Student teachers' perceptions of using learning analytics in a blended learning context

Although blended learning has many opportunities for flexible learning, it also includes challenges. One of the major challenges is to keep students motivated. An opportunity often overlooked by educational scientists is the vast amount of data generated by learning management systems, or summarised in one word: Learning Analytics (LA). LA could be used to promote students’ motivation by providing teachers insight into students’ learning activities within a blended learning context. However, this research field is still underdeveloped. Little is known about students’ perceptions of LA, but this information is fundamental to design supportive LA interventions. Therefore, in a first phase, this study aims to investigate how motivated student teachers are in a blended learning context. Following self-determination theory, this study examines whether the student teachers’ basic needs are fulfilled. In a subsequent second phase, the student teachers’ perceptions of a hypothetical use of LA are explored. In December 2016, a study was conducted in a blended learning setting in teacher education. The results indicate that student teachers’ basic needs are not fulfilled. The second major finding suggests that student teachers have different opinions about the use of LA, and overall that the majority of the student teachers is not convinced about the added value. Yet, these perceptions are based on a hypothetical use of LA and not on student teachers’ own experiences. Future research should investigate what student teachers’ perceptions are after a LA intervention is conducted in the blended learning setting, and whether this intervention can give appropriate input to the teacher enabling him or her to better accommodate students’ basic needs

Supporting students’ basic psychological needs and satisfaction in a blended learning environment through learning analytics

In designing a blended learning environment (BLE), a key challenge is to ensure students have a motivating and satisfactory learning experience in both online and face-to-face components. This study addresses this challenge by investigating the impact of using learning analytics (LA) to support students' autonomy and competence needs within a BLE context. Specifically, it examines the effect of teachers sharing LA reports with students on their basic psychological needs and satisfaction in a blended university-based teacher education course. The quasi-experimental study employed a mixed-method approach and spanned two months (N = 348). In the experimental condition, teachers provide specific LA information to students and adjust face-to-face instruction accordingly, while the control group does not receive these adaptations. The findings show that students are generally satisfied with the adapted learning environment, recognizing the value of teachers' LA-based adaptations. Results regarding students' basic psychological needs vary depending on the face-to-face workshop subject. This study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting how teachers' LA-based adaptations positively influence students' satisfaction with the learning environment, fulfilling their psychological needs. It underscores the significance of thoughtful BLE course design and provides recommendations for effective LA utilization in university settings. Based on the findings, several recommendations emerge. Data collection should prioritize group-level anonymity to ensure privacy. Digital learning platforms should provide clear and concise data visualizations to facilitate effective communication between teachers and students. Teachers should leverage LA insights to adapt face-to-face activities in the BLE. Clear guidance should be available to support teachers in utilizing LA effectively

Synergistic Scaffolding in Technology-Enhanced Learning: How learning analytics can support teaching and learning

status: publishe

Learning analytics in Blended Learning : exploring students' perceptions and relatedness

Although Blended Learning (BL) has many opportunities for flexible learning, it also poses some challenges. One of the challenges is to keep students motivated. This study investigates students' perceptions of how learning analytics (LA) can be used to support the design of a BL environment in order to promote students' basic need for relatedness, which is a dimension of motivation. A quasi-experimental intervention study was executed using a mixed-method approach (N = 257 students) in a BL course in university-based teacher education. The results show that students' perceptions regarding these LA are positive and most in favour of content data. Moreover, the qualitative data illustrate that students acknowledge the potential value of LA for stimulating relatedness. Important recommendations for the use of LA in BL environments are made

The supporting role of learning analytics for a blended learning environment : exploring students' perceptions and the impact on relatedness

Background: Although blended learning (BL) has multiple educational prospects, it also poses challenges such as keeping students motivated. Objectives: This study investigates students' perceptions of how learning analytics (LA) can be used to support the design of a BL environment in order to promote students' basic need for relatedness, which is a dimension of motivation. Hence, it is hypothesized that sharing LA trends with students and illustrating which course adaptations were performed based on these trends, will result in positive student perceptions and can support students' basic need satisfaction for relatedness. Methods: A quasi-experimental intervention study was executed using a mixed-method approach (N = 257 students) in a BL course in university-based teacher education. The intervention focuses on three types of learning management system LA data (general, content, and background) that are actively used by the instructor. General data consists of generated time on task, content data deals with the content of a learning path and background data includes information about students' previous education. Results and Conclusions: The results show that students' perceptions regarding these LA are positive and most in favour of content data. Moreover, the qualitative data illustrate that students acknowledge the potential value of LA for stimulating relatedness