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Idea#91

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Self selected survey data does not make for good LAs.

Name:
Robert Weston

While surveys are a great tool to find how users feel, or what they think (or believe they think), they are not very useful in finding empirical data about users. Yes, this has been touched on in other Ideas, but survey data is a specific example of what people believe learning analytics solely is, while in reality, it is so much more.

EDIT: Didn't realize I left that last sentence incomplete. My apologies.

Comment

Submitted by Robert Weston 9 months ago

Events

  1. The idea was posted
    9 months ago

Comments (3)

  1. I voted this up, because it's an important consideration. Self-reports can be incredibly useful... when they complement more direct measures of student learning. Sometimes the more direct measures tell you that something's happening, but not *why* it's happening. Self-reports can sometimes provide possible explanations.

    9 months ago
  2. I think survey data can be a part of the data set for analytics, but it can't be the only thing. I'd much rather incorporate data like this into the pool of data than ignore it.

    9 months ago
  3. 1. Definitely include.

    2. Definitely realize it isn't what the respondent "thinks" nor what the respondent "believes he/she thinks" - it's simply and ONLY what the respondent chose to respond. In some cases it's not even what they "meant" to respond! (like when they give you a 1 when they meant to choose a 5.

    3. Definitely use at as only a part of Triangulation.

    9 months ago