A STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LEARNING ANALYTICS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

This paper explored the application of learning analytics in tertiary institutions of Pakistan based on a mixed methods research study. The study was carried out among five prominent institutes in Punjab province and Sindh provinces and observed how analytics in learning affected academics, engagement, and overall learning outcome of the students. There were 450 partakers, involving 350 students, 100 faculty members and 50 administrative staff working in institutional facilities on either the side of the public sector or of the private sector. Certain data were collected through structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and analysis of the data available in the existing learning management system. The quantitative data has shown significant results: the average GPA started to improve (3.24 as compared to 2.78), the engagement indicators (average number of logins raised by 67 per cent), and learning outcomes became higher after the implementation of learning analytics. According to the qualitative analysis, the major advantages included the increased opportunities of personalized learning, high rates of early interventions, and superior resource distributions. Nonetheless, such challenges as technical infrastructural constraints, privacy issues, and unwillingness of the faculty to embrace technology were identified as well. The research found out that learning analytics can have a rather large potential to enhance the effectiveness of education in the Pakistani higher education, but its implementation should tailor to consider the institutional readiness, technical capability, and education or training requirements of the stakeholders.

Keywords: Application, learning analytics, tertiary institutions, Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh.