Dispositional Learning Analytics for Supporting Individualized Learning Feedback

An important goal of learning analytics (LA) is to improve learning by providing students with meaningful feedback. Feedback is often generated by prediction models of student success using data about students and their learning processes based on digital traces of learning activities. However, early in the learning process, when feedback is most fruitful, trace-data-based prediction models often have limited information about the initial ability of students, making it difficult to produce accurate prediction and personalized feedback to individual students. Furthermore, feedback generated from trace data without appropriate consideration of learners’ dispositions might hamper effective interventions. By providing an example of the role of learning dispositions in an LA application directed at predictive modeling in an introductory mathematics and statistics module, we make a plea for applying dispositional learning analytics (DLA) to make LA precise and actionable. DLA combines learning data with learners’ disposition data measured through for example self-report surveys. The advantage of DLA is twofold: first, to improve the accuracy of early predictions; and second, to link LA predictions with meaningful learning interventions that focus on addressing less developed learning dispositions. Dispositions in our DLA example include students’ mindsets, operationalized as entity and incremental theories of intelligence, and corresponding effort beliefs. These dispositions were inputs for a cluster analysis generating different learning profiles. These profiles were compared for other dispositions and module performance. The finding of profile differences suggests that the inclusion of disposition data and mindset data, in particular, adds predictive power to LA applications.

Working theories: Current understandings and future directions

Working theories form an overarching learning outcome interdependent with learning dispositions in Te Whāriki. Working theories encompass children’s embodied, communicative, and social efforts to learn, think, and develop knowledge that enables children to participate effectively in their families, communities, and cultures. To support children’s learning and participation, kaiako are expected to engage with children’s working theories in respectful, reciprocal, and responsive interactions. This article brings together current understandings about working theories to support kaiako knowledge and practice.

Disruptive Education for Sustainable Development-Cultivating Positive Learning Dispositions

Education is the process through which sustainable development can be achieved. Learners develop values and skills through proper guidance individually and collectively that enable to improve the quality of life. This paper addresses how teachers need to continually interrogate their practices focusing on improving outcomes of learners. Positive behaviour supports student learning and development in achieving their desired objectives. The methods involve dispositions, the key components for one’s sustainable development. The results suggest that environment with supportive autonomy versus controlling is essential for sustainability. Teachers need to cultivate appropriate positive dispositions in terms of interest, inventiveness and intensiveness. To elevate learning capacity, teachers provide challenging and appealing environments to extend student capabilities thus heightens their efficacy. Rendering the focus on research as eminently topical and pertinent which adds an importance to the existing literature through the direct focus into the classroom space with digital devices where disruption takes place.

The Identification of Key Online Learning Dispositions of College Students Learning in A Blended Learning Course

This paper discusses part of a practitioner research case-study which I carried out with a class of thirty-seven college students learning chemistry in a blended learning context. The full two-year study involved a multi-method interpretivist approach using observations, unsolicited meetings, VLE tracking system, students’ reflective journal, online informal discussions, questionnaires, focus groups and individual interviews. The study identified four key student online learning dispositions, i.e., the dispositions of resourcefulness, resilience, reciprocity and responsibility. These dispositions were identified as persona-related enablers for online learning and were found to be crucial for the students to develop a deep approach to learning. They were also instrumental for changes in the students as learners. These included changes in epistemological beliefs, study patterns, study habits and above all, changes in learner roles and learning identities. Notable changes occurred in a group of learners who were initially reluctant to learn from the online environment. This study showed that student learning dispositions may be transferred from one context to another. This includes a transfer of learning dispositions from the online environment to the face-to-face traditional classroom setting. Several educators argue that learning dispositions should be included as educational goals in educational curricula and should serve as practical strategies in creating learning environments. Learning activities should provide students with opportunities to develop and cultivate desirable dispositions for learning.