Educational Research Methods

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

In this course, we will begin to explore learning analytics concepts and acquire the foundations of a learning analytics toolkit, including basic statistics and principles of data analysis. We will investigate the relationship between learning, design, technology, and analytics through readings and discussions dealing with key topics related to positivist educational research design, educational data mining, and learner data ethics. We will also reflect on the implications for pedagogy and for higher ed administration of some recent advances in the fields of big data, machine learning, and natural language processing. This course will challenge us to incorporate data-driven and evidence-based reasoning into our understanding of learning theories, learning design, and the relationship of a university to its students.