Identifying needs for learning analytics adoption in Latin American universities: A mixed-methods approach

Isabel Hilliger, Margarita Ortiz-Rojas, Paola Pesántez-Cabrera, Eliana Scheihing, Yi-Shan Tsai, Pedro J. Muñoz-Merino, Tom Broos, Alexander Whitelock-Wainwright, Mar Pérez-Sanagustín

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Learning Analytics (LA) is perceived to be a promising strategy to tackle persisting educational challenges in Latin America, such as quality disparities and high dropout rates. However, Latin American universities have fallen behind in LA adoption compared to institutions in other regions. To understand stakeholders' needs for LA services, this study used mixed methods to collect data in four Latin American Universities. Qualitative data was obtained from 37 interviews with managers and 16 focus groups with 51 teaching staff and 45 students, whereas quantitative data was obtained from surveys answered by 1884 students and 368 teaching staff. According to the triangulation of both types of evidence, we found that (1) students need quality feedback and timely support, (2) teaching staff need timely alerts and meaningful performance evaluations, and (3) managers need quality information to implement support interventions. Thus, LA offers an opportunity to integrate data-driven decision-making in existing tasks.
Original languageEnglish
Article number100726
Number of pages9
JournalInternet and Higher Education
Volume45
Early online date21 Jan 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Apr 2020

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Learning analytics
  • Latin America
  • Higher education
  • Stakeholder perspectives
  • Institutional adoption
  • Mixed methods

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