Hi everyone, in week 2, just getting my head around this stuff.
I do K-12 educational research analysis -- usually large datasets of test scores and demographic info + surveys. There's not much micro data out there on things like learning events and behavior because we're talking about non-virtual classrooms here. But there is time-series stuff.
Anyway, this class seems so far to focus more on higher ed and particularly online higher ed. What about analytics using data collected from the "real" world and what about K-12 learning? Anyone out there interested?
/Andy
In reply to andrew thomas
Re: Hi, from L.A., Calif. Anyone interested in K-12 analytics?
by David Jones -
G'day Andy,
I'm in the process of moving from a higher ed context into a k-12 context. Consequently, I am very interested in analytics applied to k-12. Particularly in terms of what I might be able to use as a teacher, however, retaining an interest in the broader picture stuff and how it can be used by a teacher.
With the little thought I've given it, however, I am brought up short by the problem you identified. These are non-virtual classrooms hence there isn't the data. As John Fitz mentioned "If only the walls could talk".
David.
I'm in the process of moving from a higher ed context into a k-12 context. Consequently, I am very interested in analytics applied to k-12. Particularly in terms of what I might be able to use as a teacher, however, retaining an interest in the broader picture stuff and how it can be used by a teacher.
With the little thought I've given it, however, I am brought up short by the problem you identified. These are non-virtual classrooms hence there isn't the data. As John Fitz mentioned "If only the walls could talk".
David.
In reply to David Jones
Re: Hi, from L.A., Calif. Anyone interested in K-12 analytics?
by andrew thomas -
Hi David, nice to hear from you. I hope others with this interest will join us so we can view the course content with an eye for K-12.
Of course, there are virtual high schools, but they must make up a tiny, tiny portion of K-12 students. And I don't know of any virtual elementary schools (using US school terminology here).
But there is lots and lots of assessment data and there is also attendance, discipline and demographic data over time, so although it is a data collection and aggregation challenge the higher ed online folks don't face, it's still a possibility.
I know of some work that heads in the direction. One is Daniel McFarland's microsociological classroom observations and networks of interactions.
Another is really innovative project is Daskala, which is a bunch of ex-Google guys applying their minds to formative assessments.
And...let's work on making walls talk. Smartboards, clicker systems, and other classroom technology could and should be collecting data.
Cheers,
Andrew
Of course, there are virtual high schools, but they must make up a tiny, tiny portion of K-12 students. And I don't know of any virtual elementary schools (using US school terminology here).
But there is lots and lots of assessment data and there is also attendance, discipline and demographic data over time, so although it is a data collection and aggregation challenge the higher ed online folks don't face, it's still a possibility.
I know of some work that heads in the direction. One is Daniel McFarland's microsociological classroom observations and networks of interactions.
Another is really innovative project is Daskala, which is a bunch of ex-Google guys applying their minds to formative assessments.
And...let's work on making walls talk. Smartboards, clicker systems, and other classroom technology could and should be collecting data.
Cheers,
Andrew
In reply to andrew thomas
Re: Hi, from L.A., Calif. Anyone interested in K-12 analytics?
by Monica Resendes -
Glad you brought this up, Andrew.
I'm also interested in the idea of using formative assessment data to bolster learning in K-12 contexts - more particularly, to encourage deep disciplinary understanding. This bumps up in many ways in against the issue of qualitative analysis of learning interactions, which Wolfgang raised earlier.
Two questions I find most intriguing (and difficult):
-How to present formative data on student work to students themselves in a manner that can be interpreted easily and can scaffold students to productively engage with learning material and/or their learning community?
-How can instructors/teachers/facilitators in K-12 classroom contexts and on large-scale open ed platforms use the discursive traces students leave behind (notes, posts, messages) to evaluate the level of learning students' achieved and the effectiveness of their own courses?
Though I can't offer any insights to these questions now, I do plan on checking out your links (thanks for those!) and hopefully continuing this discussion as the course goes on.
I'm also interested in the idea of using formative assessment data to bolster learning in K-12 contexts - more particularly, to encourage deep disciplinary understanding. This bumps up in many ways in against the issue of qualitative analysis of learning interactions, which Wolfgang raised earlier.
Two questions I find most intriguing (and difficult):
-How to present formative data on student work to students themselves in a manner that can be interpreted easily and can scaffold students to productively engage with learning material and/or their learning community?
-How can instructors/teachers/facilitators in K-12 classroom contexts and on large-scale open ed platforms use the discursive traces students leave behind (notes, posts, messages) to evaluate the level of learning students' achieved and the effectiveness of their own courses?
Though I can't offer any insights to these questions now, I do plan on checking out your links (thanks for those!) and hopefully continuing this discussion as the course goes on.
In reply to Monica Resendes
Re: Hi, from L.A., Calif. Anyone interested in K-12 analytics?
by andrew thomas -
Monica, these are great questions. Their answers would require a fair amount of experimentation and development.
Daskala is a formative assessment platform, but its abilities are unclear from its website. It's an online test delivery system that monitors the test-taking behavior of students, mapped over the time it takes to take the test. In the item bank, each distractor is associated with the learning "mistake" that the distractor is supposed to capture, so the misconceptions that are shared widely among a group of learners become obvious. The system provides a series of graphical representations of the test taking, clustered in various ways, such that the instructor can see, for example, that everyone seemed to perform less well on the test after about an hour and a half, which would suggest that everyone needed a break, or that many people misunderstood a single concept, suggesting that the instruction in that area needs strengthening...stuff like that.
I hope we can continue this discussion as the MOOC progresses.
/A
Daskala is a formative assessment platform, but its abilities are unclear from its website. It's an online test delivery system that monitors the test-taking behavior of students, mapped over the time it takes to take the test. In the item bank, each distractor is associated with the learning "mistake" that the distractor is supposed to capture, so the misconceptions that are shared widely among a group of learners become obvious. The system provides a series of graphical representations of the test taking, clustered in various ways, such that the instructor can see, for example, that everyone seemed to perform less well on the test after about an hour and a half, which would suggest that everyone needed a break, or that many people misunderstood a single concept, suggesting that the instruction in that area needs strengthening...stuff like that.
I hope we can continue this discussion as the MOOC progresses.
/A
In reply to andrew thomas
Re: Hi, from L.A., Calif. Anyone interested in K-12 analytics?
by Leah Bricker -
Hi all,
I am also very interested in K-12 learning analytics. My colleagues and I have been funded to create high school curriculum that is project-based and technology enabled and that allows for the interaction (in various media) between students, teachers, and professionals (e.g., scientists, engineers, authors). Some of our questions are very much in line with yours, Monica. I too am really interested in continuing to dialogue about applications for K-12 that go beyond metrics, such as number of log-ins to a particular website.
Best,
Leah
I am also very interested in K-12 learning analytics. My colleagues and I have been funded to create high school curriculum that is project-based and technology enabled and that allows for the interaction (in various media) between students, teachers, and professionals (e.g., scientists, engineers, authors). Some of our questions are very much in line with yours, Monica. I too am really interested in continuing to dialogue about applications for K-12 that go beyond metrics, such as number of log-ins to a particular website.
Best,
Leah