ALT Members views on Learning Analytics
Martin Hawksey, ALT Online Newsletter, May 13, 2014

Interesting set of reflections from the Association for Learning Technology. I liked the distinction between educational data mining, which is focused on "developing methods for exploring the unique types of data that come from educational settings," and learning analytics, which is "the intelligent use of data about learner behaviour." I also liked the concern expressed about "data fishing," though I thought Terry Loane's characterization and critique of positivism was a bit unfair.

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The Open Virus
Martin Weller, The Ed Techie, May 13, 2014

Though the spread of the open virus is by no means guaranteed, it seems like a natural progression from one domain to the next. "It is no coincidence that many of the MOOC pioneers had also been early adopters of open access, active bloggers, and advocates of open licenses. Creating open courses seemed the next logical step, because they were interested in the possibilities that openness offered and had seen the benefits elsewhere in their practice."

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MOOCS: Expectations and Reality
Devayani Tirthali, Fiona M. Hollands, Teachers College Columbia University, May 13, 2014

Longish report (211 page PDF) about the use and understanding of MOOCs in an institutional context. "Through interviews with 83 administrators, faculty members, researchers, and other actors from 62 different institutions (see Appendices I, III and VI for details) active in the MOOCspace or more generally in online learning, we observed that colleges and universities have adopted several different stances towards engaging with MOOCs and are using them as vehicles to pursue multiple goals."

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