Of all the courses I attended in the Masters Cohort program SED 610, “Issues in Multi-ethnic Secondary Schools”, was the most entertaining. Dr. Lombardi prepared a variety of exercises designed to engage us in creative and reflective thinking. Those exercises followed the collaborative program theme and were a testament of her professional knowledge in the field. Throughout the course Dr. Lombardi emphasized professionalism in our research and stressed the importance of higher order writing skills. Comprehensive feedback was provided for all research and differentiated writing assignments. Of those assignments I believe one paper provides convincing evidence of my proficiency in theoretical, creative and reflective thinking. I offer my paper on “Learning Analytics” as my artifact for the Theoretical Understanding Student Learning Objective.
Artifact Selection Process
Learning Analytics involves the field of study associated with deciphering patterns and trends of student data, in an attempt to optimize the learning environment. The field of Learning analytics involves new practices and tools as a method to collect and synthesize student data. As a Systems Analyst I analyze data most of my day, so the concept of reviewing student data to influence learning objectives intrigued me to perform research on the topic. My research initially focused on a deeper understanding of the meaning of learning analytics, then turned to the theoretical concepts of the subject. I pondered over the legal and ethical considerations with collecting personal data in the name of research as there are dozens of laws that protect access to personal information such as FERPA, HIPPA and OPPA. At the conclusion of my research, I understood that learning analytics is a new and dynamic field of study that is still relatively wide open for discussion and development. I also realized a current need to create tools and applications that can simplify the process of gathering and analyzing data. Based on the reasons stated above, and the theory that learning analytics has the potential to become a future educational discipline, I chose the “Learning Analytics” artifact as my second Student Learning Objective.
Relation to Student Learning Objective
Analytics, in particular learning analytics, is initiated by reviewing trends, such as why do girls aged 12 through 16 score lower on science exams? As the information is collected, statistical models are built that can result in revised instruction methods. Each step in the process requires a formative assessment of the collected data to determine the desired outcome. While researching the topic I gained an awareness of the various components that encompass the field. As I studied statistical models that were built as a result of data collected and the relation to student outcomes, I then understood the theory behind the field. The ultimate goal is to study current trends, make adjustments or construct new programs that promote student success.
Knowledge and Skill Assessment
I found the composition of the Theoretical Understanding artifact to be one of the most challenging aspects of the Masters program. The assignment required a higher order thought process that involved extreme focus to the development of ideas, concepts and theories expressed in logical order. I utilized my research skills by reading extensive content on the subject. I then synthesized the material to develop correlations with previous personal knowledge. Next, the information was evaluated to insure correctness and substance. Finally, all content was analyzed to determine the association to educational theory and organized for logical presentation. The Theoretical Understanding artifact was then constructed through cognitive thought, research, synthesis, evaluation, and analysis.
The information presented in the Learning Analytics artifact is very important to teachers, administrators, and policymakers. Key concepts of learning analytics provided by the artifact can allow administrators to make informed decisions towards increasing student success. In addition, policymakers can make equitable and ethical policy decisions to insure culture and gender enrichment. Personally, I can use the information provided to promote effective learning relationships with my students through effective course management systems. The information presented in the artifact represents my creative, reflective and theoretical perspectives for the Theoretical Understanding Student Learning Objective.