Uncovering Engagement Profiles of Young Learners in K–8 Education through Learning Analytics

Abstract

E-learning platforms have become increasingly popular in K–8 education to promote student learning and enhance classroom teaching. Student interactions with these platforms produce trace data, which are digital records of learning processes. Although trace data have been effective in identifying learners’ engagement profiles in higher education and lifelong learning (e.g., MOOCs), similar research on young learners has been very scarce. This study makes a timely and novel contribution to the field by identifying emerging profiles of young students from Grades 1 to 8 based on their engagement in an e-learning platform. The k-means cluster analysis yielded seven distinct profiles in total. While the dominance of profiles differed across grade levels, some profiles were not even present at specific grades, indicating the changing engagement behaviours of young learners in different years. In addition, all emerging profiles suggest students tended to focus on specific components of the platform, thus lacking balanced engagement with all resources. In particular, while primary school students showed relatively higher interest in game-based learning, middle school students focused more on exams than their counterparts. The findings yielded seven specific considerations for the design of effective e-learning platforms.