Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Moroccan University Students’ Perceptions and Expectations on Learning Analytics Implementation for Learning Optimization

The development of new technologies in the 21st century has given researchers, instructors, and institutions the opportunity to track and store learners’ data in virtual learning environments. Large quantities of data are stored in learning management systems (e.g., Moodle). Thus, recent studies and researches are interested in collecting and analysing those data for improving the quality of learning. This process is what is known as ‘learning analytics,’ which is an emerging field in education. Learning analytics (LA) helps in studying the patterns of interactions among learners themselves as well as interactions with instructors and course content. It helps also in measuring the degree of learners’ presence in the platform and the frequency of interaction. Such information helps to identify areas of improvement and to enhancing learners’ engagement levels. The current study investigates Moroccan students’ perceptions and expectations with regard to the implementation of learning analytics in higher education and the related privacy issues. It is an emerging field in higher education and little is known about students’ perceptions and expectations, mainly in the Moroccan context. The obtained findings revealed that university students have distinct levels of awareness about the concept of LA. They have a strong desire that it will help them personalize their learning experience as well as supporting their learning journey through feedback and suitable interventions. The findings have also revealed the students’ concern about their data privacy and the necessity for asking for their consent and being transparent about data handling and data accuracy. The findings aim to inform university stakeholders about students’ perspectives which will help tailoring instructional strategies and guiding the development of best practices for the implementation of LA in higher education. Globally, international learners benefit from LA implementation for a full integration within the host universities and for easy intervention when facing challenges. Informing university stakeholders offers numerous insights and the implementation of LA requires stakeholders’ awareness.