A Review of Learning Analytics Dashboard Research in Higher Education: Implications for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Learning analytics dashboards (LADs) are becoming more prevalent in higher education to help students, faculty, and staff make data-informed decisions. Despite extensive research on the design and implementation of LADs, few studies have investigated their relation to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). Excluding these issues in LAD research limits the potential benefits of LADs generally and risks reinforcing long-standing inequities in education. We conducted a critical literature review, identifying 45 relevant papers to answer three research questions: how is LAD research improving JEDI, ii. how might it maintain or exacerbate inequitable outcomes, and iii. what opportunities exist in this space to improve JEDI in higher education. Using thematic analysis, we identified four common themes: (1) participant identities and researcher positionality, (2) surveillance concerns, (3) implicit pedagogies, and (4) software development resources. While we found very few studies directly addressing or mentioning JEDI concepts, we used these themes to explore ways researchers could consider JEDI in their studies. Our investigation highlights several opportunities to intentionally incorporate JEDI into LAD research by sharing software resources and conducting cross-border collaborations, better incorporating user needs, and centering considerations of justice in LAD efforts to improve historical inequities.