Learning analytics at UC-engineering: Lessons learned about infrastructure and organizational structure

Abstract

The development of Learning Analytics (LA) capabilities in a Higher Education institution is challenging. On the one hand, the institution requires of a technological infrastructure for adapting and/or developing LA services. On the other hand, the institution also needs of an organizational structure for designing and implementing new processes for assuring the adoption of these services. There are two different approaches for developing the necessary infrastructure and organizational structure. One consists on following a top-down process, in which the leadership of the LA initiative is mainly driven by institutional managers, who provide the necessary means. Another is bottom-up, where the initiatives are led by ground-level teaching staff without involving institutional managers. This article presents both approaches through two LA initiatives of Engineering School at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC-Engineering). We show how these two initiatives emerged and integrated into existing academic processes to improve teaching and learning at an institutional level. The infrastructure and organizational structure resulting from each initiative is presented, as well as the lessons learned. This paper aims at serving as an example for other universities in Latin America interested on developing and incorporating LA capabilities.