ORLA & DESSI, A Learning Analytics Love Story

In November 2017, Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor TD launched ORLA (Online Resource for Learning Analytics), the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education's open access suite of guides and... [ view full abstract ]

In November 2017, Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor TD launched ORLA (Online Resource for Learning Analytics), the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education's open access suite of guides and case studies designed to help HEIs and Lecturers to get the best value out of their learner data. Topics covered include policy development, potential data sources, existing resources in institutional VLEs and guidance on the GDPR. ORLA also includes 16 case studies on how lecturers around the country are currently using data to support students and enhance their teaching. The development of these resources was guided and overseen by over sixty lecturers, students, IT staff, educational developers, learning technologists, student advisors and librarians from throughout the sector. 

Through researching and creating these resources, we developed a keen understanding of many of the opportunities that Learning Analytics can provide as well as many of the challenges that HEIs can face in making the most of this data. To this end, we established DESSI (Data-Enabled Student Success Initiative), through which we are providing support to institutions as they develop informed, sustainable and effective strategies for using learner data to support student success. We are currently working with 18 Universities, IoTs and Private Colleges around the country.

This presentation will introduce the resources that are available in ORLA as well as providing an overview of the supports we are developing through DESSI. We will also look at some of the factors that we have identified as being critical to the development of Learning Analytics strategies that successfully achieve real benefits for students.