Learning Analytics: Translating Data into “Just-in-Time” Interventions

Despite the burgeoning studies on student attrition and retention, many institutions continue to deal with related issues, including D, F, and W grades rates. The emerging and rapidly developing Learning Analytics (LA) field shows great potential for improving learning outcomes by monitoring and analyzing student performance to allow instructors to recommend specific interventions based on key performance indicators. Unfortunately, higher education has been slow to implement it. We, therefore, provide the rationale and benefits of increased LA integration into courses and curriculum. We further identify and suggest ready-to-implement best practices, as well as tools available in Learning Management Systems (LMSs) and other helpful resources

Models for online, open, flexible and technology enhanced higher education across the globe – a comparative analysis

Digital technology has become near ubiquitous in many countries today or is on a path to reach this state in the near future. Across the globe the share of internet users, for instance, has jumped in the last ten years. In Europe most countries have a share of internet users near to or above 90% in 2016 (last year available for international comparisons), in China the current share is 53%, but this has grown from just 16% in 2007, even in Ethiopia the share has grown from 0.4% to 15.4% in the same period (data from ITU). At the same time expectations of widespread adoption of digital solutions in higher education have been rising. In 2017 the New Media Consortium’s Horizon Report predicted that adaptive learning would take less than a year to be widely adopted (Adams Becker et al., 2017). And projects such as ‘Virtually Inspired’ are showcasing creative examples of how new technologies are already being harnessed to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Furthermore, discussion of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals emphasise the key potentials that digital technology holds for achieving the goals for education in 2030 (UNESCO, 2017). These developments lead university and college leadership to the question of how they should position their institution. What type of digitalisation initiatives can be found practice beyond best practices and future potentials? This is the question that this study attempts to answer. It sets out to analyse how higher education providers from across the world are harnessing digitalisation to improve teaching and learning and learner support and to identify emerging types of practice. For this, it focuses on the dimensions of flexibility of provision (in terms of time, place and pace) and openness of provision (in terms of who has access to learning and support and who is involved in the design of learning provision), as both of these dimensions can significantly benefit from integration of digital solutions. The method of information collation used by the study was a global survey of higher education institutions (HEIs) covering all world continents, more than thirty countries and 69 cases. The survey found that nearly three-quarters of all HEIs have at least one strategic focus and typologies were developed based on this analysis to group HEIs with similar strategic focuses. Overall, the findings suggest that most higher education providers are just at the beginning of developing comprehensive strategies for harnessing digitalisation. For this reason, the authors of this study believe that providers can benefit from the outcomes of this study’s research, as it can be used by university and college leadership for benchmarking similarities and differences and for cooperative peer learning between institutions. The database of cases and the guidelines for reviewing current strategies, which accompany this study, aim to facilitate this learning and evaluation process

Examining Game-like Design Elements and Student Engagement in an Online Asychronous Course for Undergraduate University Students

Due to growing number of online university courses (Allen & Seaman, 2016; Picciano, 2015; Wladis, Wladis, & Hachey, 2014), this study examined whether game-like design strategies can be used to increase the quality of an asynchronous online course experience for undergraduate students. Student engagement is related to learning activities such as student-student, student-instructor, and student-course material interaction, as well as positive factors such as satisfaction, accomplishment, and active and collaborative learning (Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges, & Hayek, 2006; Shea et al., 2010). While there is a growing body of literature that deals with using game mechanics in instructional design generally, less is known about how game mechanics can increase student engagement in an online, asynchronous, university-level course. The quasi-treatment design of this study allowed for the comparison of student experiences in two versions of the same asynchronous undergraduate course. Data were collected via an online survey of perceived engagement, LMS-supported analytics, and grades. This study shows the current technology use of the students. The majority of students who participated in this study have been using the internet and computers for seven years or more. Based on this study, designers and instructors of online courses may consider using game-like hidden badges as a way to improve engagement in the asynchronous learning environment. Reward schedules, clues, reminders, and profiles could be essential for efficient implementation of game mechanics

Learning analytics experience among academics in Australia and Malaysia: A comparison

