Three questions have stirred controversies, fueled perpetual debates, and polarized educators, parents and students for as long as educational institutions have existed: What constitutes good teaching? What are effective learning practices? And, perhaps most importantly, what does “student achievement” mean? Attempts to answer these questions have evolved from philosophical musings to data-based modern educational research. Today, Big Data research adds to our power as we unravel the secret of successful learning and teaching . The MIDAS Learning Analytics Research Hub is a new addition to U-M’s nationally renowned research in learning analytics. MIDAS funds two initial core research projects. Through a variety of hub activities, MIDAS hopes to:
- Disseminate tools and methods to empower campus-wide learning analytics research.
- Build a collaborative network of Big Data learning analytics researchers, and help UM stay at the forefront of learning analytics research in the nation.
- Form industry partnerships and transform research findings into the next generation of learning systems.