Dive Brief:
- The journal Research & Practice in Assessment on Monday released its Special Issue on Big Data & Learning Analytics. (A flipbook version of the issue is also available.)
- RPA arranged the issue's content in a progressive manner, starting with a definition of big data and explanation of its processes and expanding to more complex overviews of systems currently in use at institutions, as well as MOOC analytics.
- RPA has also announced the creation of a LinkedIn group meant to facilitate additional discussion on the journal, as well as the higher education assessment community at large.
Dive Insight:
Big data is among the hottest topics in education today, especially as institutions look to leverage more analytics to improve outcomes and keep students from falling through the cracks. The articles in RPA's special issue were written by some of the area's foremost thought leaders from institutions including Stanford and MIT, and the issue also includes reviews for a number of books focused on big data.
This may very well be a must-read issue for higher ed tech chiefs.