{"id":1939,"date":"2022-02-09T08:52:28","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T16:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=1939"},"modified":"2024-08-13T13:09:31","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T20:09:31","slug":"learning-analytics-research-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/learning-analytics-research-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Perspectives, perceptions and privacy: Voices in higher education learner data"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Interdisciplinary research team organized by Oregon State Ecampus explores learning analytics from a systems perspective<\/h2>\n<p>Institutions of higher education are perpetually collecting data about their students and faculty. How that data is collected and analyzed varies widely, but one thing is certain according to industry experts at EDUCAUSE:<\/p>\n<p>The use of learning analytics will be one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/library.educause.edu\/-\/media\/files\/library\/4\/2021hrteachinglearning.pdf?#page=12&amp;la=en&amp;hash=64CACBDA4DAC0F6158951941AD2A8952A9A81100\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">leading technologies and practices<\/a> that significantly impacts the future of teaching and learning.<\/p>\n<p>In an effort to add to the conversation taking place in and around this quickly changing landscape, the <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/research\/\">Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit<\/a> recruited an interdisciplinary team of researchers from nine institutions to develop a study on learning analytics in higher education from a systems perspective.<\/p>\n<p>Learning analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and actionable reporting of data related to learners and their environments. The goal is to better understand and optimize learning and the contexts in which learning occurs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn higher education institutions, disaggregated data can potentially target gaps and weaknesses in institutional processes in new and novel ways, but these data-driven practices might not always be beneficial for all stakeholders within our systems,\u201d said Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, director of the OSU Ecampus Research Unit. \u201cWe set out to learn more about this complex interplay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study that emerged \u2014 titled <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/Learning-Analytics-Report-220131.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learning Analytics in Higher Education: Stakeholder Voices<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0included interviews with seven stakeholder groups from nine higher education institutions across the United States.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1941\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-Research-Unit-Learning-Analytics-Report-book-graphic-6.5x2.86-220120-v51.jpg?resize=400%2C176&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-Research-Unit-Learning-Analytics-Report-book-graphic-6.5x2.86-220120-v51.jpg?resize=320%2C141&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-Research-Unit-Learning-Analytics-Report-book-graphic-6.5x2.86-220120-v51.jpg?resize=960%2C422&amp;ssl=1 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-Research-Unit-Learning-Analytics-Report-book-graphic-6.5x2.86-220120-v51.jpg?w=1950&amp;ssl=1 1950w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-Research-Unit-Learning-Analytics-Report-book-graphic-6.5x2.86-220120-v51.jpg?w=1488&amp;ssl=1 1488w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>A total of 59 participants were interviewed including 20 students, 10 faculty members, nine instructional designers, six data analysts, five administrators, five diversity and inclusion leaders, and four academic advisors and coaches.<\/p>\n<p>These are the 10 authors of the study who came together to meet this research need in the field of learning analytics.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, Oregon State University<\/li>\n<li>Rob Nyland, Air University<\/li>\n<li>Allen S. Brown, Wake Forest University<\/li>\n<li>Benjamin Croft, University of Colorado Boulder<\/li>\n<li>Rebecca E. Heiser, Athabasca University<\/li>\n<li>Shannon McCarty, Bay Path University<\/li>\n<li>Darragh McNally, University of Maryland Global Campus<\/li>\n<li>Joshua Quick, Indiana University-Bloomington<\/li>\n<li>Rebecca Thomas, Oregon State University<\/li>\n<li>Marla Wilks, University System of Georgia eCampus<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cLearning analytics is really at the cutting edge of what we\u2019re doing in higher ed right now, but there\u2019s a lot of confusion around what it means and what the potential is,\u201d said McNally of University of Maryland Global Campus. \u201cI wanted to be a part of this in order to help get some clarity around that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Added McCarty of Bay Path: \u201cI think this collective approach brings a lot more to the field than each of us doing [research] in silos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/Learning-Analytics-Report-220131.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read the publication<\/a> for study details. You can also read the team\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/er.educause.edu\/articles\/2\/learning-analytics-from-a-systems-perspective-implications-for-practice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">related article published by EDUCAUSE on implications for practice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And learn more about how the <a href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fecampus.oregonstate.edu%2Fresearch%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cchristina.dearment%40oregonstate.edu%7Cd502257e0dc94dbe3bff08d9673412c9%7Cce6d05e13c5e4d6287a84c4a2713c113%7C0%7C0%7C637654295616445897%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=FXwKPyRMlMpmskbfhUcOt%2FLW2CaBsWCSLIwuqR07JO0%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Ecampus Research Unit<\/a> contributes to effective online teaching, learning and program administration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>Interdisciplinary research team organized by Oregon State Ecampus explores learning analytics from a systems perspective Institutions of higher education are perpetually collecting data about their students and faculty. How that data is collected and analyzed varies widely, but one thing is certain according to industry experts at EDUCAUSE: The use of learning analytics will be <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/learning-analytics-research-study\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Perspectives, perceptions