Pigeon pecks and mouse clicks

Putting the learning back into learning analytics

Abstract

Learning in higher education can be described as a series of complex tasks and stages of development requiring a range of multifaceted behaviours and ways-of-being. Understanding what contributes to teaching for quality learning and achieving quality learning outcomes in higher education has been the topic of much debate over many decades. The current paper intends to situate and contextualise learning analytics (LA) within a broader debate on quality and student experience, outlining the affordances and constraints of this data-driven approach to quality. Firstly, we acknowledge the current use of LA within higher education and early research outcomes reported within the literature. Secondly, drawing on our combined disciplinary knowledge within experimental psychology, health informatics and health science education, as well as our current roles within quality and student experience at our respective universities, we pose some directions for enhancing and building on current approaches to understanding and using LA in the higher education context.