Role of Big Data In E-learning

The field of e-learning has changed for the better in an unprecedented way. Latest innovations and improvements in instructional design models, e-learning is getting modified to suit the needs of the hour. 

 

At the same time, we all know that big data, in an unbelievably large magnitude is all around us. If you need something to get an exact idea, here's a figure. IBM’s chief executive, Virginia Rometty estimated that “there will be 5,200 gigabytes of data for every human on the planet by 2020.” 

 

This is enough to show the large volumes of data that surround us. This data is sufficient to make most of the people overwhelmed, whether they are business leaders or educators. As big data is bringing a revolution in other aspects of daily life, e-learning has not been left untouched. 

 

Let's dive deep to understand how big data is leading to endless possibilities for the rapid growth of the e-learning industry.  

 

 

Big Data and E-learning industry

 

When we consider the context of the e-learning industry,  large amounts of data are created by learners while they are taking an e-learning course or training module.

 

For instance, in the case of a training module about company policies, progress, assessment results, and other data that is being produced during the e-learning course is comes under the banner of big data.

 

Data is collected by Learning Management Systems, e-learning Authoring Tool, social media, multimedia, that have been set up by the e-learning professionals.

 

These large chunks of data are analyzed so that e-learning professionals can proactively determine how effectively the learner is acquiring information, at what pace, and the pain points that are manifesting within the e-learning strategy.

 

Benefits of Big Data for e-learning Professionals

 

As explained by the e-learning industry, there are a lot of advantages that big data offers to e-learning professionals, that impact the future of e-learning. Big data has revolutionized the way we used to think of analyzing and assessing e-learning. 

 

Let's take a look at some of the most prominent advantages of big data to offer stakeholders deeply involved with e-learning :

 

1. Offers an in-depth understanding of the learner's pace and needs 

 

With the constant evolution of big data solutions, e-learning professionals are enabled to determine if a reality-based scenario is more efficient than a text-based problem-solving activity.

 

2. Pain-points can be marked out effectively 

 

E-learning professionals are empowered using big data in pointing areas that need to be fine-tuned within the e-learning course or module.

 

For instance, if finishing a particular module requires extra attempts on the part of several learners, this shows the need for improvement so that it can become handier for the learners.

 

3. Provides an in-depth analysis of the most effective e-learning modules and the most shared links 

 

Big data can easily help you to determine the link and material that were the most shared by the learners. Big data has eliminated the need for waiting for long periods of time to receive assessments and feedbacks. 

 

E-learning professionals can easily implement changes and utilize big data to improve their existing strategy for e-learning.

 

4. Big data empowers professionals to predict results and effectiveness

 

Based on the patterns, e-learning professionals can effortlessly predict where learners may struggle or excel. This enables them to develop learner-friendly courses or modules that can enhance the ability of the learner to grasp concepts and topics. 

 

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How Big Data Impacts the Future of e-learning?

 

A multitude of reasons and factors can be attributed to the potential of big data to revolutionize the entire arena of e-learning. The primary reason is the ability of big data to let the e-learning professionals customize the experience offered to the learners. 

 

They can get an effective, engaging, and effective experience after going through the e-learning courses and modules, according to the source;

 

1. Big data offers constructive feedback

 

Big data has another huge advantage to offer e-learning professionals. It gives them the chance to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of the learners as well as the areas where the e-learning course itself needs to be worked upon. 

 

For instance, if learners are unable to see where they fell short while taking the e-learning course, they cannot figure out how to correct the issue moving forward. 

 

2. Big data allows e-learning professionals to design more personalized e-learning courses

 

Big data has helped millions of professionals in knowing the way their learners are retaining information and at what pace, they will be empowered to design customized courses. These courses will be well-structured and suited to the needs and interests of the learners. 

 

These learning modules will have the ability to meet the exact requirements of the individual learners. This will not only offer an enhanced experience but also a quite meaningful and relevant journey for the learners where they would be able to keep track of their progress. 

 

3. Big data allows Targeting effective e-learning strategies and goals

 

Big data helps in getting futuristic insights into the effectiveness and efficiency of e-learning strategies and milestones. For instance, it can be easily figured out which e-learning courses are contributing to skill development and which e-learning modules or elements are not irrelevant. 

 

Resources can easily be developed so that the learners can prepare as they need, helping to fulfill their career aspirations. 

 

4. Big data enables Tracking learner patterns

 

By leveraging big data, e-learning professionals can track the entire learning process from the very beginning to the end. Learners and educators both can see how well they performed on a test and how quickly they finished a module. 

 

This leads to an effective way of pinpointing patterns that can help in learning more about the learning behaviors of the individual learner, but the entire learners’ group as a whole.

 

5. Big data enables you to Expand your understanding of the e-learning process

 

E-learning professionals constantly need to focus on looking at how learners acquire and digest knowledge. Educators can gain an in-depth understanding of the e-learning process and how the learners are responding to the e-learning courses they are delivering to them. 

 

They are empowered to figure out which time of day the students learned most efficiently or which delivery methods allowed them to retain the most significant information. Big data has undoubtedly helped to reduce the theory and practice gap in e-learning. 

 

Upon analyzing the insights offered by big data, educators can add more realistic elements as and when required as this leads to an effective and successful task analysis. 

 

(Read about 7 Applications of Data Science in Education)

 

Ending Note

 

This blog ends here. While ending the blog we can clearly see that embracing big Data helps in structuring the entire e-learning process. It would not be wrong to say that big data has led to a win-win situation for both e-learning professionals and learners.

 

Big data has transformed the level of personalization in e-learning content available to learners. With the help of big data and new technology, educators and professionals can know more about their learners and their behavior patterns than ever before. 

 

This knowledge can be utilized to make courses that are amazingly engaging and meaningful for the target audience. Data-driven e-learning has led to a revolution by bringing personalized and well-strategized courses and training modules to the forefront.