LMS data may predict success, but there is a disconnect between data and support for students: Study

Analyzing data gleaned from Learning Management Systems (LMS) shows mixed results in supporting students who struggle in class, writes Jeffrey R Young. Young describes the results of a recently-published research paper that found that LMS data was better than administrative data at predicting student success. However, the study found that this information did not add much value to students: It was most helpful within the students’ first term, worked best in online or blended classes, and was less helpful for classes with fewer initial graded assignments. Paper co-author Kelli Bird writes that while evaluating LMS data can predict success, there is a disconnect between data and supporting student performance. Bird writes that sending students messages that they should seek tutoring or study harder can discourage them, while Patsy D Moskal notes that data organized into dashboards for professors may be useful to identify struggling students. EdSurge Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.