Evaluate: Data Driven Instruction, Analytics, Reporting Tools 2.1.1

Evaluate: Data Driven Instruction, Analytics, Reporting tools 2.1.1

"Instruction that is driven by data is to education as travelling across country with GPS is to arriving at your destination."  - K. Salomon

Teachers can improve their own instruction, their instructional objects, their use of instructional tools, as well as the success level of their students by considering what data collected could be showing.  Some different types of data:

Student Self-Monitoring Data- 

Students Monitor their own learning and track their progress by checking their LMS assessment and feedback section.  Students can additionally see their testing history and set goals for future achievement. Teachers could work with students and support them in reaching their goals.  I have a specific reward for each of my students if the meet their personal CRCT goal. If they meet my "stretch goal" they will be invited to an ice cream sundae party.  (I am in a F2F classroom at this time.)  Student self tracking of data is an important lifetime skill to help them to develop in these formative years.

Monitoring course progress and feedback- 
Instructors can monitor student progress in the LMS in a few different ways.  The number of logins and time spent on tasks are available in some systems.  Instructors can use that information to see of students are regularly attending class and working on their goals, or if the efforts are all last-minute.  More checks by instructors early in the semester may increase student achievement if the instructor communicates to the student about the student level of involvement and what is to be expected.  Encouragement and motivation "applied" early in the course can help students to make significant changes in their work habits to achieve higher grades and have a more fulfilling learning process.

Monitoring enrollment and attendance-
Enrollment, attendance, communication, and student type information can be obtained from the LMS.  This information is crucial in determining the path forward from any point in the course.  Whether a student is achieving at his or her ability level or not can be determined by utilizing this data and teachers should always consider this data before contacting a student to encourage them.

Applied Analytics-

Analytics in other ways also help to drive instruction to increase student success.  First- test questions can be reevaluated if large numbers of students are missing certain questions.  Only through the use of data can a track record for a particular question be obtained.  Attached are two screen shots of a test and the data on some of the questions.   In one case, there was a problem with the test item and in the other case, some reteaching needed to be done.