Using moodle analytics for continuous e-assessment in a financial mathematics course at Polytechnic of Porto

The relevance of electronic learning, commonly called e-learning, has been growing exponentially in the last decade. Virtual learning environments (VLEs) disclosed new paths for interactions and motivation promotion, offering basic learning analytics functions and are becoming progressively popular. Moodle (acronym for Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is one of the most used VLEs, it is a free learning management system distributed as Open Source. The VLE Moodle gives professors access to an “endless” use and performance database like the number of downloads for each resource, participation of students in courses, statistics of performed quizzes, among others. The data stored by Moodle offers a good and handy source for learning analytics. One popular definition, from the First International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge in 2011, states that “Learning Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about students and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs”. Thus, using appropriate learning analytics methods and techniques, it would be helpful to analyze what particular learning activities or tools were practically used by students in Moodle, and to what extent. Considering the importance of the student engagement and the benefits of continuous assessment in higher education, as well as the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) on educational processes, it is important to integrate technology into continuous assessment practices. Since student engagement is connected to the quality of the student experience, increasing it is one way of enhancing quality in a higher education institution. In this study, will be demonstrated how the use of several educational resources and a low-stakes continuous weekly e-assessment in Moodle had a positive influence on student engagement in a second year undergraduate Financial Mathematics Course. Students felt that their increased engagement and improved learning was a straight result of this method. Furthermore, this suggests that wisely planned assignments and assessments can be used to increase student engagement and learning, and, as a result, contribute to improving the quality of student experience and success.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Efforts in Europe for data-driven improvement of education : A review of learning analytics research in seven countries

Information and communication technologies are increasingly mediating learning and teaching practices as well as how educational institutions are handling their administrative work. As such, students and teachers are leaving large amounts of digital footprints and traces in various educational apps and learning management platforms, and educational administrators register various processes and outcomes in digital administrative systems. It is against such a background we in recent years have seen the emergence of the fast-growing and multi-disciplinary field of learning analytics. In this paper, we examine the research efforts that have been conducted in the field of learning analytics in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany, Spain, and Sweden. More specifically, we report on developed national policies, infrastructures and competence centers, as well as major research projects and developed research strands within the selected countries. The main conclusions of this paper are that the work of researchers around Europe has not led to national adoption or European level strategies for learning analytics. Furthermore, most countries have not established national policies for learners’ data or guidelines that govern the ethical usage of data in research or education. We also conclude, that learning analytics research on pre-university level to high extent have been overlooked. In the same vein, learning analytics has not received enough focus form national and European national bodies. Such funding is necessary for taking steps towards data-driven development of education

Endless horizons?: addressing current concerns about learning analytics

A few years after the emergence of learning analytics as a relevant topic in educational research, which has been accompanied by several publications devoted to the theme, we still see how the different topics seem to alternate both converging and diverging trends. Thus, whereas sometimes different approaches seem to converge into the study of the same issue or situation, other times the same approaches are applied to solve different problems in a divergent way. This situation becomes more complex with the added inclusion of new technological advances and analysis techniques, as a result of which the extension of the scope of learning analytics as a discipline may be perceived as endless or boundless. This is an introduction to the Track on Learning Analytics within the Technological Ecosystems for Enhancing Multiculturality 2015 Conference, which aims to address some of the current concerns on learning analytics and help clearing the horizon. This introductory paper provides an overview of the rationale of the track's proposal, including different topics open for discussion; the introduction is followed by an insight of the submission management and participants' selection process. Then, a detailed summary of the manuscripts accepted for participation in the conference is presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Entornos personales de Aprendizaje Móvil (mPLE) en la Educación Superior

[ES]A nivel universitario, los entornos personales de aprendizaje surgen como una alternativa para solventar las deficiencias de las plataformas de aprendizaje institucionales, al ser espacios educativos centrados en el estudiante y potenciados por las tecnologías de la información y comunicación, y que facilitan el aprendizaje informal. Sin embargo la mayoría de investigaciones publicadas se basan únicamente en el uso de ordenadores sin tomar en cuenta los contextos móviles ampliamente usados a nivel mundial. En este sentido, el objetivo del presente trabajo de investigación es diseñar, implementar y evaluar la integración de Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje Móviles (mPLE) en los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje en la carrera de Ingeniería en Sistemas y Computación de la Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (Ecuador), con el fin de mejorar el nivel y la experiencia de aprendizaje en los estudiantes. Desde el punto de vista metodológico corresponde a un modelo de investigación mixto, donde se integra el enfoque cuantitativo y cualitativo para el tratamiento de la información. Así, en la parte cuantitativa se utilizan cuestionarios previamente validados, que se han aplicado a estudiantes de manera presencial y online, cuyos resultados han permitido comprobar las hipótesis de investigación planteadas. En la parte cualitativa se trabajó por medio de entrevistas realizadas en grupos focales para conocer las expectativas de los estudiantes acerca de la incorporación de los mPLE en su aprendizaje, así como las ventajas y desventajas de estas innovaciones. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas en cuanto a los niveles del aprendizaje alcanzado entre quienes trabajaron con estos nuevos entornos educativos y quienes no lo hicieron, así como también sobre las percepciones de aprendizaje en términos de autonomía, flexibilidad, interacción y movilidad. En conclusión el diseño e implementación de los mPLE en el colectivo universitario estudiado incide positivamente tanto en sus niveles de aprendizaje como en las experiencias de aprendizaje percibidas