What Considerations Are There?

It is important to remember that use of learning data should remain within an ethical realm of use. Aside from FERPA, which continues to govern how identifiable data can be shared, disclosed and used, there are currently no concrete rules regarding use of learning data. Instead, many respected scholars in the field have begun to promote a series of guiding principles for the ethical conduct of learning analytics research.

When looking at using learning data in your course it may be worth asking the following questions:

What do I want to learn from the data I am reviewing?
In what ways might I take action with the data I am reviewing?
How does my data analysis have the ability to impact my students?
Is there an opportunity to include student voice in my review of data?

Recommended Practices

Interpretation of data is often subjective, and is most valid when it is used in conjunction with other contextual knowledge, including a deep understanding of your course content, teaching style, and your relationships with students. Here are some general ideas to keep in mind when using data as a tool to assist in instruction.

Do

Consider data in context of the course, the situation and the student.
Be aware of potential limitations of data: What it does and does not indicate.
- Learn how to record, view and setup attendance in Canvas.
- Learn about Limitations with User-Level Analytics in Kaltura.
Look for trends or patterns in performance associated with student work.
Focus on instructional issues or questions
Realize technologies are fallible and some data may be misleading.
Remember FERPA considerations--data should be kept private and focused on furthering student success.
Engage students as partners in improving learning environments: Asking students questions about their behavior will help you interpret data correctly and clarify next steps

Use Caution!

Many of our University-supported tools produce data related to student interaction. This information can be helpful in addressing your instructional questions, but it is important for instructors to be aware of the data’s intended use as well as some of the limitations inherent to technologies accessed online.

Don’t

Use a single data point for assessing student accountability.
Rely on data as your sole teaching intervention.
Share data in a way that reveals the identity of any individual student.
Use tool's logs (including Canvas and Kaltura) intended for diagnostics as a reliable record of user interaction. A myriad hardware, software, and connectivity issues can interrupt logging and analytics.
Use log data to prove a negative. If a log shows that a student used a tool, that is proof of engagement; however, the converse cannot be proved: if a student does not appear in the log, that does not prove that they did not engage with the tool.