Applying Learning Analytics to a Primary School Classroom: Benefits and Barriers

Abstract

There are numerous proposals and solutions that aim to apply Learning Analytics (LA) in authentic scenarios. Many of them have been applied successfully in learning contexts where adults are involved. However, when we try to transfer such proposals to underage students, the application may not be straightforward. This paper reports on a case where a LA approach, which had been already applied to a university context with success, was applied to a primary school classroom. The case shows how the main barriers that had to be faced in the new educational context were legal and ethical issues related to identity and data ownership. The case also serves to illustrate the potential benefit that an apparently simple LA approach can bring to these educational contexts.