What types of data are used in learning analytics? An overview of six cases

The rapid development of learning analytics makes it difficult for the readership of research literature to gain a structured overview over the different types of data available and subject to the application of learning analytics techniques or methods. This special issue reunites six examples of application of different learning analytics approaches using various data types, aiming to achieve different goals, and employing different instruments and methods: eye tracking, automated online dialog analysis, survey data from school ecosystems, log data analysis at individual and collaborative level, and visual learning analytics applied to Internet-of-Things data. These case studies are provided in the framework of the observed process–data–transformation–analysis–output pattern of practices. Brief conclusions pertaining to advantages, limitations and future work are drawn. •Actual learning analytics developments call for an overview over data types.•The special issue reunites six examples of learning analytics approaches.•A pattern of practices framework is proposed and discussed.