Data analytics related to student engagement in online course displayed on laptop screen. Orange mug sitting beside laptop screen.
Evaluating LEARN Tools - Performance+

Evaluating LEARN Tools - Performance+

Project Goals/Deliverables

Evaluate the efficacy of Performance+ to determine how it can be used to better support UW students in their learning.

Engage in consultation with UW community to address current and future uses of learner data that could be supported with Performance+.

Determine whether Performance+ should be licensed long-term at the University of Waterloo.

Project Team

Pam Fluttert, Director (Instructional Technology and Media Services)

Scott Anderson, Supervisor, Learning Environment (Instructional Technology and Media Services)

Project Summary

The University of Waterloo is currently developing initiatives to improve LEARN (D2L's Brightspace), our learning management system (LMS), based on feedback received in the LMS Review. The version of LEARN that we use at UW has many pedagogical features that are used frequently by instructors and to great effect. There are, however, additional features available that we have not yet licensed, nor have we investigated their potential efficacy for our institution. Performance+ provides tools and dashboards that unlock insights into course and learner data and effectiveness.

Throughout this pilot, we will be seeking individuals who are either actively engaged in using similar tools already, or individuals whose role supports instructors using LEARN to accomplish similar goals. Please watch for opportunities to participate or contact Pam Fluttert (fluttert@uwaterloo.ca) if interested.

What is Performance+?

Performance+ is an embedded analytical tool in the LEARN system that provides instructors insights into course and student learning analytics. Performance+ comprises of a variety of tools and dashboards that course instructors can use to gain insight into learner data, effectiveness, and key performance indicators. These analytics can be used to inform teaching and learning decisions within a class, department, program, and faculty. 

Key features include:

  • Adoption Dashboard: Provides a comprehensive understanding of course usage with visualization of login trends, course access, tool usage, and enrollments. 
  • Engagement Dashboard: Identifies success and at-risk students and groups through visualizations related to course access, assignment completions, and content engagement.
  • Learner Engagement Dashboard: Provides instructors with metrics regarding individual learner engagement across the course.
  • Assessment Quality Dashboard: Evaluates assessment quality with quiz and question statistics, including reliability and average grade. 
  • In-course Reporting Tools: Enables instructors to see a course overview related to class engagement through visual tools. 
  • Insights Report Builder: Instructors can create custom visualizations, reports, and alerts using course data for their course needs. 
  • Student Success System: Provides instructors with predictive analytics to identify at-risk students and provides actionable insights.

To learn more about Performance+, watch a demo of the tool by D2L from September 14, 2023. 

Project Timeline

  1. 2023
    1. Aug
      1. Beta project approved for Teaching Innovation Incubator

      2. Recruitment of faculty and staff to test Performance+ (first phase)

    2. Oct
      1. Initial testing of Performance+ wraps up

      2. ITMS signs 5-year agreement with D2L with Performance+ feature

    3. Nov
      1. Feedback on Performance + collected, summarized, and shared with EdTech Advisory team

    4. Dec
      1. Received budget approval to do thorough pilot of Performance+

  2. 2024
    1. Jan
      1. ITMS reviews Performance+ functionality before winter 2024 pilot begins

Project Updates

Project Artifacts

Project details
Status:
Topics:
Project time line
August 1, 2023 to September 1, 2025
Project members
Pam Fluttert
Scott Anderson