Faculty Use of Learning Analytics Dashboards

Over the past decade, institutions of higher education have increased the amount of large-scale learning data that they collect through learning management systems, courseware, and various other systems across campus. However, many faculty still do not use it to inform course-level interventions, pedagogical approaches, and course design for a variety of reasons. These can include access to the data, the ability to conduct appropriate analyses, or having time or incentives to build necessary skills. Learning analytics dashboards are a common means to present student data in a more manageable way, but campuses that invest in these tools still face challenges with uptake among faculty. 

This session explores the opportunities and challenges of using learning analytics dashboards. These challenges and opportunities are often coupled. For example, institutions that grow the usage of these tools can improve student learning outcomes and promote greater equity. Conversely, algorithms that do not fit a context, lack of clarity about the data presented in the dashboards, or cultural considerations around messaging could cause harm. If used well, learning analytics dashboards hold great promise and are worth deeper investigation by faculty, staff, and administrators.

In this interactive session, the presenters will share a synthesis of the literature on learning analytics dashboards, qualitative research conducted at a four-year public institution, and recommendations for successful uptake of the tools. The presenters will invite session attendees to consider and share how these dashboards are/could be used in their context. 

Attendees will leave the session with an understanding of how different learning analytics dashboards work, opportunities for their usage, and challenges around their uptake, along with how they might use them at their institutions.