Understanding of Time-Based Trends in Virtual Learning Environment Stakeholders’ Behaviour

Abstract

The analysis of data collected from the interaction of users in the virtual learning environment attracts much attention today as a promising approach for advancing the current understanding of the learning content development, learning process in general as well as VLE stakeholders’ behaviour. The learning analytics research has not frequently focused on analysing of time-based trends in VLE stakeholders’ behaviour or their preferences in the same VLE over different years of deployment, as well as on analysing of temporal trends in the selection of different activity types over a typical period. Therefore, the paper deals with several methods, which can be used for analysing VLE stakeholders’ behaviour over several academic years. The paper introduces a case study, which shows that several analytical and data mining methods can give useful insight into the changing behaviour of the stakeholders of the VLE over a longer period. Finally, the paper summarises the obtained results and discusses possible implications and limitations of the applied approach from different perspectives in the context of the management of the virtual learning environment, VLE stakeholders and educational content improvement at the institutional level.