Learning Analytics Fellows Program

The Learning Analytics Fellows Program

Award: $1000
Deadline: To Be Announced in Fall of 2004

Now in its sixth year, IU Bloomington's Learning Analytics Fellows Program is a community of scholars interested in using analytical data to further student achievement and success both within and across programs, departments, and schools. The Program is open to all full-time IUB faculty regardless of rank. Each  project will receive $2,000 in research funds, plus, if needed, a license for Tableau, software that enables the exploration of data and the sharing of discoveries through the use of dashboards and visualization tools. The Bloomington Assessment and Research (BAR) office will provide support to any Fellow who needs assistance with acquiring student records data, and in creating and using dashboards and other analytical tools within Tableau. Departmental support is necessary for annual maintenance of the Tableau software license beyond the first year.

Program

Learning Analytics is the study of students as learners through a process of systematic collection, exploration, and analysis of data describing students, their observable activities, and outcomes. The strategic planning process for IUB identified an objective to empower our faculty with analytics. The Center for Learning Analytics and Student Success facilitates a community of faculty engaged in the scholarly activity of understanding our current collection of data, suggesting new sources or models of data, and performing student learning research with that data.

You can find out more about each of the Student Learning Analytics Fellows Projects, including their original proposals and their final reports, on the CLASS home page.

Call for participation

Proposals should focus on explorations in courses taught by the Fellow, or courses taught in the Fellow’s department. Collaborative proposals are encouraged, especially if they address questions of interdisciplinary programs – another key element of the strategic plan. Multiple proposals from the same department may be funded as long as the questions being asked are substantially different. We are particularly interested in questions surrounding student success and retention through graduation, with a preference for lines of inquiry that suggest relationships between activities and learning in one course that are linked to outcomes in other courses.

Fellows will be expected to meet approximately once a month during spring and fall semesters of 2024, sharing their ongoing research and receiving feedback from their peers. All Fellows will be required to submit a final report at the end of the fall 2025 semester. The report should describe the results of the study as well as the possibilities for acting on those findings or for conducting further research. Fellows will also disseminate their initial results at a showcase event or similar venue for a wider audience of faculty during the 2025 fall semester.

All full-time faculty members of Indiana University Bloomington are eligible to apply.

Proposals are limited to three pages and should describe in adequate detail the main research question(s), the type of data to be analyzed, the research methodology, as well as any special support required to complete the project. In addition, a letter of support from the departmental chair should articulate how the proposed project helps both the faculty fellow and the department further student success and learning at IUB. All full-time faculty members of Indiana University Bloomington are eligible to apply.

  1. Cover sheet with the following information:
      • Title of project
      • Name and department/school
      • Email address for contact purposes
  2. Abstract- A summary of your project in 300 words or less.
  3. Project Description- In no more than three, single-spaced pages, please describe your research project. Please include:
      • Purpose of the investigation along with specific research objectives the type of data that will be analyzed.
      • Significance and impact the study may have upon undergraduate learning.
      • Anticipated outcomes from the work and how they will contribute to the success of student learning at Indiana University, whether that be within a course, a curriculum, a program, or institutionally.
      • Research methodology.
      • Means by which you will measure the success of your project.
      • Previous research results when applicable. 

    4. Short CV- maximum of 4 pages

    5. Nominating letter- from the dean, department head, or unit head

Information and Assistance

For questions concerning the Student Learning Analytics Fellows Program or support in conducting scholarly research on student learning, please contact George Rehrey , Director, Center for Learning Analytics and Student Success.