and privacy: Voices in higher education learner data<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,14,679],"tags":[163],"class_list":["post-1939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-research","category-leadership-and-innovation","tag-oregon-state-ecampus-research-unit"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Learning-Analytics-Report-Janine-Romero-1200x628-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-vh","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2263,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/equity-and-bias-in-online-learner-data\/","url_meta":{"origin":1939,"position":0},"title":"Oregon State publishes new study about equity and bias in online learner data","author":"Zach Elliott Kronser","date":"April 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Learning analytics is a fast-growing field that tracks how students interact with their online courses, and it has the potential to improve the online learning experience for many university students. But the collection and analysis of student data also invites ethical issues. A team of interdisciplinary researchers, led by the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"woman's hands typing on a laptop","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Learning-analytics-800x450-230405.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Learning-analytics-800x450-230405.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Learning-analytics-800x450-230405.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Learning-analytics-800x450-230405.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2498,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/ecampus-2023-online-education-scholarly-publications\/","url_meta":{"origin":1939,"position":1},"title":"Want to know what some of the top minds in online education are thinking about?","author":"Elena Moffet","date":"March 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The team at Ecampus offered up eight scholarly articles and trade publications in 2023. Check out this round-up of their work and dive deeper into topics like quality assurance in online education, inclusive learning design, digital accessibility, and much more.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Macro image of magazines open on a table.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-Ecampus-scholarly-publications-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-Ecampus-scholarly-publications-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-Ecampus-scholarly-publications-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-Ecampus-scholarly-publications-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":826,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/white-papers\/","url_meta":{"origin":1939,"position":2},"title":"When it comes to making research actionable, Oregon State Ecampus is leading the charge","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"March 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University Ecampus knows that as leaders in the field of higher education, there is a responsibility that comes with it: stay on top of the research. And what better way to do so than by being the ones to conduct the research?","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Fellows-2.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Fellows-2.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Fellows-2.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Fellows-2.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":614,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/id-research-study\/","url_meta":{"origin":1939,"position":3},"title":"Oregon State Ecampus study finds instructional designers are underutilized, face barriers when conducting research on teaching and learning","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"September 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"While instructional designers in higher education are well-positioned to conduct research on teaching and learning, a majority of them lack confidence, time and preparedness to do so, according to new research from the OSU Ecampus Research Unit.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two people sit together at a table with laptops in front of them and collaborate on instructional design.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ID.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ID.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ID.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ID.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ID.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2886,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-education-research-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":1939,"position":4},"title":"Journal publications illustrate Oregon State\u2019s leadership in online education research","author":"Oregon State University","date":"October 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"For 10 years, the Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit has made a significant impact on the field of online teaching and learning. It is one of the nation\u2019s only research units connected to an online education division, which helps to illustrate OSU's commitment to continually improving the student and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A person uses a laptop while writing with a pen in a notepad.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/note-taking-laptop.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/note-taking-laptop.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/note-taking-laptop.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/note-taking-laptop.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1883,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-class-size-research\/","url_meta":{"origin":1939,"position":5},"title":"When does online class size matter? Read the study","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"November 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The Oregon State Ecampus Research Unit recently conducted a study on a rarely researched topic in online education: class size. What the researchers found is that students\u2019 grades were higher in certain online classes that had lower enrollment, and that it may be beneficial to limit particular kinds of courses\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Social-HigherEdResearch-211102-800x450-v5.1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Social-HigherEdResearch-211102-800x450-v5.1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Social-HigherEdResearch-211102-800x450-v5.1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Social-HigherEdResearch-211102-800x450-v5.1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}