Linguistics

Teaching method

Mathematics education

Process (computing)

Philosophy

Analytics

Neuroscience

Cognition

Software development process

Operating system

Scalability

Computer science

TRACE (psycholinguistics)

Open learning

Educational technology

Software

Software analytics

Database

Psychology

Cooperative learning

Learning analytics

Data science

Metacognition

Programming language

Software development

Human–computer interaction

Self-regulated learning

Journal of Learning Analytics

Data used in learning analytics rarely provide strong and clear signals about how learners process content. As a result, learning as a process is not clearly described for learners or for learning scientists. Gašević, Dawson, and Siemens (2015) urged data be sought that more straightforwardly describe processes in terms of events within learning episodes. They recommended building on Winne’s (1982) characterization of traces — ambient data gathered as learners study that more clearly represent which operations learners apply to which information — and his COPES model of a learning event — conditions, operations, products, evaluations, standards (Winne, 1997). We designed and describe an open source, open access, scalable software system called nStudy that responds to their challenge. nStudy gathers data that trace cognition, metacognition, and motivation as processes that are operationally captured as learners operate on information using nStudy’s tools. nStudy can be configured to support learners’ evolving self-regulated learning, a process akin to personally focused, self-directed learning science.

nStudy: Software for Learning Analytics about Processes for Self-Regulated Learning