The Research and Analytics team provides expertise to support learning sciences research or implement interventions to address students' needs in your course, department, or college. The team is available to support you throughout the research process. We can help outline your research questions and provide consultations on the designs of your study, data collection, and analysis. We can also partner with faculty members who want to submit a proposal leveraging learning analytics for external funding.

Learning Analytics Research Support

Learning analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs (SoLAR, 2011).

To support learning analytics research, Research and Analytics provides the Iowa Learning Analytics (LA) umbrella IRB. The purpose of this umbrella IRB is to support UI faculty researchers who wish to explore the role and impact of learning analytics in teaching and learning. The Iowa LA umbrella IRB provides faculty researchers with a simpler process of IRB application and delivers de-identified data to answer research questions. Research under this umbrella should be focused on student learning and support.

Learning Sciences Research Partnership

The Research and Analytics team forms dynamic partnerships with faculty researchers at various levels—from individual courses to departments and colleges within the scope of learning sciences research described below. As equal partners in the learning sciences research, we engage deeply with faculty researchers to co-design studies, co-develop research methodologies, and share insights that directly address pressing research questions. Our partnership extends to the dissemination of findings, where we collaboratively publish, present, and share our research with broader academic and research communities and stakeholders. This collaboration aims to not only support existing educational strategies but also to innovate and implement new interventions based on robust data insights and collaborative expertise.

Scope of Learning Sciences Research

Our partnership is dedicated to conducting research studies that explore the dynamics of teaching and learning processes. Our primary goal is to deepen our understanding of how people learn, engage, and sustain motivation. We strive to identify and apply the most effective strategies for designing learning environments that optimize outcomes in diverse settings, including classrooms, online platforms, and contexts where technology plays a significant role in learning. We are committed to the development and implementation of educational interventions, and to investigating the cognitive, behavioral, and social processes that underpin learning.