Several studies have been conducted to evaluate the experience and involvement of academics in learning analytics (LA) due to its potential for improving teaching and learning. However, findings often reflect an educational culture which is indicative of the institutional or national context where the study has occurred, resulting in bias regarding LA perspectives. Therefore, this study seeks to compare and contrast the experiences of LA among academics in Australia and Malaysia, with intentions to learn from each other's experience. Areas of comparison were: (1) academics' involvement in LA activities; (2) academics' responses to the institutional capacity in supporting LA; and 3) academics' concerns about the ethical issues surrounding LA. A survey of 353 Australian and 224 Malaysian academics revealed similarities and differences. It is evident from these results that the context and infrastructure for LA are at different stages of development in both countries. Nevertheless, the results provide an interesting reflection on academics' needs, institutional understanding, policies, and educational cultural biases in applying LA in teaching and learning in higher education institutions

28th International Symposium on Temporal Representation and Reasoning (TIME 2021)

The 28th International Symposium on Temporal Representation and Reasoning (TIME 2021) was planned to take place in Klagenfurt, Austria, but had to move to an online conference due to the insecurities and restrictions caused by the pandemic. Since its frst edition in 1994, TIME Symposium is quite unique in the panorama of the scientifc conferences as its main goal is to bring together researchers from distinct research areas involving the management and representation of temporal data as well as the reasoning about temporal aspects of information. Moreover, TIME Symposium aims to bridge theoretical and applied research, as well as to serve as an interdisciplinary forum for exchange among researchers from the areas of artifcial intelligence, database management, logic and verifcation, and beyond

Evaluation of a Multiple Regression Model for Noisy and Missing Data

The standard data collection problems may involve noiseless data while on the other hand large organizations commonly experience noisy and missing data, probably concerning data collected from individuals. As noisy and missing data will be significantly worrisome for occasions of the vast data collection then the investigation of different filtering techniques for big data environment would be remarkable. A multiple regression model where big data is employed for experimenting will be presented. Approximation for datasets with noisy and missing data is also proposed. The statistical root mean squared error (RMSE) associated with correlation coefficient (COEF) will be analyzed to prove the accuracy of estimators. Finally, results predicted by massive online analysis (MOA) will be compared to those real data collected from the following different time. These theoretical predictions with noisy and missing data estimation by simulation, revealing consistency with the real data are illustrated. Deletion mechanism (DEL) outperforms with the lowest average percentage of error

Promoting flexible mathematical thinking with growth mindset, deliberate practice, and serious games

