# data[].attributes.headline
What are the advantages of using learning analytics?

# data[].attributes.subject
What are the advantages of using learning analytics?

# data[].attributes.body
Learning analytics is emerging as an important tool for educators in understanding how to provide the best instruction to their students.  The advantages of Learning Analytics include:

- Predicting student performance - this can then be utilized in teacher instructional decisions, for example grouping students by ability or pairing students with opposing strengths and weaknesses to allow for peer teaching
- Informing teacher decisions regarding when specific students are ready to move on and students who are falling behind
- Predicting student performance and grades and the appropriate level of intervention to improve student outcomes

- Identifying students who are at risk of failing our courses

- Making specific recommendations to students related to course material (i.e. what to review, where their strengths and weaknesses are in course content or skill practice, etc.)

- Provide students information on their progress and more individualized attention for personal improvement

- Ensure that all students are engaging with the content (which is not always possible in a face-to-face classroom setting)

- More informed decision-making on an institutional level in terms of which courses are taught and how.  - More informed decision-making on an institutional level in terms of funding for specific programs (based on success) and teacher evaluation (based on student growth and performance).

- Starting point for discussion as an institution on group strengths and weaknesses

# data[].attributes.headline
Using Learning Analytics for Performance Based Content

# data[].attributes.subject
Using Learning Analytics for Performance Based Content

# data[].attributes.body
For the performance based elements of my class, I could use learning analytics in the following way:

- Tracking how often students practice their instrument and how many attempts they take to produce a recording that meets their expectations for quality.

— While this may sound very similar to the previous explanation, assessing student musical performance can be very challenging and tedious, as all assessment data comes from the teacher, not automatically generated reports.  While there is existing software (SmartMusic) that will assess student musical performance for accuracy, it leaves much to be desired in terms of feedback beyond right and wrong notes.  My students complete one “playing assignment” each week, where they create an audio recording of an excerpt from our music, and turn it in for a grade based on accuracy, tone, musicianship, and effort. I grade student work based on a rubric, and I can compare student performance and feedback from week to week to identify trends, but I have not found a way to streamline this process (i.e. a faster way to identify themes in student work). I am interested to see how Canvas can help me see how often students log on to record their assignments, and hope that there is a way to see how many recordings the student creates before submitting.  This will help me to identify students who are spending an inequitable amount of time of certain assignments, which helps me intervene to discuss more effective practice strategies, or assign an older band student as a tutor/mentor to help a child use their time more wisely as they practice and do their homework.  My hope is that I can find a way to streamline the data analysis process regarding these performance based assignments, without having to collect the data myself “by hand."

# data[].attributes.headline
Using Learning Analytics for Written Content

# data[].attributes.subject
Using Learning Analytics for Written Content

# data[].attributes.body
For written content and assessment, I would use learning analytics in the following way:

- Understanding how often students must interact with the materials before demonstrating a proficient level of knowledge

— For example, my school is introducing Canvas as our LMS beginning next fall, and one way I plan to use Canvas in my classroom is to teach and assess music history.  I have 1 page biographies of notable composers, and I will post them for student review.  Following their review of the bio, students will take a quiz on the life and work of the composer.  I plan to utilize the Canvas feature that locks the quiz until the students have read the biography, and forces the student to reattempt the quiz until they receive a passing score (70% or higher for this activity).  I will them be able to look at the data Canvas provides regarding when the student viewed the biography, how many times they viewed it before taking the quiz, and then how many quiz attempts they took to receive a passing score. This will help me to identify students who are “high flyers” when interacting with this data, so that I may move them on to a  higher level assessment, such as creating a resume for the composer or creating an iMovie “interviewing” said composer.  Additionally, I can identify students who struggle with retaining the information they are reading and recalling it for a quiz.  I can then intervene and take a step back for those students, formulating a new plan that better suits their needs.  For example, those students could receive fill-in-the-blank notes to help them follow the article as it progresses, and then review before the quiz.  If it is an issue of assessment format, the students could receive an alternate assignment such as a written summary or audio recording of their three favorite facts about the composer.  By utilizing learning analytics, I can better tailor my instruction from student to student, and also adapt how I teach different material in years to come.

# data[].attributes.headline
How do you see yourself personally using learning analytics?

# data[].attributes.subject
How do you see yourself personally using learning analytics?

# data[].attributes.body
As a classroom teacher, I am thrilled at the potential of learning analytics.  This provides me the opportunity to see exactly how much time my students are spending with my class content, and how successful they are based on their interactions with the material.  However, as a band director, I have a hard time envisioning the application of learning analytics for the participatory portions of my class.