Book review of Niall Sclater’s Learning analytics explained

The field of learning analytics in higher education becomes more and more complex with each passing day – just like the algorithms many employ in an effort to identify and analyze data that can help optimize students’ learning. There have been webinars, articles, white papers, and books written in an effort to parse out what learning analytics is and is not, how it does and does not work, or what should or should not be considered when deploying and employing tools. The authors and presenters of these works have done well in their efforts, but often leave the uninitiated or uninformed reader with more questions and confusion than answers or sense-making. Niall Sclater’s Learning Analytics Explained does not create this confusion, but instead provides a breath of fresh air for the literature in this field

Analytics readiness: Is your institution primed for success?

What is necessary for an institution to begin using analytics to inform teaching and learning? This session will review and discuss current findings and components of learning analytics frameworks as identified by experts in the field. The audience will engage in discussion and hands-on activities that synthesize these ideas to begin to identify the readiness of learning analytics success at their own institutions. Furthermore, participants will collaboratively develop the core elements of a crowdsourced survey instrument that will focus on the elements necessary for institutional-level readiness and the likelihood of achieving success in learning analytics

Is your institution ready to innovate with learning analytics?

Online learning has frequently been exemplified as a revolutionary instrument, particularly in higher education. Similarly, learning analytics has been lauded as a means to identify students who need help, empower students to be more independent, and personalize the learning experience. Online learning and learning analytics blend nicely in education\u27s quest for a transformational paradigm and, while conceptually appealing, institutions should be deliberate in their decision to adopt learning analytics. Institutional readiness for learning analytics is a complex endeavor involving a broad spectrum of resources and skills. Institutional reflection and self-study may allow stakeholders to set more realistic implementation goals. We\u27ll discuss the broad idea of institutional capacity and readiness for successful learning analytics innovations. Learning Objectives: Understand the broad concepts and themes associated with learning analytics readiness | Understand the complex nature of scalable and sustainable learning analytics initiative

Development of a Student Self-Reported Instrument to Assess Course Reform

This study examines the development and implementation of a survey-based instrument assessing the effectiveness of a course redesign initiative focused on student centeredness at a large midwestern university in the United States. Given the scope of the reform initiative under investigation in this study, researchers developed an instrument called the Classroom Experience Questionnaire (CEQ), which was administered to students enrolled in redesigned courses. Early findings demonstrate strong construct validity and internal reliability of the CEQ instrument as well as concurrent validity between the CEQ and observation data gathered in concert with self-report data. The authors conclude that in the absence of trained classroom observers, the developed student self-report protocol can serve as a useful tool for measuring the constructivist orientation of pedagogy and student-centered nature of the learning environment in a higher education setting

Glucocorticoid Receptor (NR3C1) Variants Associate with the Muscle Strength and Size Response to Resistance Training

Glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) polymorphisms associate with obesity, muscle strength, and cortisol sensitivity. We examined associations among four NR3C1 polymorphisms and the muscle response to resistance training (RT). European-American adults (n = 602, 23.8±0.4yr) completed a 12 week unilateral arm RT program. Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) assessed isometric strength (kg) and MRI assessed biceps size (cm2) pre- and post-resistance training. Subjects were genotyped for NR3C1 -2722G>A, -1887G>A, -1017T>C, and +363A>G. Men carrying the -2722G allele gained less relative MVC (17.3±1.2vs33.5±6.1%) (p = 0.010) than AA homozygotes; men with -1887GG gained greater relative MVC than A allele carriers (19.6±1.4vs13.2±2.3%) (p = 0.016). Women carrying the -1017T allele gained greater relative size (18.7±0.5vs16.1±0.9%) (p = 0.016) than CC homozygotes. We found sex-specific NR3C1 associations with the muscle strength and size response to RT. Future studies should investigate whether these associations are partially explained by cortisol’s actions in muscle tissue as they interact with sex differences in cortisol production.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.014811

Ethics and Analytics: Limits of Knowledge and a Horizon of Opportunity

The realms of academic and learning analytics are in need of ethical frameworks to address issues associated with student autonomy, information confidentiality, and predictive modeling. This interactive session will involve small-group discussion surrounding a frontier of ethics and its contribution to innovation in and use of new analytics systems

College students in transition : an annotated bibliography /

Comprend des références bibliographiques et un index