ABSTRACT
Learning analytics is a fast–developing field of research that has emerged since 2011 and has been taken up worldwide, especially in Europe, North America and Australia. The Society for Learning Analytics Research defines learning analytics as the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs. Learning analytics has recently emerged as a field in its own right, distinct from other work on technology–enhanced learning and broader work on analytics. This has been attributed to three principal drivers: big data, online learning and national concerns. In 2015, learning analytics were mainly used to support online learning. By 2025, they can be used to support most teaching and learning activities, wherever these take place. Furniture, pens, writing pads – almost any tool used during learning – can be fitted with sensors.
