Learning Analytics Archives

Feb52025 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: Memorizing Plans With an App

Journal, Learning Analytics, Publication, School, Self-Regulation

Mobile phones and devices are an integral part of the daily lives of students, and educators are increasingly trying to take advantage of this day-to-day usage for educational purposes. But how can mobile technologies, like app-based learning activities, be designed to effectively help students in the learning process? [caption id="attachment_7331" align="alignright" width="500"] Screenshots of the reading (A), puzzle (B), and emoji (C) activity[/caption] A newly published study from Daniel Biedermann, Jasmin Breitwieser, Lea Nobbe, Hendrik Drachsler and Garvin Brod tries to answer this question. Using the PROMT app, the team compared three types of learning activities used by children aged 9 to 14 years to memorize one learning plan per day over the course of 27 days. The activities varied in their planned level of cognitive engagement based on the…

Jan152025 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Legal Assessment of AI and Learning Analytics in Teaching and Learning

Artificial Intelligence, Learning Analytics, Press, Report

As with any new technology, the laws and regulations relating to them seem to always be one step behind and one can feel somewhat lost in a foggy, legal grey zone. The same is true for the use of AI. Using AI in a legally compliant way depends on its specific application, its range and the technical details. This has to be checked and regulated in accordance with the law in order to be able to use each AI technology safely, for the intended purpose and in compliance with data protection regulations. But how can universities know if they are using Learning Analytics and AI technologies in a legally compliant manner? In a first step in answering this question, the Goethe University has recently published an extensive legal assessment about…

Dec22024 by Prof. Dr. Hendrik DrachslerNo Comments

PhD Defense: A Bridge between Learning Analytics and Learning Design

Book, Event, Higher Education, Learning Analytics, Learning Design, Multimodal Learning Analytics, PhD defense, Publication, School

We warmly congratulate our esteemed associate partner, DR. Marcel Schmitz, on successfully defending his PhD thesis on November 29, 2024. Marcel is a senior lecturer and researcher in Data Intelligence and the Applied Data Science & Artificial Intelligence program at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. In his dissertation, titled “Towards Learning Analytics-Supported Learning Design”, he focused on how education can be better personalized by incorporating learning analytics already in the design and course planning. His dissertation was supervised by Prof. Dr. Hendrik Drachsler (DIPF | Leibniz Institute & Goethe University Frankfurt), with co-supervisors Prof. Dr. Maren Scheffel (Ruhr University Bochum) and Dr. Roger Bemelmans (Zuyd University of Applied Sciences). Marcel's dissertation provides actionable strategies not only for higher education but also for other educational sectors. His work envisions a future…

Nov182024 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: Understanding Learning Engagement in Asynchronous Online Settings

Higher Education, Journal, Learning Analytics, Publication

A newly published study illustrates the complexities of learning engagement (LE) in asynchronous online settings (AOSs) for university students. For university students it can be difficult to learn in such environments since these lack real-time interactions. This also makes it difficult for teachers to measure how engaged students actually are with their study materials. Through trace data, learning analytics can be used as a foundation to analyze students’ learning methods and LE. The study investigates whether LE can be characterized by the sub-dimensions: effort, attention and content interest. The study also explores the question of which trace data from student behavior within AOSs can best represent these factors of LE in self-reports. The research involved 764 university students and utilized best-subset regression analysis to determine which indicators most reliably represent…

Nov82024 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

PhD Defense on Software Infrastructure for Contextualized Learning Analytics in Online Education

Learning Analytics, PhD defense

We warmly congratulate our esteemed alumni George-Petru Ciordas-Hertel on the successful defense of his PhD thesis this past Tuesday, 05.11.2024! Way to go, Dr. George! We are proud of you for achieving this milestone! At universities we have seen a big shift to online education in the past ten years, as universities have continuously integrated technology into educational environments. This development has brought students and educators new possibilities, but also challenges. A promising method is Learning Analytics (LA), which uses data to gain insights into learning behaviors and enhance educational outcomes. In his dissertation, George highlights a critical limitation in traditional learning analytics: they often overlook significant aspects of learners’ digital and physical environments. His research proposes that integrating contextual information from these environments could make LA even more effective.…

Oct232024 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: How Can Learning Analytics Dashboards Help Improve Students’ Self-Regulated Learning?

