Attentional and cognitive processing of analytics visualisations: Can design features affect interpretations and decisions about learning and teaching?

Abstract

There has been an increasing demand for course-level learning analytics to inform design improvements and interventions. While there has been an increasing research and development focus on dashboards to facilitate this, less has been done to investigate the impact of design features on optimising the interpretation process when translating learning analytics into actionable interventions and design changes. In this paper, I assess the effect of two prominent design features on the attentional and cognitive processes when using learning analytics at the course level. Emergent thematic analysis revealed response patterns suggesting systematic effects of three design features (course-only data, course- versus school-level data, course-only data with learning events marked) on the interpretive patterns, proposed actions, and consequential thinking of participants in the study. Implications for future designs of course-level learning analytics dashboards, as well as academic development are discussed.