Even common technologies that students, instructors and administrators use frequently at higher education institutions, for example, learning management systems, social networks, e-portfolios and student information systems, create valuable data sets that can be used to provide real-time feedback to all stakeholders and contribute to ensuring students’ success. This presentation provides an overview of some recent developments in the field of learning analytics that pertain to its impact on ensuring quality teaching and learning in higher education institutions. While advanced analytic technologies have been developed to provide feedback to stakeholders on students’ progress, mainly using analytical reports or dashboards, there remains much discussion on which facets of data sets are indicators of quality teaching and learning. Actual examples of data collected from common systems at a university in Macau are presented, and issues relating to the identification of relevant indicators in select, small data sets are also discussed. Moreover, feedback collected from over 1,000 undergraduate students on their use of technology suggests that learners in Macau are amenable to having data collected using secure campus learning management systems.

Christopher Fulton
Christopher Fulton works at the University of Macau as an E-Learning Technology Officer in the Centre for Teaching and Learning Enhancement. His educational research interests center around promoting student engagement using active learning approaches and web-based technologies.