Aston University has identified Learning Analytics as key to enhancing student engagement, wellbeing, retention and progression.

The Learning Analytics project aims to identify students who may be at risk of failure, non-progression or withdrawal at the earliest possible opportunity and before exams or assignments have been failed, to empower students to take responsibility for their achievements, and to enable individual staff to take on the role of change agents through effective, targeted, assertive interventions with students.

The project will use existing data about students’ academic progress and engagement and will present it in an accessible format that will enable students and their tutors to see how students are doing academically and whether there is any additional support tutors can put in place to help students.

The project will align with the key objectives in Aston’s Learning and Teaching Strategy and Digital Learning Strategy and other goals such as student learning gain as we build on our Gold award success in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Project Details

A HEFCE Catalyst grant will be used to facilitate development of learning analytics until April 2018. http://www.hefce.ac.uk/lt/innovationfund/projects/

Phase 2 of the project will deliver the following milestones:

Output Start End
Policy development  Sep 17  May 18
Publish policy and ethics code of practice for learning analytics  Jun 18  Jun 18
Refine intervention processes  Sep 17  Jul 18
Future LA possibilities defined  Nov 17  Dec 17
Business case for implementation  Dec 17  May 18
Review suitability of existing technical architecture  Jan 18 Aug 18
Staff and student dashboard design and development  Jan 18 Sep 18
Data sources loaded into the LA system  Jan 18  Jun 18
Staff and student pilot Sep 18  Jun 19
Pilot Evaluation  Jun 18 Jul 19
Staff and student launch  Sep 19  Oct 19
Project Evaluation  Oct 19  Nov 19

Project Board

A project board has been established with the following membership:

Name Role School / Department
Professor Helen Higson Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor DVC/PVC Office
Katrina Raipuri Student Communications Officer Marketing
Mr Chris Wilson Projects Manager CLIPP
Mr Paul John Director of Process & Quality Improvement DVC/PVC Office
Dr Raquel Fernandez-Sanchez Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching LSS
Mr Connor Crawford Finance Partner Finance

Sub-Groups

Key stakeholders from across the University have been identified to support the implementation of Learning Analytics. The project is delivered by 5 workstreams:   

1. Technical – Mr Chris Wanley (Director of Library & Information Services)

2. System Use/Interventions – Mr Chris Wilson (Lecturer in Learning Innovation and Professional Practice, CLIPP)

3. Policy, Procedure and Guidelines – Ms Alison Levey (Director of Registry and Student Service)

4. Attendance Operations – Mr Chris Wilson (Projects Manager, CLIPP)

5. Communications – Ms Katrina Raipuri (Student Communications Officer, Marketing)

Contact

Students and staff are invited to get involved. Contact learninganalytics@aston.ac.uk to find out more.