You may have noticed that I've been kinda quiet on the blogging front. It's not for lack of things to say, exactly. More that there has been so much sound and fury around the emerging topic of learning analytics that I've wanted to listen to what was going on before I added my .02.
But there have been a few things on my mind, especially now that we are well into the second year of our work on the PAR Framework. And we are coming up on fall conference season, where I expect we will all be hearing a lot about learning analytics solutions.
As you gird yourself for the coming onslaught of emerging thought leadership that will swirl around us regarding learning analytics, big data, and the like, just remember: Yes, it's hard to turn mashes of clicks into anything meaningful when you are dealing with something like learning, which, like it or not, is like a religion to many people. Anybody who tells you otherwise does not understand your work.
Don't be shy about pushing back a little bit and asking for clarifications. The answers to learning questions - enterprise, individual or otherwise - are not likely to emerge fully formed from the mists of Apache Hadoop, Google Analytics or Adobe Omniture. All of which are very cool technologies. But seriously, they can't make up your mind for you.
It's not the data, the metadata or the paradata, nor is it necessarily the analytics we perform, that matters the most. What matters is what we DO with the information coming from these analyses, that will help us achieve results that matter to our stakeholders.
Good to see you blogging again, Ellen.
Posted by: Bryan Alexander | September 26, 2012 at 08:28 AM
"What matters is what we DO with the information coming from these analyses"
I thoroughly agree and think that this is the area where analytics will stall to some degree. Management culture and organizational structures will largely constrain the ability of analytics to catalyze coalface change.
Posted by: Col | September 23, 2012 at 12:50 AM
Amen, Brother Rob.
Posted by: ellen wagner | September 21, 2012 at 02:30 PM
Thanks, Ellen, for reminding us that if we ask the question "what are the data telling us?" we better be ready to respond with action..."the data are telling us that we need to provide multiple support paths for students..." or more directly, "the data are telling us that our teaching models suck for these students"
To ask and do nothing is far worse than not asking in the first place.
Posted by: Buzzardcheater | September 21, 2012 at 01:15 PM
HI Neil, thnx for commenting and for the welcome back. It's not so bad that there will be solutions. Analytics for learning have been around for a while, so its good there are current and emerging tools. What really seems to have changed is the accelerating recognition that these metrics matter in the new world order of informed enterprise decision-making. So many learning professionals have never really had to think about their practice from the bottom up. They NEED the solutions. Just not sure what to ask for, and so the dance begins.
See you on the dance floor?
Posted by: ellen wagner | September 21, 2012 at 12:26 PM
Nice to see you blogging again.
I am particularly interested in your comment. " I expect we will all be hearing a lot about learning analytics solutions."
I am always astonished how quickly the 'solutions' arrive after the buzzwords hit!
I am sure you are right there will be some service or software at DevLearn offering to automate analytical results from your learning...
Posted by: NeilLasher | September 21, 2012 at 03:44 AM