Overview
Data analytics like those provided by Interact2 Site Analytics, can be used to easily discover student use and engagement patterns for content areas and key learning resources. This data can be used towards making adjustments to learning resources and support during a current session, and informing learning resource and support provision in subsequent subject offerings to allow learner pathways that are more responsive to concept learning difficulties.
Engagement
These adaptations demonstrate a responsive approach to teaching in order to meet student needs and address issues related to their engagement with the content.
In Practice
Subject
PSC102: Botany
Teaching staff
John Harper & Geoff Burrows
Motivation
PSC102 Botany is a common subject in a number of Bachelor of Agriculture courses and provides a range of resources that if fully utilised will help students succeed in the subject. Information and insights on how students actually use the learning resources provided, and what resources students found to be useful is of immense value towards the development of a more personalised learning approach in a core subject.
Implementation
Data analytics has provided helpful insights into how students can be helped to succeed in the subject. Providing more personalised learning content, resources and support, allows for a responsive teaching practice and appropriately targeted academic interventions that focus on known problem areas of subject.
Guide
Data analytics are available in a number of systems used at CSU like Interact2 Site Analytics and CSU Replay. This data can be augmented with information from students gathered from the Discussion Forums or later in the Student Evaluation System. Combining these sources can provide useful and informative data from which to analyse student use of learning resources in order to make adjustments. They provide a picture of how many students accessed the resources, and combined with information from students as to what areas they struggled with, teachers can adapt the resources available.
This can be achieved in a variety of different ways:
- Augment existing resources with additional material by injecting additional sources of information.
- Using existing rich media resources, like YouTube videos, to add explain topic areas. Video and visual resources can often help explain and illustrate difficult concept in different ways.
- Link to other sources that describe the topic in different ways to create Choral Explanations so that students can find an explanation that relates to their way of thinking.
- Present students with options and different ways to access learning materials. Some students may prefer to read, some on screen and some on paper, others may prefer to listen or watch their resources. Data analysis can help identify student preferences.
- Create supplementary resources yourself, like videos, that react and respond to student queries, questions and misunderstandings.
Tools
Interact2 Site Analytics, Tests and Surveys, Discussion Forums, YouTube, Smart Sparrow,