Call for Proposals

The field of learning analytics has come a long way since its emergence over a decade ago. In this time there has been an explosion in learning analytics research and practice incorporating different contexts, approaches, outputs, and frameworks. The interdisciplinary community that has grown up around the field has had a broad impact on educational environments, from the personalisation of learning for individuals through to data-informed national educational strategies. The value of data in supporting evidence-informed approaches to learning and teaching practice is increasingly recognised as a ‘must have’ across schools, universities, vocational institutions, and beyond.

However, as institutions and governments seek to gain value from data at scale, how do we ensure that the right data is getting to the right people at the right time? Also how do we  enable those people to make meaning from it in a way that enhances learning?

The aim of ALASI 2024 is to reflect and reconsider the who, what, when, why, and how of learning analytics with a focus on several key questions:

  1. A strong focus of many institutional LA strategies is to use data to measure and improve student retention, but do these approaches focus on the right data and deliver the outcomes to the right people?
  2. How do we equip educators with enough knowledge about LA (and learning) to be able to make good use of the data?
  3. What are the LA needs of the different groups of people that support students’ learning?
  4. Now that the field of LA has grown and is so active, how do we keep up with new innovations and trends?
  5. What are the opportunities and challenges of generative AI in how LA can be deployed to educators and students?
  6. How do we ensure that LA is as inclusive as possible?
  7. Have we sometimes moved away from the focus on “learning” in the quest to build tools and systems that can be used by the greatest number of people?

The purpose of ALASI24 is to bring together educators, practitioners, and researchers to learn collaboratively through discovery, sharing, and discussion of learning analytics practice. Whether you are new to the field, have been working on LA projects/research, or have been around from the very beginning, the goal of ALASI24 is for us all to take stock of what we have learnt from the field to date, and try to answer those questions above.

Why Participate?

By participating at ALASI, you will have the chance to:

  • Engage in thought-provoking discussions and interactive sessions with experts at the forefront of learning analytics and education.
  • Showcase your research, projects, and innovations to a diverse audience.
  • Forge collaborations and partnerships that can support innovation and application of LA in schools, tertiary educational institutions, and industry.
  • Gain valuable insights and takeaways to implement data-informed strategies within your own educational contexts.

Proposal formats

In 2024 there will be two main formats for proposals: an interactive session or a poster/demonstration presentation. In a new feature of ALASI this year, proposals for interactive sessions will take the format of an extended abstract that will be double-blind peer reviewed and published as part of a companion proceedings to the conference.

Interactive sessions

Proposals for an Interactive Session are invited for the following suggested types of session design:

  • Brainstorm challenges/World cafe
  • Panels or debates with a substantial amount of participant interactivity
  • Tutorials
  • Roundtables
  • Workshops
  • Hackathon
  • Other formats (as long as it’s interactive!)

The length of sessions can be either 45 mins or 90 mins. Proposals for mini-symposia consisting of a series of presentations are not encouraged.

Interactive sessions can be based around work in practice scenarios/case studies. In the case of research-informed interactive sessions, the session must go beyond simply presenting the research to the audience by, for example, exploring with participants how the outcomes could be applied in practice, or collaboratively generating feedback and new ideas for a work in progress project. The proposal structure varies slightly between the two formats to allow presenters to provide the inspiration, background, and context to the session, as well as to describe how the interactive session will work, the intended audience, and the outcomes participants can expect from their participation. Proposals for either type of interactive session are to be a maximum of 7 pages only (including abstract and references).

Work-in-Practice Interactive Session Proposal Template

Research-Informed Interactive Session Proposal Template

Poster and Demo Session

In the poster and demo session, participants are invited to showcase their work in a lively and engaging format. This will take place in a dedicated space where presenters will each be able to display a physical poster or do a live demonstration of their work while talking about the work with other ALASI attendees over drinks and canapes. A Firehose session will kick off the poster and demo session, in which the presenters will be asked to give a 30 second pitch on why people should come and see their poster/demo.

HDR students are particularly encouraged to present their work in progress as this is an excellent opportunity to gather feedback, broaden your network, and gain experience in communicating your research.

Proposals for posters and/or demos are to be a maximum of 3 pages only (including abstract and references).

Poster/Demo Proposal Template

 

Key Dates

Submission Deadline: 20th October 2024 at 5pm (AEDT)

Notification of Acceptance: 30th October 2024

Conference Dates: 27th – 28th November 2024

 

Submission Instructions

Please submit your proposal via email to [email protected].

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