Aims:

The overall aim of the project was to give teachers and designers a way to translate learning analytics data into effective e-learning design.

The project's outputs include:

• a taxonomy of learning analytics data collected by common e-learning systems with guidelines for use of this information in teaching and learning design
• design frameworks, reusable digital resources including online tutorials and templates and case study examples for the use of learning analytics data as an input to learning design
• a series of interactive workshops on the extraction and use of learning analytics data for tertiary teachers and learning designers
• journal articles and conference papers describing the contribution of learning analytics data to teaching and course design and to the field of learning technology research
• communication and dissemination strategies designed to encourage extensive use of the taxonomy and design information provided by learning analytics data
• policy recommendations to promote the use of learning analytics data in teaching and learning design.

Methodology:

The methodology of the research project involved:

• identifying the learning analytics data currently available through common learning management systems such as Moodle or BlackBoard and e-learning tools such as peer and online assessment and tutorial dialogue systems
• generating and disseminating a taxonomy of analytics data to guide educators towards selection of data appropriate to the questions they want to answer or explore
• distinguishing which analytics data can illuminate the relationship between learning design, ie, a teaching plan with intentions and assumptions about what students will learn; intermediate learning outcomes, ie, learning strategies, engagement in activities and construction of new knowledge; and final learning outcomes, ie, what students can demonstrate they have learned.
• initiating sustainable changes in practice within the academic institutions represented by the research team and promoting similar changes in others.