An Experimental Study into the Effects of an Advisory Dashboard on Students’ Online and Offline Learning

Learning analytics dashboards can provide students with personalized actionable feedback to enhance students’ learning. Previous studies have shown positive effects of such advisory dashboards on course engagement and self-regulatory activities. To date, no studies have investigated the effects of advisory dashboards on students’ offline learning activities, such as taking and reviewing written notes, while previous research suggests that many students also employ offline learning activities. Using a randomized control trial, the current study investigated the effects of an advisory dashboard on students’ online and offline remediation activities. Before the start of a second-year course, 65 Bachelor of Law students completed a prior knowledge test concerning the topics of a preceding first-year course. The experimental group (n = 30) received their test results and personalized feedback to review particular knowledge clips and quizzes to remediate their prior knowledge. The control group (n = 35) received their test results and a generic, non-personalized remediation advice. A combination of digital trace and questionnaire data measured students’ remediation activities, including the review of knowledge clips, online quizzes, readings and written notes. The findings did not reveal significant effects of the personalized actionable feedback on students’ remediation activities. However, overall students showed a strong preference for offline activities to remediate their prior knowledge. This calls for further studies on students’ offline learning activities in response to personalized actionable feedback.