Dr. Shane Dawson
Dr. Dawson is the Director of the Teaching Innovation Unit, and Professor of Learning Analytics at the University of South Australia. His primary research area combines learning analytics and social network disciplines. His work centres on the analysis of learner digital traces that are derived from the engagement with information communication technologies (ICT) in formal education settings. Shane has also been involved in developing pedagogical models for enhancing student creative capacity. He is a founding executive member of the Society for Learning Analytics Research and past conference chair of the International Learning Analytics and Knowledge conference.
On October 8, from 12:30 until 1:30pm, in LINK Lab (246 Nedderman Hall)
Dr. Dawson delivered the following public presentation:
Title: From Research to Policy: Moving Learning Analytics towards Institutional Adoption
Abstract:
The considered integration of technologies into the HE learning experience has demonstrated significant costs savings alongside dramatic improvements in the quality of learning. However, this often requires substantial institutional change: change in terms of new educational pathways and new models for teaching and learning to achieve the potential opportunities inherent in a technology driven economy. Education providers are beginning to grapple with concepts such as micro-credentialing, and the modularisation of courses amidst demands for greater pedagogical flexibility, lower costs and the demonstration of quality practice. In this context, learning analytics, big data, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other forms of digital learning have been widely heralded as the practices that will serve to radically revolutionise education. Learning analytics in particular has been touted as a “game changer” for education for its capacity to provide a sustainable competitive advantage for education institutions. This presentation draws on recent research benchmarking learning analytics adoption processes in the Australian higher education setting. In so doing, we argue that there is a broadening gap between analytics research and capability and its subsequent adoption into practice. The talk aims to confront the emergent analytics hyperbole to unpack the challenges and complexities of educational systems to better understand why learning analytics remains largely in the developmental phases and how these challenges can be addressed at a systemic sector-wide level.