The meaning of metrics: An educators' perspective
Authors: Kitchenham, A., Holley, D. and Biggins, D.
Publisher: IFTNF
Abstract:Institutions are investing valuable resource in the emerging technology for learner analytics (LA) and assume that this investment has benefits. However, recent research struggles to identify the pedagogic impact of LA and demonstrates how learners actually learn in different digital spaces outside the scope of institutional metrics. From an educator’s perspective, the common perspective is that the collected data leads to positive reactions from learners but we contend that this omits vital steps in the process and is bounded by unconscious assumptions and influences for educators and learners. We present and justify a more detailed LA process chain and expand into a conceptual model for the role played by educators in LA. Framed by Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, the model provides a richer perspective on the educator’s role, focuses on the learning in LA and contributes to the debate on the meaning and use of metrics within Higher Education.
Source: Manual