Innovation: Big Data and Analytics

George Siemens, PhDNEASC

December 9, 2015

This system is being unbundled & rebundled,

creating new power and influence structures

We don’t have the data or the models for understanding how dramatic changes now occurring

will impact higher education

Lack of data-informed decision making

culture

Macfadyen, L., & Dawson, S. (2012). Numbers Are Not Enough. Why e-Learning Analytics Failed to Inform an Institutional Strategic Plan. Educational Technology & Society, 15(3), 149-163.

Siemens, Long, 2011. EDUCUASE Review

The WHY of learning analytics

“If the ladder of educational opportunity rises high at the doors of some youth and scarcely rises at the doors of others, while at the same time formal education is made a prerequisite to occupational and social advance, then education may become the means, not of eliminating race and class distinctions, but of deepening and solidifying them.”

President Truman, 1947

Pell Institute, 2015

McKinsey Quarterly, 2012

Student profiles

Diversifying(OECD)

Less than 50% now full time(US Census Bureau)

http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/EDIF%202013--N%C2%B015.pdf http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-14.pdf

Favours women over menMore learners as % (up to 60%)Average entrance age increasingTop three countries for entering students:

China, India, USATraditional science courses waning in popularityGreater international student

OECD 2013

Enrolment: “perfect storm of challenges ahead”

University Business, January 2015

To understand what tomorrow’s education system will look like, we have to understand the architecture of information today:

how is it createdhow is it sharedhow is it iterated

how is it controlled?

Parallel developing partners: Adaptive and personalized

learningPlatform Publisher

Knewton PearsonSmart Sparrow McGraw-HillDesire2Learn adaptcoursewareLoudCloud CMU OLI

Knowledge development, learning, is (should be) concerned with learners understanding relationships, not simply memorizing facts.

i.e. naming nodes is “low level” knowledge activity, understanding node connectivity, and implications of changes in network structure, consists of deeper, coherent, learning

Granularization of assessment

Cracking the credit hour (New America Foundation)

Badges(Mozilla & others)

http://newamerica.net/publications/policy/cracking_the_credit_hour http://openbadges.org/

Educational Quality through Innovative Partnerships (EQUIP)

Certificates

Fastest growing form of credentialing (800% increase in 30 years)

Industry-facing

Carnevale, Rose, Hanson 2012

Competencies

Competency-based degrees(Chronicle, 2014)

Prior learning assessment(Insider Higher Ed, 2012)

http://chronicle.com/article/Competency-Based-Degrees-/144769/ http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/07/prior-learning-assessment-catches-quietly

Knowledge in pieces

diSessa, 1993

“The world is one big data problem”Gilad Elbaz

The WHAT of learning analytics

In: Siemens, Gasevic, & Dawson (eds), 2015

Learning analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for the purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs.

LAK11 Conference

Learning analytics is about learning

Gašević, D., Dawson, S., Siemens, G. (2015). Let’s not forget: Learning analytics are about learning. TechTrends, 59(1), 64-71.

Once size fits all does not work in learning analytics

Gašević, D., Dawson, S., Rogers, T., Gašević, D. (2016). Learning analytics should not promote one size fits all: The effects of course-specific technology use in predicting academic success. The Internet and Higher Education, 26, 68–84.

“a team at Google couldn’t decide between two blues, so they’re testing 41 shades between each blue to see which one performs better”

Douglas Bowman

What will LA do for learning science & education

Add a new research layerPersonalizationOptimization (move from negative orientation)Organizational insightImproved decision makingNew models of learningIncrease competitivenessImprove marketing/promotion/recruitment

Blending physical and digital spaces

WearablesAmbient computingIoT

…biometric/physiological data needed to answer complex questions around social and affective being and learning

The HOW of learning analytics

This system is being unbundled & rebundled,

creating new power and influence structures