Resources. Learning Analytics. How are universities monitoring students' behaviour? Library attendance tracker The University of Bedfordshire monitors its students' learning activities by analysing their class attendance, assignment submission data and how often they visit the virtual learning environment (VLE) – an internal course website that contains resources and guidance.
The university also checks how regularly individuals are visiting the library and borrowing books. Learning analytics don't just measure students' progress – they can shape it. As a society, we assess what we value.
Within education, we use metrics and grades to give students a sense of what "good" looks like and how they can achieve this. That's the aim. Collecting data on students: is it useful to know which books they've read? Data analytics helps universities identify students who need more support.
Photograph: the Guardian Monitoring progress through the analysis of grades has long been the norm, but how useful is it to know which books students have read, how often they come to class and when they contact their tutors?