Webinar: Exploring Small Group Interactions with Collaboration Analytics

The next SNOLA (Spanish Network Of Learning Analytics) webinar will take place on December 1st at 16:00h (CET).

Tittle: SNOLA Webinar: Multimodal Learning Analytics in Real-world Practice: A Bridge Too Far?

Overview: Recent developments in Collaboration Analytics (CA) collect multimodal data that utilize sensors, video, audio, and human observations from real-world teaching contexts, producing promising results, especially regarding small groups of learners’ interactions. By datafying/quantifying the interactions between people, it is possible to trace patterns of how small groups work together. However, we must ground this technological approach with theory and in context, especially for education.

My aim with CA is to identify critical indicators of reflection, persistence, and a positive approach to failure. A Collaboration Analytics System (CAS) is being developed that adopts computer vision, multiple audio microphones, Bluetooth, and proximity. These sensors are connected to microcontrollers that, in turn, are connected to the CAS. The data are streamed to a local computer in a time-series database. Initial investigations explore different sensors (smart badges, audio patterns, 3D depth cameras, etc.) to provide relevant data about collaboration (e.g., the flow of movement, proximity, and conversational patterns). The CAS will also allow students, teachers, and facilitators to add data about how the learning activity was experienced or observed with mobile phones.

Speaker: Daniel Spikol

Biography: Daniel Spikol has been investigating different aspects of Technology-enhanced Learning, where he has researched, designed, and developed systems that engage learners, support teachers, and provide insights into learning. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen in the Department of Computer Science and a fellow at the Center for Digital Education. His background combines design, digital art, and computer science to investigate how people learn and play. Additionally, Spikol has worked for different companies and founded several companies. His current research explores how people collaborate with physical computing to inspire learners to explore computational tinkering and thinking. Over the last decade, he has focused his research on multimodal learning analytics on understanding how small groups of students use mobile phones to conduct science in the field. Over the last five years, he has developed a multi-modal learning analytics system to investigate the collaboration of small groups of students for STEM activities. Some of his time is focused on social robotics and science outreach programs using these tools.