Educational app development and publishing has grown in recent years. Gamified learning (using element of interactive game design in education) has increased. Because of this, educators have ways to gather learner data passively. Educational technology platforms help educators gain insights into individual learners’ strengths and problem areas. Here’s how to build on the valuable information learning analytics yield:
Gather insight into how to make educational content more engaging
Educational technology platforms such as video-based educational modules can measure and report how long each learner spends on a specific module or activity. This means that you can find out which modules learners abandon or skip over fastest and which keep learners glued.
These insights make it possible to learn from particularly engaging lessons and activities and apply their best facets to other interactive elements. It also opens up possibilities for testing which of different lesson formats gets the most learner engagement so you can develop educational content that is more valuable to learners.
Use learning analytics to measure and improve individual learner performance
Another benefit of learning analytics that comes with the embrace of educational technology is that educational platforms can be used to monitor and improve individual learner progress. Assessment components such as quizzes or applied learning tasks can provide data on the topics that students tend to perform worst in, for example. This in turn can be used to increase lesson focus on key problem areas in a group context but can also be used to provide remedial intervention for learners individually.
The advantage of using learning analytics this way is that educators are notified early when leaners are struggling with lesson content. This makes it possible to intervene and arrange remedial processes before the learner has moved on to topics that build on shaky preceding understanding of content.
Use learning analytics to ensure learners spend requisite time and effort
Because modern educational technology platforms can collect data on how long individual learners spend on the platform over a given period, you can use learning analytics to make sure learners are putting in the necessary effort to make progress. If a learner is not, educators can follow up to understand underlying reasons and how to improve learner commitment and follow-through.
Use learning analytics with adaptive learning applications to create bespoke learner pathways
An adaptive learning application is a software application such as a tablet app that uses learner inputs to determine the type and sequence of resources the learner will be shown. This feature of adaptive learning applications means educators can create bespoke learner pathways. The ‘learner pathway’ is the course a learner takes through a subject, according to which topics require the most attention.
Daptio, for example, is a South African start-up that focusing on providing adaptive learning application systems to publishers and educational content creators who need all the benefits of adaptive learning. While Daptio has several local competitors (as Venture Burn notes here), it’s unique selling point is that it is a mobile first solution. This is an important element in a country where far more learners have access to mobile phones than larger mobile devices such as tablets and laptops. Daptio promises ‘granular analytics’ that give teachers detailed breakdowns of individual student performance. This data can then be used to improve student outcomes.
Learning analytics from edtech platforms makes it easy to gather useful data that will help you to fine-tune educational content for learners. Use learning analytics to gather insights into what learners find less or more engaging. Use it to measure individual learner performance and take remedial action when necessary. Create individual learner pathways that give each learner a structured way to master the concepts they find most challenging.