Learning Analytics Research in Relation to Educational Technology: Capturing Learning Analytics Contributions with Bibliometric Analysis

In this study the authors conducted an empirical, bibliometric analysis of current literature in learning analytics. The authors performed a citation network analysis and found three dominant clusters of research. A qualitative thematic review of publications in these clusters revealed distinct context, goals, and topics. The largest cluster focused on predicting student success and failure, the second largest on using analytics to inform instructional design, and the third on concerns in implementing learning analytics systems. The authors suggest that further collaboration with educational technology researchers and practitioners may be necessary for learning analytics to reach its interdisciplinary goal. The authors also note that learning analytics currently does not often take place in K-12 settings, and that the burden of creating learning interventions still seemed to reside mainly with practitioners.