Matthew D. Pistilli

Analytics Through an Institutional Lens: Definition, Theory, Design, and Impact

Only about a decade after initial projects emerged, learning analytics have already had a profound effect on how institutions view the combination and use of multiple data sets and their subsequent analysis on learners and instructors. The success or failure of these institutional projects lay in the confluence of the data that is available, the extent to which analysis is conducted on that data, and the ensuing action taken on the results. Some higher education institutions have begun using the power of analytics to affect positive outcomes in critical areas like learning, pedagogy, student retention, and institutional decision-making (Long and Siemens 2011). But what does analytics mean to an institution and how might an institution implement some form of analytics? Further, what can institutions expect from the successful implementation of analytics?

Development of a Student Self-Reported Instrument to Assess Course Reform

This study examines the development and implementation of a survey-based instrument assessing the effectiveness of a course redesign initiative focused on student centeredness at a large midwestern university in the United States. Given the scope of the reform initiative under investigation in this study, researchers developed an instrument called the Classroom Experience Questionnaire (CEQ), which was administered to students enrolled in redesigned courses. Early findings demonstrate strong construct validity and internal reliability of the CEQ instrument as well as concurrent validity between the CEQ and observation data gathered in concert with self-report data. The authors conclude that in the absence of trained classroom observers, the developed student self-report protocol can serve as a useful tool for measuring the constructivist orientation of pedagogy and student-centered nature of the learning environment in a higher education setting.

Online course advising: Differences in student response by gender and ethnicity

Previous research suggests that effective academic advising can lead to better academic outcomes among undergraduate students. This study examines patterns between the use of an online advising tool, Course Signals, and course performance among students in engineering and technology. The number of advising interventions distributed through Course Signals tends to be positively associated with improved student course performance, particularly among female students. Findings suggest that online advising has the potential to be an effective method to improve student academic performance.