Small to big before massive: scaling up participatory learning analytics

Abstract

This case study describes how course features and individual & social learning analytics were scaled up to support "participatory" learning. An existing online course was turned into a "big open online course" (BOOC) offered to hundreds. Compared to typical open courses, relatively high levels of persistence, individual & social engagement, and achievement were obtained. These results suggest that innovative learning analytics might best be scaled (a) incrementally, (b) using design-based research methods, (c) focusing on engagement in consequential & contextual knowledge, (d) using emerging situative assessment theories.