Training is in a state of flux, some organisations are reducing budgets, while others are looking at how to train staff while reducing off-site time. The nature of instructor-led training is changing too. New learning technologies are informing instructors with metrics that explain just how a learner is engaging with content.
How is this possible? Learning analytics, which lies at the heart of the new methodologies, enable us to adjust content, resources and support systems to suit individual needs by acting on data gathered and analysed continuously.
It is our view that the most important objective of collecting learning data is the ability to make informed decisions about strategies that are most likely to make a difference for each student.
Specifically concerning e-learning, vital pieces of data are recorded throughout the duration of the e-learning course, such as learners’ score on a particular test/exam, how quickly they are progressing through a module, and social interactions.
Even Google Analytics can play a role by gathering, analysis and reporting on information gleaned from online activity. Where Google Analytics struggles is in returning individual data; for example, it is unlikely that Google Analytics will help you understand that a particular individual is finding a particular topic difficult, whereas a good LMS will have this feature as part of its analytics module.
The analytics side of an LMS is called the LRS, or learning records store. Even if you don’t want the other features of an LMS – file management, course distribution, student organisation – you can host your files where you like and still utilise the power of analytics by having the files report to an LRS.
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