On campuses today almost every educational interaction leaves digital traces. Assignments and feedback are given through online portals; debates and discussions happen via learning management systems as well as in classrooms, cafes, and dorm rooms. Those and other digital crumbs allows universities to examine the processes, practices, and goals of higher education in ways that were largely impossible a decade or so ago. Tim McKay, a professor of physics, astronomy and education argues that higher ed needs to “break down the perceived divide between research and practice.” McKay, who also heads Michigan’s Digital Innovation Greenhouse, is featured in an in-depth interview about how learning analytics work in higher ed and can improve learning outcomes.
