A study conducted by Karaoglan Yilmaz out of Bartin University in Turkey examined the effect of learning analytics (LA) in an online learning environment on college students’ metacognitive awareness and academic achievement. LA is an instructional technology collecting, measuring, and reporting students’ online learning activities. It is expected to address the problems of negative experiences and the decrease of academic achievement in online learning environments.  Metacognitive awareness refers to students’ awareness and control over their learning. The higher the metacognitive awareness the better students plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning processes.

The research was conducted in a public university in Turkey. During the 14-week study, participants were randomly assigned to experimental (LA, n = 25) and control (non-LA, n = 27) groups. Students in the experimental group received LA results weekly along with related recommendations and guidance feedback while those in the control group did not. At the end of the experimental process, students in both groups received a metacognitive awareness inventory and an academic achievement test.

The results showed that students in the LA group displayed a significant higher level of metacognitive awareness and academic achievement. Findings implied that providing LA with recommendations and guidance feedback had a positive effect on students’ metacognitive awareness and academic achievement.  While the study was small, it does highlight that further research is needed to explore this pattern.

Source: Karaoglan Yilmaz, F. G. (2022). The effect of learning analytics assisted recommendations and guidance feedback on students’ metacognitive awareness and academic achievements. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 34(2), 396–415. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-021-09304-z