Call for participation

2nd Learning Analytics Summer Institutes (LASI 2014)

Madrid, Spain, June 30 – July 2, 2014
http://www.solaresearch.org/events/lasi-2/lasi2014/

Organized by the Society of Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR) in cooperation with the Center for Virtual Education (CSEV) and the Spanish National University of Distance Education (UNED) and with assistance of the International Educational Data Mining Society (IEDMS).

Important dates
- Application for participation: March 5, 2014
- Notification of acceptance: March 31, 2014


Introduction

Learning Analytics as both a research topic and emerging marketplace has recently received attention of faculty, educational researchers and administrators, policy makers, data scientists and learning technology entrepreneurs. Unprecedented quantity of, and access to, learner-generated data has opened up new opportunities, for instance, for researchers to better understand how learners learn, for educators to assess the impact of teaching activities and interventions, and for learners to receive personalized, real-time, automated support for their learning advancements.

Learning Analytics (LA) as a field is related to disciplines such as educational data mining, machine learning, information visualisation and computer science in general, various branches of psychology, learning sciences, psychometrics, and systems theory. LA aspires to integrate cognitive, social, pedagogical, technical, and organizational components to advance a holistic view of learners and their learning processes. Cross-disciplinary research, publications, and documented socio-technical systems, designs and algorithms are important for advancing these goals.

For the past four years, the Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR) has hosted open online courses, the international LAK conference and national meet-ups, initiated a distributed research lab for PhD students, and established the Journal of Learning Analytics. During this timeframe, researchers from learning sciences, computer supported collaborative learning, and related disciplines have found research affinity with the emerging LA field.

Leading international universities have initiated programs and enacted strategies to use LA to improve learner success and organizational efficiency. Numerous schools have adopted personalization and adaptive learning systems to support learners. Corporations and start-ups have also turned their focus to learning analytics, resulting in numerous entrants into the LA market.

This bricolage of research, intersecting fields of study, and corporate activity has created an exciting, albeit sometimes confusing, landscape for academics, PhD students, and the diverse users of LA products and projects


Summer Institutes

A critical window of opportunity is opening as we stand on the threshold of what may be a new discipline with disruptive potential for educational research and practice. Bringing the right mix of people together for an intensive ‘summer camp’ can serve as an intellectual and social springboard to accelerate the maturation of the discipline — as was the case for other young disciplines, such as cognitive neuroscience.

After the 1st such event in Stanford in 2013, the 2nd Learning Analytics Summer Institute (LASI 2014) is a strategic event organized by the Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR) in cooperation with the Center for Virtual Education (CSEV), and the Spanish National University of Distance Education (UNED). The International Educational Data Mining Society is also assisting with event organization. LASI 2014 will be held in Madrid, Spain from June 30, 2014 to July 2, 2014. In parallel, a global network of LASI-Locals will run their own institutes.

LASI 2014 builds on the success of the inaugural LASI 2013 held at Stanford University and LASI-Locals: LASI-Hong Kong, LASI-Denmark — Aalborg, LASI-Latin America — Online, LASI-France — Lyon, LASI-Netherlands — Amsterdam, LASI-South Africa — Pretoria, LASI-Spain — Granada,LASI-Spain — Madrid, LASI-UK — Edinburgh, LASI-USA — Boston, and A-LASI – Sydney. LASI2014 will again be a network of global events, so get inspired and self-organise. Coordinator of LASI Locals is Simon Buckingham Shum who will post updates on the SoLAR website. Sign up to the LASI-Local group to stay tuned.

The objective is that participants will leave better equipped to actively engage in advancing the LA field through their teaching and research activities. More specifically, LASI has two goals:

1. Build the field of Learning Analytics through cross disciplinary interactions, identification of research and teaching needs, advancement of LA methods, and connecting isolated researchers and research communities.
2. Develop the skills and knowledge of doctoral students and academics, equipping them to engage actively in LA research and teaching.

In the selection of participants, we will strive for a careful balance between disciplines, skillsets and seniority — see the application criteria for details.


Format

LASI2014’s goals of building the LA field and developing the skills of researchers, educators and students will be achieved through a combination of lectures, hands-on tutorials, group work and ample opportunity for informal interactions. Activities include presentations from leading researchers, innovative start-ups, and experts from related fields, coupled with panels and workshops… all designed to define the needs of the LA field, identify research gaps and needs, forge the community and establish a research agenda.


Organizing Committee

Ryan S.J.d. Baker, Teachers College, Columbia University, USA
Simon Buckingham Shum, The Open University, UK (LASI-Locals chair)
Shane Dawson, University of South Australia, Australia
Erik Duval, KU Leuven, Belgium (program co-chair)
David Gago Saldaña, Centro Superior para la Enseñanza Virtual (CSEV), Spain
Dragan Gasevic, Athabasca University, Canada (program co-chair)
Philip Long, University of Queensland, Australia
Grace Lynch, University of New England, Australia
Xavier Ochoa, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Ecuador
Mykola Pechenizkiy, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), The Netherlands (program co-chair)
Luis Rodriguez, Centro Superior para la Enseñanza Virtual (CSEV), Spain
Salvador Ros, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain
George Siemens, University of Texas at Arlington, USA
Llanos Tobarra, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain
Daniel Torres Mancera, Centro Superior para la Enseñanza Virtual (CSEV), Spain


Enquiries

Enquiries about participating in, or sponsoring, LASI may be emailed to (lasi2014.madrid atsign gmail.com) with the subject line containing: LASI Enquiry

If you are interested in connecting with the others running a regional/local event, please contact Simon Buckingham Shum (s.buckingham.shum atsign gmail.com) with the subject line containing:LASI Local

Speakers in Madrid are by invitation, with the program now being designed. Queries around theprogram should go to Erik Duval (Erik.Duval atsign cs.kuleuven.be) and Dragan Gasevic (dragan.gasevic atsign gmail.com) with the subject line containing: LASI Program. Regional/local satellite events will design their own schedules and programs.


How to participate

To apply for participation in LASI 2014 in Madrid, Spain, please complete the following application form available in the EasyChair site of LASI 2014 (https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=lasi2014.). The details about the application process can be found at http://www.solaresearch.org/events/lasi-2/lasi2014/