Learning Analytics: What Could You Do With Five More Orders Magnitude of Data About Student Learning?

Our education system is not preparing students for college. There is an urgent need to improve academic outcomes and equip students with critical 21st century skills. Evidence from top-performing schools shows that use of data, analysis, and feedback are our best tools for improvement. The increasing use of online software and digital devices in classrooms presents an opportunity to collect high-frequency data for mining. Today’s analytics techniques could be used to develop a deeper understanding of how students learn, recommend personalized learning plans, and identify early warning flags. Rich data, analytics, and feedback enable a process of iteration and continuous improvement, where educators become learners, and we figure out how to improve education. We are at the beginning of a wave of data-driven change in education, with important social consequences and fantastic opportunities.