Online learning systems, however, store vast amounts of social and academic data about students. This is in contrast to the rapid development of the Internet and correspondent innovation, which has made online education more and more popular. Detailed guidance on how to properly evaluate and apply the data to improve the quality of online learning has emerged as a crucial concern. The topic of big data in education (BDE) ought to have provided a critical explanation of educational data mining (EDM), which is a practical method of implementing BDE. As a result, EDM is a significant area of interest for academic research in EDM. The study begins by outlining the fundamental concepts of BDE, EDM, and online learning platforms. It then goes on to describe exactly data mining in education works to turn raw data into knowledge. Lastly, the main data mining methods are described based on their applications and include examples from the online education sector. The study can provide some direction for the analysis and application of data mining for education that is reliant on online learning.