[Air-L] Learning Analytics: HICSS Workshop and Related Minitracks

Wed May 25 07:41:47 PDT 2011

Workshop and Minitrack on Learning Analytics

A workshop on Learning Analytics will be held at the 45th Hawaii 
International Conference of the System Sciences, January 4-7, 2012, Grand 
Wailea, Maui <http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_45/apahome45.htm>. 
Learning analytics is an emerging area of research that addressses the 
measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and 
their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and 
the environments in which it occurs. The workshop CFP is below.

Workshop submissions are due **November 30, 2011** (see appended call), 
but to maximize your return on investment for this trip you may want to 
submit to one of the HICSS mini-tracks that are on related topics. Mini-track 
papers are due **June 15, 2011**. Of particular relevance is the Learning 
Analytics and Networked Learning minitrack. 

Questions about the workshop should be sent to Dan Suthers 
(suthers at hawaii.edu )
Questions about the minitrack should be sent to Caroline Haythornthwaite 
(c.haythorn at ubc.ca)

LEARNING ANALYTICS & NETWORKED LEARNING 
* technology or system design to analyze, support, and/or create learning 
and learning environments ... particular interest are papers that capture, 
analyze and show novel use of data produced from online learning 
environments, develop and/or test methodologies for analyzing online 
learning, address automated data collection and analysis in support of 
learning, professional development and knowledge creation, and discuss 
[related] issues and opportunities ... 
* http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_45/45in.htm#IN5
* Chairs: Haythornthwaite, de Laat, Dawson 

Other related minitracks … 

ADVANCES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES: 
* technology and its support of improving teaching and learning ... Special 
interest continues to focus on innovative ways of using social media to 
facilitate learning. ... all aspects of teaching and learning technologies from 
the original inceptions of theories and tools through the measurement of 
learning outcomes 
* Chairs: Spencer & Santanen
* http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_45/45cl.htm#CL1

COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL NETWORKS
* Communication network analysis identifies the communication structure 
shaped by the flows of information or other material/nonmaterial resources. 
... the current minitrack focuses on the structures and patterns of association 
that emerges from the flow of information, broadly defined, and is 
particularly well suited for dynamic network data. Units of analysis and form 
of flow are scaleable, and this track welcomes a wide range of 
communication network conceptualizations. 
* http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_45/45os.htm#os5
* Chairs: Rosen & Barnett

SOCIAL MEDIA IN SOCIAL INFORMATICS 
* Explore the impacts of social media, such as BBS, Wiki, blog, SNS, twitter 
and so on, with respect to human behavior and choices in everyday life. 
Develop the concepts and technologies, such as knowledge creation, data-
mining, and so on, for effective sharing of information and knowledge 
among people by the social media. 
* http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_45/45dm.htm#DM5
* Chairs: Ohta, Okada, Yamamoto, Suwa 

SOCIAL NETWORKING AND COMMUNITIES 
* social media and their interrelations with communities (online and offline) 
in the context of work, personal life, and education ... address issues of 
social networking and online communities of practice, inquiry and interest; 
political, social, and gaming communities ... 
* http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_45/45in.htm#IN7  
* Chairs: Nahon & Haythornthwaite 

SOCIAL NETWORKS AND COLLABORATION
* explore social networks, the social graph and social influence ... explore 
unusual ways of modelling social networks ... open to analysis of collective 
intelligence web sites, new knowledge creation, collaboration, persuasive 
technology, analysis of social graphs, crowd-sourcing as well as ad hoc social 
networks formed in response to pressing social needs ... 
* http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_45/45cl.htm#CL13
* Chairs: Steiny, Oinas-Kukkonen, Nickerson 

----- LEARNING ANALYTICS WORKSHOP ----- 

The Learning Analytics workshop description follows, and is also available in 
PDF at <http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_45/45swt/WS/Learning-
Analytics-Web.pdf> 

Learning analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of 
data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and 
optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs.

Advances in knowledge modeling and representation, the semantic web, data 
mining, analytics, and open data form a foundation for new models of 
knowledge development and analysis. The technical complexity of this 
nascent field is paralleled by a transition within the full spectrum of learning 
(education, work place learning, informal learning) to social, networked 
learning. These technical, pedagogical, and social domains must be brought 
into dialogue with each other to ensure that interventions and organizational 
systems serve the needs of all stakeholders.

This workshop will focus on online or technology mediated settings in which 
learner interaction data can be collected automatically. The growth of this 
kind of data currently surpasses the ability of organizations to make sense of 
it. This concern is particularly pronounced in relation to knowledge, teaching, 
and learning in educational, work place, and informal settings. Learning 
institutions and corporations make little use of the data learners generate in 
the process of accessing learning materials, interacting with educators and 
peers, and creating new content. Tools that build on theoretical and 
methodological principles of learning analytics, and that harness the rapidly 
emerging developments in analytics in general, promise important 
applications in educational planning, whether for change at course and 
institutional levels, or for generating insights for the learning sciences. Such 
applications also extend beyond educational institutions as corporations face 
pressure for increased competitiveness and productivity, a challenge that 
requires important contributions in organizational capacity building from 
workplace, formal, informal, and non-formal learning. Also, as we witness 
the expansion of learning and knowledge work beyond formal institutional 
boundaries onto the Internet, we will also find that myriad platforms in the 
cloud that host learning activity by individuals as a core or side consideration 
will be able to make use of learning analytics applications and ideas.

This will be a "working-shop", not a mini-conference of paper presentations. 
We will begin with introductions and two or three presentations that frame 
the emerging area of Learning Analytics. The rest of the day will include brief 
presentations on key issues and substantial opportunities for panel, full 
group and small group discussion. The final format and schedule will be 
determined based on participant proposals. Our objective is twofold: 1) to 
recruit members of the HICSS community to this new international 
community initiative, and 2) to further identify and organize research strands 
around which future collaborations might form. The workshop will also 
prepare participants for the Learning Analytics & Networked Learning 
minitrack and related minitracks, in terms of both content and familiarity 
with each other.

All interested participants are welcome. We ask participants to prepare a 1-
page paper summarizing their backgrounds and interests in attending this 
workshop. Optionally, a second separate page may be added to propose 
activities participants would like to engage in at the workshop, and their role 
in these activities. Submissions should be sent to the lead workshop 
organizers, George Siemens (gsiemens at gmail.com) and Dan Suthers 
(suthers at hawaii.edu) by November 30, 2011. The background/interest pages 
will be circulated to all participants at the workshop, and used to frame 
presentations and discussions.

Workshop Organizers:

Dan Suthers
Professor, Department of Information and Computer Sciences
Chair, Communication and Information Sciences PhD Program
University of Hawai'i at Manoa
(808) 956-3890 voice  
(808) 956-3548 fax
Email: suthers at hawaii.edu 

George Siemens 
Researcher, Technology Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute
Athabasca University
Email: gsiemens at gmail.com

Caroline Haythornthwaite
Director and Professor
School of Library, Archival & Information Studies
University of British Columbia
Email: c.haythorn at ubc.ca

Maarten de Laat
Director, Networked Learning Program,
Management Ruud de Moor Centre,
Open University of the Netherlands
Email: maarten.delaat at ou.nl

Erik Duval
Professor, Computer Science 
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Email: Erik.Duval at cs.kuleuven.ac.be

Shane Dawson
Director, Arts Instructional Support and Information Technology
University of British Columbia
Email: sdawson at exchange.ubc.ca
--------------------------------------
Caroline Haythornthwaite
haythorn at interchange.ubc.ca