Do the Critical Success Factors From Learning Analytics Predict Student Outcomes?

Abstract

This article starts with a detailed literature review of recent studies that focused on using learning analytics software or learning management system data to determine the nature of any relationships between online student activity and their academic outcomes within university-level business courses. The article then describes how data was collected from an online course in Moodle learning management system and the student test scores are compared with the engagement learning analytics indicators to measure the strength and predictive nature the hypothesized relationships. The results were less than definitive and in some ways even puzzling. Despite the paucity of positive results, the findings indicated there was very little correlation between student online practices and their academic outcomes in a qualitative business course. On the other hand, several explanations were offered to account for these results, including small sample size, the specialized nature of the course, and the likelihood that students were downloading the material instead of interacting online. The article closes by suggesting directions for future learning analytics research in higher education.