An advantage to digital course materials that is just
beginning to be understood is their ability to track a student’s progress and
study habits through learning management systems. Course materials can be
integrated through the management system, which records the amount of time a
student spends reading, how many pages are viewed, and how many notes or
highlights they make.
Now, CourseSmart has launched a new service that helps
faculty members measure that engagement. Rasmussen College, Texas A&M
University at San Antonio, and Villanova University are already part of a beta
program for CourseSmart Analytics, which is expected to be available for all
schools next year.
“The higher education community is hungry for
actionable data that links student engagement to their learning content,” said
Ellen Wagner, executive director for WICHE Cooperative for Educational
Technology, in a statement at Educause 2012 in Denver. “With the CourseSmart dashboard, professors will be
better able to fine-tune lesson plans, critique student performances, and even
tailor suggestions for specific students on how to study more effectively to
help them stay on track and stay in school.”
The CourseSmart product will track student behavior
with the course materials as well as provide information to assess whether an
electronic textbook is being used effectively. The analytics can also help identify
at-risk students and is accessible through a number of learning management
systems.
“There is a screaming demand in the marketplace for
knowledge around what impact course materials have on learning,” said Sean
Devine, chief executive of CourseSmart, in an interview at the conference.
At the same time, some groups have questioned the
effect on a reader’s right to privacy. The American Library Association has
already stated its concern over lending e-books on Kindles, which can be
monitored by Amazon. Students will be able to opt out of the CourseSmart
program if they don’t want their information shared, according to Devine.
“We do understand the Big Brother aspects of it,” he
said.
