous cohorts, it is possible to identify in an early moment students at risk, giving to teachers and student time and information about how to improve his/her performance. Learning Analytics help teachers with students for what subject their struggling with by taking an equity test. It is especially important for teachers responsible for larger classes, as this system allows a better control over the development of the students throughout the course.

Links [|Analytics Video] [|Another Analytics Video]
 * [|Learning Analytics] **

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