Title: Learning analytics: drivers, developments and challenges

Authors: Rebecca Ferguson

Addresses: Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, UK

Abstract: Learning analytics is a significant area of technology-enhanced learning that has emerged during the last decade. This review of the field begins with an examination of the technological, educational and political factors that have driven the development of analytics in educational settings. It goes on to chart the emergence of learning analytics, including their origins in the 20th century, the development of data-driven analytics, the rise of learning-focused perspectives and the influence of national economic concerns. It next focuses on the relationships between learning analytics, educational data mining and academic analytics. Finally, it examines developing areas of learning analytics research, and identifies a series of future challenges.

Keywords: academic analytics; action analytics; educational data; data mining; social learning analytics; technological factors; educational factors; political factors; politics; education; analytics development; data-driven analytics; learning-focused perspectives; economic concerns; technology enhanced learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTEL.2012.051816

International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 2012 Vol.4 No.5/6, pp.304 - 317

Received: 10 Mar 2012
Accepted: 05 Nov 2012
Published online: 31 Dec 2014 *

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