The power of learning analytics for a better study experience

The power of learning analytics to predict the best learning approach for students, will be outlined by Bart Rienties in his inaugural lecture on Tuesday 30 January 2018.

In The power of learning analytics to give students (and teachers) what they want!, Bart Rienties, Professor of Learning Analytics at the Institute of Educational Technology (IET) at The Open University, will describe how his research into learning analytics is enabling him to predict which learning strategy might work best for an individual student, and afterwards provide unique experiences depending on what the student wants.

In particular, he will explore how student dispositions like motivation, emotion, or anxiety encourage or hinder effective online learning, and how approaches may need to be adjusted to correspond with individual differences.

“Some students might want intensive support and feedback from a teacher, while other students may prefer to work with peers, while others may prefer to be left to their own curiosity to solve complex learning puzzles,” he said.

By using the power of learning analytics we can finally give students what they want, or can we…?

Professor Rienties is programme director Learning Analytics within IET and head of Data Wranglers, whereby he leads of group of learning analytics academics who conduct evidence-based research and sense making of Big Data at the OU.

As an educational psychologist, he conducts multi-disciplinary research on work-based and collaborative learning environments and focuses on the role of social interaction in learning, which is published in leading academic journals and books. His primary research interests are focused on Learning Analytics, Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, and the role of motivation in learning. Furthermore, Bart is interested in broader internationalisation aspects of higher education. He has successfully led a range of institutional/national/European projects and received a range of awards for his educational innovation projects.

Bart is World Champion Transplant Cycling Team Time Trial 2017, the first academic with a transplant to be promoted to full professor, and a keen explorer of life. 

Event programme

To attend the event in person: book here

Can't join in person? Watch the event live online (link will be live before the event)

Read more about Professor Rienties’ research.

Read a news story on: Students who learn outside their study groups do better.