Conference, Empirical Study, Learning Analytics, Publication, School, Self-Regulation

Learning Analytics Dashboards (LADs) are important and widely-used tools used to give feedback to students and to aid them in their self-regulating learning process. Much has been done to investigate the design of LADs, but there is still a lack of knowledge regarding how students interpret the information shown on LADs and how they actually use these tools while learning. In a newly published study, we try to fill this gap. In an experimental study, we compared two groups of students. One group was given personalized self-regulared learning (SRL) feedback on their interactions and learning advances. The control group was only given minimal feedback calculated from the average class scores. After reviewing their feedback, students submitted written reflections on how they would adjust their study behavior. The researchers then analyzed…

Sep142024 by Prof. Dr. Hendrik DrachslerNo Comments

PhD Defense: A Deep Dive into Visual Learning Analytics

Award, Higher Education, Learning Analytics, PhD defense, School

On September 13th, Hendrik Drachsler took on the esteemed role of opponent in the PhD defense of Artemis Mohseni at Linnaeus University, Sweden. The defense, which marked a pivotal moment in Artemis’s academic journey, centered around her innovative doctoral thesis titled "Development of Visual Learning Analytics Tools to Explore Performance and Engagement of Students in Primary, Secondary, and Higher Education." The evaluation commission was formed by: Associate professor Olga Viberg, Royal Institute of Technolgy, Sweden Associate professor Linnéa Stenliden, Linköpings University, Sweden Professor Johan Lundin, University of Gothenburg, Sweden Associate professor Fisnik Dalipi, Linnaeus University, Sweden Associate professor Arianit Kurti, Linnaeus University, Sweden It was an exciting defense that showcased Artemis’s research, which focuses on the potential of Visual Learning Analytics (VLA) to enhance teaching and learning by providing actionable…

Sep142024 by Prof. Dr. Hendrik DrachslerNo Comments

HILA goes to school – Keynote at ISDT24, Linnaeus University, Sweden

Artificial Intelligence, Conference, Feedback, Keynote, Learning Analytics, School

What happens when Highly-Informative Learning Analytics (HILA) goes to school? That’s exactly what Hendrik Drachsler explored during his keynote at the 3rd International Symposium on Digital Transformation (ISDT24) in Linnaeus University Växjö, Sweden. His talk highlighted the impact of the AFLEK project, a transformative initiative under the HILA research program, which focuses on improving learning outcomes in secondary schools through actionable data and AI-driven tools. The keynote wasn't just about theoretical advances; it presented real-world applications that are actively shaping how secondary education functions today. Through three key publications, Drachsler demonstrated how the integration of Data-Enriched Learning Activities (DeLA), teacher dashboards, and empirical research has paved the way for improved teaching practices and measurable student success. Let’s dive into what happens when HILA meets the classroom. Key Highlights from Hendrik…

Sep42024 by Prof. Dr. Hendrik DrachslerNo Comments

Keynote at #LearningAID24, Bochum Germany

Artificial Intelligence, Conference, Event, Higher Education, Keynote, Learning Analytics, Learning Design

At the recent #LearningAID24 conference in Bochum, Germany, Hendrik Drachsler delivered a keynote that challenged conventional perspectives on Learning Analytics and AI in education. He opened the discussion by examining the often ambiguous boundary between Learning Analytics and AI in education, posing a thought-provoking question: are these two areas truly distinct, or do they converge into one shared domain? Beyond theoretical discussions, Hendrik presented early empirical findings from the research program on Highly-Informative Learning Analytics (HILA), advocating for a more evidence-based approach to integrating Learning Analytics and AI into education. The goal, he argued, should be to ensure that these technologies effectively meet the informational needs of learners, providing meaningful and actionable insights. He framed the 2nd conference day around the theme: INFORMED PRECISION - This concept captures the need…

Jul122024 by Prof. Dr. Hendrik DrachslerNo Comments

Advancing Automated Analysis of Concept Maps at AIED24

Artificial Intelligence, Feedback, Higher Education, Learning Analytics, Publication, School, Workshop, Workshop

The 25th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED 2024), held from July 8-12 in Recife, Brazil, was a significant event for the Highly Informative Learning Analytics Research Programme. This year marked the first Brazilian-German cooperation in this field, supported by the Alexander Humboldt Foundation, the DIPF in Frankfurt and IPN in Kiel under the ALICE project. Two workshop papers presented at the conference showcased innovative approaches to automatically analyze concept maps, promising to automate the way educators assess and understand the student-created context. #AIED24 #LearningAnalytics #ConceptMaps #AIinEducation #EducationalTechnology #MachineLearning #CulturalDiversity #RealTimeFeedback #EdTech #AI #Education #CrossCulturalCollaboration Paper 1: The Influence of Diverse Educational Contexts on Concept Map Structures Authors: Laís P. Van Vossen, Isabela Gasparini, Elaine H. T. Oliveira, Berrit Czinczel, Ute Harms, Lukas Menzel, Sebastian Gombert, Knut Neumann,…