Learning analytics is a relatively new field of inquiry and its precise meaning is both contested and fluid (Johnson, Smith, Willis, Levine & Haywood, 2011; LAK, n.d.). Ferguson (2012) suggests that the best working definition is that offered by the first Learning Analytics and Knowledge (LAK) conference: "the measurement, collection,…

According to researchers at the University of Southern California (Washington Post, 2011), the world's storage capacity for digital data increased from 0.2 billion gigabytes in 1986 to 276 billion gigabytes by 2007 (at the same time analogue storage capacity increased from 2.6 to 18.9 billion gigabytes). This huge growth is often seen in…

In this commentary, we examine Braverman's insights into the trade-offs between feasibility and rigor in evaluation measures and reject his assessment of the trade-off as a zero-sum game. We, argue that feasibility and policy salience are, like reliability and validity, intrinsic to the definition of a good measure. To reduce the tension between…

Social studies instruction using a variety of data sources engages elementary school children in relatively autonomous collecting, organizing, and evaluating of data--processes necessary for exercising sound judgment and taking appropriate action. (RM)

This volume contains four papers presented at a 1982 conference sponsored by the National Council on Employment Policy. It begins with a brief policy statement warning that labor force and productivity data systems face deterioration because of budget cuts that have forced a decline in the quality and quantity of the published information and…

Folktales as reflections of a culture provide many kinds of information for social studies that are unmatched in the elementary school. However, teachers must be alert to the potential of folktales to present unintended or erroneous information. (RM)

Data collection and analysis are frequently neglected by school leaders over the course of the decision-making process. All schools gather large amounts of information about students and teachers, but most data are used to satisfy administrative requirements rather than evaluate school improvement in a systematic fashion. Apprehension regarding…

For years computer viruses have threatened productive use of personal computers, challenging users and support providers to prevent and recover from viral attacks. Now another type of computing malady has begun to enter popular consciousness: spyware. Typically, analyses of spyware focus on technical issues or provide pointers to resources for…