As a research field geared toward understanding and improving learning, Learning Analytics (LA) must be able to provide empirical support for causal claims. However, as a highly applied field, tightly controlled randomized experiments are not always feasible nor desirable. Instead, researchers often rely on observational data, based on which they…

This paper leverages cluster analysis to provide insight into how traditionally underrepresented learners engage with entry-level massive open online courses (MOOCs) intended to lower the barrier to university enrolment, produced by a major research university in the United States. From an initial sample of 260,239 learners, we cluster analyze a…

Recommender systems in educational contexts have proven effective to identify learning resources that fit the interests and needs of learners. Their usage has been of special interest in online self-learning scenarios to increase student retention and improve the learning experience. In current recommendation techniques, and in particular, in…

Open Online Courses can serve different purposes: in the case of Orient@mente at the University of Torino, they aim at facilitating the transition from secondary to tertiary education with automatic evaluation tests that students can try in order to understand their capabilities in - and their attitude towards - certain disciplines, and with…