“Learning Analytics in Supporting Teaching and Learning – Pedagogical Perspectives”By Professor Laura Hirsto, University of Eastern Finland |
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Abstract
Viewpoints to learning analytics and self-regulated learning has attracted increasing attention in the educational technology research field, however, pedagogical perspectives have not been equally considered. The aim of this keynote is to present key issues and findings of a research and development project, which aimed to draw together and better understand the possibilities to support higher education and primary education students’ self-regulated learning through the pedagogical use of Learning Analytics (LA). In the project we set out to develop and investigate learning environments that would intensively support the development of students’ learning through an integrative learning environment, pedagogical design and solutions, and learning analytics and its visualizations. Various perspectives of general logdata, students’ questionnaire responses and interviews, and teachers’ interviews and classroom observations have been used to acquire a multifaceted perspective to the learning environments integrating LA. Our research project examines the development of learners’ skills, the learning process, learning outcomes and the key elements in the pathway in multiple learning contexts through multiple case-studies, utilizing the same learning analytics tools.
Bio
Laura Hirsto is the Professor of Educational Science in the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Department of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education. Hirsto is leading and supervising various research and development projects related to academic and educational development, student learning and teacher learning, and pedagogical perspectives on learning analytics in various contexts. Her research interests are in higher education students’ and teacher students’ as well as primary level pupils’ learning and motivational processes, and in variations of effective teaching and learning environments. Her recent research and development project “Utilizing learning analytics to support self-regulated learning in various educational contexts (OAHOT)” was funded through competition by a significant Finnish research funder Business Finland (https://sites.uef.fi/oahot/). Professor Hirsto serves as a referee in numerous international academic journals, and as academic expert in two distinguished Finnish research journals. She is the Editor-in-chief of Journal of University Pedagogy and the appointed vice-chair of the editorial board of Finnish Educational Research Association-journal (Kasvatus). Hirsto is also the 1st vice-dean of the Philosophical Faculty of the UEF.