Implementing learning analytics at scale in an online world: lessons learned from the Open University UK

While many “brick-and-mortar” universities had to rapidly shift online provision during the pandemic, a range of online and distance learning universities have been teaching in blended and online formats for years. The Open University UK has been trailblazing innovative and effective learning designs for diverse learners across the globe for 50 years, and learning analytics in particular since 2014. This book chapter explores two large scale implementations (i.e., Analytics4Action, learning design) as a multiple case-study to illustrate how educators and institutions might make sense of meaningful learning analytics at scale. The findings indicate that active engagement by educators with learning analytics can positively improve the chances of learners to get support early, and to set them up for success. However, more needs to be done to actively support our educators to make sense of learning data