curriculum-analytics
Filtering by topic curriculum-analytics(3)Clear all filters
- PaperJournal of Learning Analytics30 Mar 2026
Advancing 21st-Century Professional Competencies with Learning Analytics in the Age of Generative AI
Abhinava Barthakur, Olga Viberg, René F. Kizilcec, Ryan S. Baker et al.
This special issue presents five studies exploring how learning analytics and generative AI can bridge the gap between institutional commitment to 21st-century professional competencies and actual workforce readiness. The studies benchmark large language models for curricular alignment, design Socratic-style chatbots for scaffolding self-regulated learning, use psychometric modeling to quantify competencies, and address governance of curriculum analytics. The collection advocates for process-sensitive assessments that capture dynamic learner capability over static metrics.
Original abstract
The rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and accelerated globalization have necessitated a fundamental recalibration of higher education to prioritize domain-agnostic, 21st-century professional competencies. While institutional commitment to these skills is high, their systematic integration into the curriculum and evaluation remains fragmented, highlighting a critical gap between traditional academic success metrics and demonstrated workforce readiness. This special issue presents five complementary studies that investigate how the intersection of learning analytics (LA) and GenAI can bridge the gap between institutional rhetoric and demonstrated professional readiness. The contributions collectively advance a research agenda across four dimensions: 1) benchmarking large language models (LLMs) for curricular-competency alignment using reasoning-based prompting, 2) the iterative design of Socratic-style GenAI chatbots to scaffold self-regulated learning, 3) the application of psychometric modelling and Latent Profile Analysis to quantify 21st-century professional competencies, and 4) institutional governance and adoption of curriculum analytics. Collectively, these studies advocate for an epistemological shift toward process-sensitive assessments that move beyond static, episodic indicators toward dynamic, longitudinal representations of learner capability. We conclude by outlining the sociotechnical infrastructure, including robust governance and interdisciplinary collaboration, required to responsibly transition these AI-driven innovations from research prototypes to sustainable enterprise infrastructure, ensuring that analytics serve the evolving needs of students, educators, and professional bodies.
- PaperJournal of Learning Analytics15 Mar 2026
Assessing Patterns of Students’ Attainment of Professional Standards in Higher Education
Abhinava Barthakur, Jelena Jovanović, Ryan Baker, Vitomir Kovanović et al.
This study introduces a curriculum analytics method that uses psychometric modeling and learning analytics to map assessment grades to professional standards attainment in higher education, specifically tested in a Teacher Education program. The approach offers a scalable, automated way to infer learners' progress toward externally regulated standards without altering existing assessment practices, complementing measures like GPA.
Original abstract
It is widely recognized that higher education (HE) graduates require a broad range of professional skills and abilities to succeed in their future careers. However, despite this acknowledgement, assessment practices in HE remain focused on content-based knowledge. This narrow emphasis limits the capacity to effectively and holistically evaluate a student’s professional competency and readiness for employment. This issue is particularly acute for HE degrees that require graduates to demonstrate attainment of externally regulated professional standards. While the curricula are mapped to professional standards for accreditation purposes, demonstrating a student’s attainment of these standards is not straightforward and has mostly been done through self-reported surveys. This study offers a novel curriculum analytics method for mapping assessment grades to the attainment of professional standards across a Teacher Education program. Specifically, we present an approach that uses psychometric modelling and learning analytics to identify distinct patterns in learners’ acquisition of professional standards. This method does not alter current assessment practices in HE. Instead, the approach offers a scalable, automated means to infer a learner’s attainment of documented professional standards, complementing current measures of academic success, such as GPA. The study underscores the advantages of complementing the current HE assessment practises with an outlined curriculum analytics approach, providing a holistic representation of a student’s learning progress.
- PaperJournal of Learning Analytics15 Mar 2026
Assessing 21st Century Competencies
Mónica Hernández-Campos, Isabel Hilliger, Francisco-José García-Peñalvo
This study examines how curriculum analytics tools support the direct assessment of learning outcomes aligned with 21st-century competencies in higher education. Through a two-case study design involving interviews, cognitive walkthroughs, and document analysis, the researchers found that these tools generate actionable insights that guide faculty toward more authentic and reflective teaching practices. The findings provide empirical evidence for integrating curriculum analytics into continuous improvement processes.
Original abstract
The growing emphasis on competency-based education (CBE) has heightened the need for clearly defined metrics and robust assessment frameworks to evaluate 21st-century competencies. Curriculum analytics (CA) provides a promising avenue for assessing learning outcomes (LOs) and informing continuous improvement in higher education. However, challenges persist in differentiating academic performance from actual LO development and in translating assessment data into meaningful program-level actions. This study examines how CA tools support the direct assessment of LOs and contribute to continuous improvement processes in higher education. Using a two-case study design, we analyzed CA implementation in two universities through interviews, cognitive walkthroughs, and institutional document analysis. Data triangulation identified 18 themes, nine of which reached full consensus among the three researchers. Findings indicate that CA tools effectively support the assessment of LOs aligned with 21st-century competencies by generating actionable insights that guide faculty toward more authentic and reflective teaching practices. The study contributes to the LA field by providing empirical evidence of how CA tools can bridge assessment and pedagogical improvement, offering both theoretical and practical implications for researchers and practitioners.