Data analytics has been recognized as a means to identify at-risk learners to provide interventions and informs teachers on the learning of students so as to improve the design of learning experiences (Johnson et al., 2011). However, the potential impact in the use of data for teaching and learning has not been sufficiently explored in the Singapore school contexts due to challenges and constraints involved in utilising large data analyses for effective interventions in the classroom. This paper thus aimed to examine the role of learning analytics in enhancing students’ learning of Science in Singapore schools.
As part of a study that involves partnership with Ministry of Education - Educational Technology Division and Information Technology Branch, pilot schools were provided with training and access to TokTol (a Science-based learning system with built-in learning analytics tool). Teachers integrated the use of Toktol into their teaching and made use of the data generated on students’ learning to guide their lesson design and implementation. Here, a case study is used to illustrate the use of data to redesign learning experiences of the students for a Physics topic in a secondary school context. The class report provided a snapshot of students’ learning in the form of “visual heat maps” which allows assessment of students’ learning. Information on weak students and science concepts that students struggled with were analysed. Through a differentiated instruction approach, the students were grouped based on ability to collaborate on learning tasks of varying difficulty levels. This facilitated the mastery of the concepts in the cognitively stronger students and improving the conceptual understanding of the weaker ones. The tasks also provided students with opportunities to collaborate together on authentic problems and made their thought processes visible through co-created solutions which assessed students formatively. Through group presentations, students reflected on the feasibility of their solutions. The students consolidated and extended their own learning by thinking deeper into the various contexts which the concepts were applied.
Initial findings demonstrated that the data derived from TokTol also strengthened the teacher’s capacity to identify students’ learning needs and intervention strategies that support students’ learning. The authors will be analysing students’ responses at summative assessment on the same topic to determine further impact on students’ outcomes. It is recommended that that studies could be conducted to clarify the value of adaptive learning for both the learner and teacher as an approach to personalise learning experiences.
