Analytics for Knowledge Creation: Towards Epistemic Agency and Design-Mode Thinking

Abstract

Innovation and knowledge creation call for high-level epistemic agency and design-mode thinking, two competencies beyond the traditional scopes of schooling. In this paper, we discuss the need for learning analytics to support these two competencies, and more broadly, the demand for education for innovation. We ground these arguments on a distinctive Knowledge Building pedagogy that treats education as a knowledge-creation enterprise. By critiquing current learning analytics for their focus on static-state knowledge and skills, we argue for agency-driven, choice-based analytics more attuned to higher order competencies in innovation. We further describe ongoing learning analytics initiatives that attend to these elements of design. Prospects and challenges are discussed, as well as broader issues regarding analytics for higher order competencies.