The Benefits of Learning Analytics to Higher Education Institutions: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Learning analytics is a form of data analysis that allows teachers, lecturers, educational experts, and administrators of online learnings to look for students’ online traces and information associated with the learning processes. The fundamental goal of learning analytics in online classrooms and com-puter-supported instruction is to enhance the learning experience and the entire learning process. This review aims at reviewing some of the benefits available through using learning analytics in higher education institutions (HEI) for the students, teaching staff and the management. The search for relevant literature was conducted by searching online databases which in-clude Web of Science, SCOPUS, Science Direct, IEEE, Emerald, Springer, ERIC and Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). The analysis of the literatures obtained from the online databases revealed that learning analytics provide series of benefits to students, teaching staffs and the management of higher education institutions. The benefits include prediction and identification of target courses, curriculum development and improvement, improved students’ learning outcomes, improved instructors’ performance and monitoring of students’ dropout and retention. It is recommended that higher education institutions adopt the use of learning analytics in their online teaching and learning.