There are varieties of data across Learning (e.g. Canvas eLearning), Academic (e.g., Student Information Systems), and Institutional (e.g., graduation rates) repositories that can be harnessed to provide comprehensive insight into student success improvement. Interpretation of this data necessitates comprehensive learning context as there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Consultation services are free and available to all instructors and credit-bearing programs. We are committed to providing dedicated educator support in measuring, collecting, analyzing, and reporting learning and student engagement data for direct course improvement as well as broader pedagogical research.
Likewise, we seek to foster more self-regulated learning behavior by directly empowering students with their own data and opportune support resources. Adding more transparency to the learning process, defined as “engaging teachers and students in focusing together on how college students learn what they learn and why teachers structure learning experiences in particular ways,” has been shown to improve multiple student success factors: academic confidence, sense of belonging, employer-valued skills, and retention, particularly for first-generation, underrepresented and low-income students (Winkelmes et al., 2016).
Resources for Using Learning Analytics Tools
There are many tools available to UF faculty and staff (including graduate students) for use in learning analytics. Below, we have developed and curated several professional development workshops on how to use some of the most common statistical computing and graphics programs. If you are interested in learning more about these tools, we encourage you to contact us for a consultation on how these resources can be best applied in your work.
- Facilitated, self-paced, online workshops:
- R Programming Training: An Introduction for Data Analysis and Graphics
- SPSS and SamplePower 3
- Interpreting Course Analytics to Address Student Needs
- Unizin Data Services and Solutions training (coming soon for using the Unizin Data Platform to access UF eLearning Canvas data)
- LinkedIn Learning (self-paced, online tutorials)
- R LinkedIn Learning Path
- SPSS LinkedIn Learning Path
- Microsoft Power BI
- Tools
Learning Analytics Dashboard for Students
My Learning Analytics (MyLA) is a student-facing dashboard within Canvas eLearning courses, if enabled by the instructor. This tool has been implemented as part of a UFIT pilot study with the goal of empowering students to improve their own academic outcomes through a better understanding of their online course performance and progress.
Customized Data Reporting for Instructors and Educational Researchers
We understand the substantial impact that instructors have in the student experience and how frequently teachers initiate connections to additional student support services. A new service of this unit is to provide customized dashboards and reports to instructors, beyond the analytics available within Canvas eLearning, for data-informed pedagogical decision-making and educational research. A previous outcome of this vision for improving the flow of data back to units is the UF Student Learning Outcome Dashboard. One area of development interest is to integrate the Canvas eLearning data with Student Information System data to provide visualizations for insights on improving learning equity across various demographics. Additionally, we can provide various levels of service or data access to advance the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL). We hope you contact us to learn more about how we may be able to create a customized product for your unit or research needs.