ABSTRACT Adaptive expertise is a greatly appreciated, yet rarely achieved, goal of mathematics curricula because it is considered to typify high-level mathematical thinking. Adaptive expertise demonstrates knowledge and skills that can be dynamically implemented in uncommon situations, not just within highly defined tasks or sufficiently prepared contexts. To achieve adaptive expertise, students must be given occasions to practice solving open-ended mathematical tasks in unfamiliar circumstances, allowing them to contemplate, analyze, and explore different connections and alternative solutions to develop their emerging skills and knowledge structures. Traditional math classrooms are often equipped with textbooks and instructional approaches that focus on isolated, routine exercises, or drill-andpractice, which encourage students to master isolated procedural techniques to find the most or only efficient solution. Math teachers, therefore, employ teaching methods that emphasize speed and accuracy using these materials. The idea of mathematics as a “fixed” subject, which is full of rigid and absolute rules, unintentionally continues to be reinforced. This doctoral dissertation aims to investigate design principles for learning environments that support flexible mathematical thinking in mathematics education. This thesis focuses on two objectives: first, it aspires to understand how adaptive expertise can be promoted with deliberate practice, and whether it can be done by using a mathematical game-based learning environment called the Number Navigation Game (NNG). The nature of deliberate practice is demanding and occurs just beyond one’s abilities. It necessitates deep engagement, continuous efforts to enhance performance, and a positive attitude towards challenges—traits synonymous with a growth mindset. Given the association between a growth mindset and persistent learning behavior, the second objective explores ways to cultivate growth mindset in mathematics classrooms. This is vital for integrating game-based learning into conventional mathematics instruction and realizing the goal of adaptive expertise in mathematics. This dissertation is divided into two parts, encompassing three sub-studies. Part one, comprising Studies I and II, focuses on the Number Navigation Game (NNG). Study I explores game experiences during the NNG development process and examines how different design choices influence students’ gaming experiences. The results provide insights into the iterative design process of a research-based serious game, shedding light on students' interactions with both learning and gaming components and their relation to novel mathematical learning objectives. Study II delves into various game performance profiles using gaming analytics and investigates the diverse ways students engage with the NNG. Utilizing log data from game performances in the energy mode, combined with measured mathematics learning outcomes, math interest, perceived challenge, and experienced flow during gameplay, Study II offers evidence on promoting adaptive expertise through deliberate practice, game-based learning environments, and learning outcomes. In essence, Studies I and II highlight how the NNG serves as a supportive platform for presenting students with novel contexts, challenging tasks, and immediate feedback, making it a viable tool for traditional classrooms. Part two (Study III) investigates the current state of growth mindset interventions in mathematics education through a systematic review. The results show that when implicit theories of intelligence interventions were conducted specifically in the math domain, positive results were reported, whereas general implicit theories of intelligence interventions yielded mixed results. This indicates that to make the necessary behavioral changes based on changed beliefs, participants need to engage with mathematical content at a deeper level than the surface level. Most importantly, the learning environment must be embedded with elements that support struggle and mistakes, encourage effortful practices, and make progress visible to students. In this way, students will be provided with evidence of the development of their own mathematical skills as a result of practice. KEYWORDS: adaptive expertise, game-based learning environment, growth mindset, deliberate practice, flexible mathematical thinkingTIIVISTELMÄ Adaptiivinen asiantuntijuus on yksi korkeatasoisen matemaattisen ajattelun taidoista ja sen kehittymistä on pidetty tärkeänä tavoitteena matematiikan opetussuunnitelmissa, vaikka käytännön opetustyössä sitä harvoin saavutetaankaan. Adaptiivinen asiantuntijuus kuvaa tietoja ja taitoja, joita voidaan soveltaa joustavasti uusissa