In 2016 Juan-Claude Lemmens and Michael Henn wrote:

“Long & Siemens (2011:34) call analytics at the level of the individual student and their learning, Learning Analytics, and define it as “the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs. Learning analytics are largely concerned with improving learner success”.

 Chattiet al. (2012) consolidate the differences in the views of various authors by emphasizing that the purpose of LA is to convert educational data into useful actions to foster learning. In recent years, LA has emerged as a specific focus area in IR and has evolved as a critical entry point on student data to gain a better insight into the student learning experience. What makes LA unique is the fact that it harnesses real-time data about student performance and analyses the data in a short return time in order to enable institutions to provide custom-made interventions for individual students before it is too late for them to benefit from such interventions (Czerkawski 2015; Dietz-Uhler & Hurn 2013; Elias 2011).”

It frames the purpose of the Special Interest Group on Learning Analytics – SAAIR LA-SIG. The purpose of the SIG is to bring together people and practitioners that look at learning analytics from a range of perspectives, research and practice, but mainly from the perspective of assisting institutions to implement appropriate initiatives in the Southern African context

The strategic goals of the SIG are:

1. To increase the capacity and capabilities of people and practitioners during SAAIR conferences
2. To participate in national, regional and international Learning analytics events such as Learning Analytics Knowledge Conference (LAK)
3. Participate as a member of the African Chapter of The Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR)

The objectives of the SIG are:

1. To host a repository of resources relating to Learning analytics.
2. To establish a database of people and practitioners who wants to contribute to Learning analytics.
3. To increase and build the data, learner and Learning analytics capabilities
4. To contribute to the research output relating to Learning analytics.
5. To encourage collaboration and sharing of best practices and usage of Learning analytics.
6. To monitor and contribute to learning analytics trends and usage both nationally and internationally.
7. To establish new connections and nurture existing social networks with institutions and colleagues working in Learning analytics.

The recommended resources of the SIG are:

1. LA SIG Launch (22-23 April 2023)
2. A Practical Introduction to Privacy and Security for Institutional Researchers
   1. Webinar 1 (26 June 2023): Information has value – https://youtu.be/Eu_9lNuASQE Presentation
   2. Webinar 2 (26 July 2023): A Broader Digital Competence – https://youtu.be/euyaEpT8O_M Presentation
3. New Horizon Report: 2019 Horizon Report
4. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education: Journal Articles
5. Ethical Use of Student Data: Guidelines on the Ethical Use of Student Data
6. Code of practice for learning analytics: JISC Code of practice for learning analytics
7. Learning analytics: a South African higher education perspective: Lemmens and Henn SAAIR Presentation
8. Penetrating the Fog: Analytics in Learning and Education: Siemens and Long EDUCAUSE Article
9. Open Learning Analytics: an integrated & modularized platform: Siemens, Gasevic, Haythornthwaite, Dawson, Shum and et al. (2011)
10. Learning Analytics: Principles and Constraints: Khalil, M. & Ebner, M. (2015)

 Related associations:

1. The Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR) – https://www.solaresearch.org/
2. Carnegie Simon Initiative Learn Lab – https://learnlab.org/
3. Learn2Analyze – https://www.learn2analyse.eu/
4. Siyaphumelela – https://siyaphumelela.org.za/

Webinar 1 (26 June 2023): Information has value – https://youtu.be/Eu_9lNuASQE Presentation
Webinar 2 (26 July 2023): A Broader Digital Competence – https://youtu.be/euyaEpT8O_M Presentation

Launch of SAAIR Learning Analytics SIG (25-26 April 2022)

If you are interested in participating in the Learning Analytics SIG and in receiving communication regarding the LA SIG events, please complete the below: