The Benefits of Learning Analytics for Education: A Study of the Experiences of Teachers in Norway and Lithuania

Abstract

The benefits of learning analytics for education are discussed in the article. First, at the theoretical part authors reveal the concept of learning analytics also discuss how learning analytics technologies help to improve the teaching and learning process. Second, the article emphasizes the increasing use of technology in education what goes hand in hand with the areas of learning analytics and artificial intelligence in education, also the particular focus on how data can be used to improve the teaching-learning process. When teaching/learning takes place in a digitally based learning environment, some learner interaction with the digital learning tool occurs, which leads to a specific learner’s learning experience, which results in high digital data flows. These data describe the individual learning activities of learners in learning systems or the interactions of learners in groups. The analysis of such data is an area of learning analytics. The focus of the article oriented to main beneficiaries – teachers. Moreover, in the article authors discuss the benefits of learning analytics on teachers’ pedagogical work. The empirical part of the article presents the results of a qualitative study: semi-structured interviews with 7 teachers from Norwegian and 10 teachers from Lithuanian, who are applying learning analytics (digital platforms that integrate learning analytics tools) tools in teaching/learning process. The semi-structured interview method allowed to gather the research participants’ insights into the use of learning analytics in schools from the perspective of teachers. Content analysis of the informants’ answers revealed teachers’ opinion on the benefits of learning analytics for teaching and learning, teachers’ competencies to work with learning analytics tools, empowering teachers to use learning analytics tools and to make data-based pedagogical decisions. The comparative analysis allowed disclosing some differences in a way how teachers in Norway and Lithuania approach digital technologies and implement them in teaching-learning process.