Learning analytics “is the undertaking of activities that generate actionable data from the learning environment intended to improve student outcomes by informing structure, content, delivery or support of the learning environment”. More information about using data to support learning at the university can be accessed on the Learning Analytics Center of Excellence website. 

Your instructor may require you to use digital learning tools as part of your required course work. Data about your activities and interactions with digital learning tools is automatically generated and collected by those tools when you use and interact with them. The collection and retention of this data is necessary to permit the learning tools to operate as designed and to deliver the teaching and learning capabilities required. When this activity data is used by your instructor for learning analytics, we require such usage to be consistent with Learning Analytics Guiding Principles. More information about how your data is protected is on the UW-Madison Teaching and Learning Data Transparency Statement; information about your privacy rights protected by FERPA is available at the Registrar website.

An instructor’s decision to use learning analytics approaches and tools is a pedagogical decision and thus within the instructor’s discretion. UW-Madison does not mandate the use of learning analytics tools by instructors. UW-Madison has established guiding principles that state that learning analytics should be used for the benefit of students, and central to its use should be: student success, improved learning experiences for the student, and improved outcomes for students.

If you haven't already reviewed the full transparency statement and additional resources on the Learning Analytics at UW-Madison page, please check that out. If you have other questions about data use for learning analytics purposes, please email LearningAnalytics@office365.wisc.edu.