Deep Dive into Open edX Analytics: Beyond Quantitative Data in LMS with Aulasneo’s Approach
Hello everyone, and thank you for joining me today. I recently had the privilege of presenting at MIT, and I’m excited to share my insights on a unique approach to evaluating the impact of open courses, especially within the Open edX platform.
The Traditional Approach: Quantitative Data
Traditionally, the evaluation of open courses, especially those offered by NGOs or governmental agencies, has been rooted in quantitative analysis. Metrics such as enrollment numbers and course completion rates have been the primary focus. However, while these numbers provide a snapshot, they don’t paint the full picture.
Aulasneo’s Innovative Approach: Merging Quantitative with Qualitative
Aulasneo, leveraging the power of Panorama, has pioneered a method that not only considers quantitative data but also dives deep into qualitative insights at scale. This approach offers a more comprehensive understanding of the learning process and its impact.
Our method involves a three-layered framework, including quantitative data, qualitative data and the MELP framework, which includes:
- Setting Clear Goals: Understand your audience, decide what you want to measure, and define how you’ll measure those goals.
- Implementing Surveys: We’ve developed a set of three surveys:
- An initial student profile survey upon course entry.
- A post-course survey, taken upon course completion.
- A follow-up survey, taken between one month to one year after course completion.
Integrating Advanced Forms with Open edX
To capture rich qualitative data, we integrated Line Survey, an open-source engine specializing in forms, with Open edX. These forms, which include open-ended questions, are then connected to our analytics engine, Panorama. This integration allows for a comprehensive analysis that goes beyond mere numbers.
A Real-World Application
In collaboration with the Cap-Net UNDP agency that deliver open courses globally, we’ve put our approach into action:
- Initial Student Profile Survey: Positioned as one of the units in the first section of the course, ensuring students provide additional data after registration.
- End-of-Course Survey: Captures both qualitative and quantitative feedback.
- Follow-Up Survey: Encourages students to share their journey since course completion with open-ended questions.
Analytics at Scale
All collected data feeds into custom Panorama. dashboards: the Student Profile Dashboard, the End-of-Course Dashboard, and the 12-Month Post-Course Dashboard. These dashboards allow for a deep analysis of student feedback and learning application.
Sawabona: Seeing the Student
“Sawabona,” a Zulu greeting meaning “I see you,” emphasizes the importance of recognizing the individual behind the data. With Aulasneo’s approach, real-world stories of students applying their knowledge in areas like, in the case of Cap-Net environmental protection and water and sanitation, come to the forefront.
Conclusion
In the vast world of LMS and Open edX, Aulasneo’s integration of advanced analytics and focus on qualitative insights sets a new standard. By looking beyond mere numbers, we can truly understand the impact of open courses.
Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I look forward to sharing more insights in the future.
If you want to know more about our services contact us.
