Leveraging the Integrated Development Environment for Learning Analytics

In recent years, learning process data have become increasingly easy to collect through computer-based learning environments. This has led to increased interest in the field of learning analytics, which is concerned with leveraging learning process data in order to better understand, and ultimately to improve, teaching and learning. In computing education, a logical place to collect learning process data is through integrated programming environments (IDEs), where computing students typically spend large amounts of time working on programming assignments. The possibility of using IDEs both to collect learning process data and to strategically intervene in the learning process suggests an exciting design space for computing education research: that of IDE-based learning analytics. In order to facilitate the systematic exploration of this design space, we present an IDE-based data analytics process model with five primary activities: (1) Operationalize Behaviors, (2) Collect data, (3) Analyze data, (4) Design intervention, and (5) Deliver intervention. For each activity, we identify key design dimensions, and review relevant computing education literature. We conclude by discussing future directions of IDE-based learning analytics.