The University is anticipating the need to provide options for a wider range of data analysis, across multiple courses, and across multiple cohorts.  The University wants to inform the wider institutional interest in use of analytics generally, and learning analytics to support learning and teaching specifically. As well as improving the facilities available to support staff and students, this work should prove valuable in terms of understanding how Learning Analytics data could be used in wider institutional contexts. This project will concentrate on the Learn and Moodle VLEs, will use data provided by SITS and potentially some survey data – if possible. The project will also look at as many other data sources as possible.

The University will undertake a learning analytics pilot project with an external company called Civitas Learning who are well established in the US. Civitas were brought to us by Professor Gasevic, our Chair in Learning, Analytics and Informatics, and are probably the most experienced commercial player in this area at the moment. They have technical experience in data mining and modelling and all their solutions are cloud based. They will concentrate on the Learn and Moodle VLEs, SITS, bespoke VLEs and data sources such as PTES (Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey) and EvaSys (course evaluation) surveys.

There are two main phases to this project

1. Developing a model for UoE based on anonymised historical data
2. Using the Civitas tools and model to support current ODL students based on regular feeds of non-anonymised data

For more information on how the University is investing in the use of learning analytics for course design, attainment, and improving the student experience please visit the Learning Analytics webpage