DELFI2023 - Learning analytics in the age of AI: Will we see the promised learning revolution?

A Keynote by Prof. Dr. Oleksandra Poquet

This keynote by Prof. Dr. Oleksandra Poquet was held on 12.09.2023 at the DELFI 2023 Conference
on Educational Technology at RWTH Aachen University. More information and access to the slides on
Abstract:
With the development of technologies, data have become an essential element of our daily lives. In
this talk, I will argue that current advances in generative AI represent a paradigm shift for educational
technology. Current affordances of AI change our perceptions of what can be possible, prompting us
to re-evaluate research questions, interventions, and applications in the field of educational
technology. Against this backdrop, I will focus on learning analytics, an applied domain centered on
the collection of data about learners, their processes, and the artefacts they produce, and uses these
data to improve teaching and learning. I will take a historical perspective and position learning
analytics in relation to existing educational technology paradigms. I will discuss its achievements, as
well as its current challenges, such as reproducibility, equity, and adoption. Finally, I will reflect on
the role and forms of learning analytics for education in the age of AI, highlighting the adjacent
possible for the future development. The talk will primarily draw on the work outside the EU,
highlighting tensions and alignments with the European views wherever possible.