tilanteissa, ei vain selkeästi ennalta määritellyissä tehtävissä tai konteksteissa. Tämän saavuttamiseksi on tärkeää, että oppilaille tarjotaan mahdollisuus harjoitella avoimien matemaattisten ongelmien ratkaisemista uusissa konteksteissa. Tällöin he voivat pohtia, analysoida, tutkia erilaisia yhteyksiä ja vaihtoehtoisia ratkaisuja, mikä kehittää heidän taitojaan. Perinteisessä matematiikan opetuksessa on usein käytössä oppikirjoja ja opetusmenetelmiä, jotka keskittyvät yksittäisiin, rutiininomaisiin harjoituksiin tai yksinkertaiseen toistoon perustavaan harjoitteluun. Nämä valmistavat oppilaita hallitsemaan mekaaniset laskutoimitukset ja proseduurit tehokkaimman tai ainoan ratkaisun löytämiseen. Tällaiset oppimateriaalit ja -menetelmät tähtäävät nopeuteen ja tarkkuuteen. Tällöin ajatus matematiikasta joustamattomana kouluaineena, joka on täynnä jäykkiä ja ehdottomia sääntöjä, jatkaa vahvistumistaan tahattomasti. Tämän väitöskirjan tavoitteena on edistää joustavan matemaattisen ajattelun kehittämistä matematiikan opetuksessa. Väitöskirja keskittyy kahteen osatavoitteeseen. Ensinnäkin väitöskirjatutkimuksissa pyritään ymmärtämään, miten adaptiivista asiantuntijuutta voidaan edistää määrätietoisella harjoittelulla, ja voidaanko adaptiivista asiantuntijuutta kehittää käyttämällä matemaattista pelillistä Number Navigation Game oppimisympäristöä. Toiseksi määrätietoinen harjoittelu on vaativaa ja tapahtuu juuri oppijan kykyjen äärirajoilla; se vaatii syvää keskittymistä, sitoutumista, sinnikästä pyrkimystä suorituksen parantamiseen ja positiivista asennetta vaikeiden, epämiellyttäviäkin tunteita herättävien tehtävien edessä. Sekä sinnikkyys suoritusten parantamisessa että positiiviset asenteet haasteita kohtaan ovat myös kasvun asenteelle tunnusomaisia piirteitä. Useissa tutkimuksissa väitetään, että kasvun ajattelutavan tukeminen edistää sinnikästä oppimiskäyttäytymistä. Ymmärrystä siitä, kuinka kasvun ajattelutapaa voidaan tukea matematiikan tunneilla, voidaan hyödyntää, kun pelillistä oppimista integroidaan perinteiseen matematiikan opetukseen ja tavoitteena on adaptiivisen asiantuntijuuden taidot matematiikassa. Väitöskirjassa on kaksi osaa, joihin kolme osatutkimusta jakautuu. Ensimmäinen osa sisältää Number Navigation Game -peliä koskevat tutkimukset I ja II. Tutkimuksessa I kartoitettiin oppilaiden pelikokemuksia pelin kehitysprosessin aikana, ja sekä sitä, kuinka erilaiset suunnitteluvalinnat vaikuttivat oppilaiden pelikokemuksiin. Tutkimukset tuottivat uutta tietoa tutkimuspohjaisen oppimispelin suunnittelusta ja muokkausprosessista, mikä puolestaan tuotti yleisempää tietoa oppilaiden ja pelin elementtien vuorovaikutuksesta, ja siitä miten tämä vuorovaikutus liittyy uudenlaisiin matemaattisiin oppimistavoitteisiin. Tutkimus II keskittyi erilaisiin pelaajien suoritusprofiileihin pelianalytiikan avulla ja tutki erilaisia tapoja, joilla oppilaat pelasivat Number Navigation Game -peliä. Tutkimuksessa hyödynnettiin lokidataa pelaajien suorituksista yhdessä mitattujen matematiikan oppimistulosten, matematiikan kiinnostuksen sekä pelaamisen aikana koetun haastavuuden ja flow-kokemuksen kanssa. Tutkimus tuotti tietoa siitä, millä tavalla adaptiivista asiantuntijuutta voidaan edistää tukemalla määrätietoista harjoittelua pelioppimisympäristössä. Yhteenvetona voidaan todeta, että tutkimukset I ja II tuottivat aikaisempaa tarkempaa tietoa siitä, kuinka Number Navigation Game -peli voi tarjota kannustavan oppimisalustan, joka tarjoaa avoimen oppimisympäristön, rutiinista poikkeavia ja haastavia tehtäviä, sekä pelidesignin, joka antaa oppijalle selkeää, välitöntä palautetta. Väitöskirjan toisen osan (Tutkimus III) tavoitteena on tarkastella kasvun ajattelutavan interventioita matematiikan opetuksessa systemaattisen katsauksen avulla. Tulokset osoittivat, että kun älykkyyttä koskeviin uskomuksiin perustuvia kasvun ajattelutapaa tukevia interventioita toteutettiin erityisesti matematiikan alalla, raportoitiin positiivisia tuloksia. Kun kasvun ajattelutapaa tukevia interventioita toteutettiin yleisesti ilman erityistä kontekstia, tulokset olivat ristiriitaisia. Tämä osoittaa, että jotta tarvittavat käyttäytymismuutokset toteutuvat muuttuneiden uskomusten perusteella, osallistujien on uppouduttava matemaattiseen sisältöön pintatasoa syvällisemmin. On olennaista, että oppimisympäristöön on upotettu elementtejä, jotka tukevat "kamppailua ja virheitä", että ne kannustavat ponnisteluihin ja että edistyminen tehdään oppijalle näkyväksi. Näin oppija saa todisteita omien matemaattisten taitojensa kehittymisestä harjoittelun seurauksena. ASIASANAT: adaptiivinen asiantuntijuus, pelioppimisympäristö, kasvun ajattelutapa, tarkoituksellinen harjoittelu, joustava matemaattinen ajattel