Hi again!

Today, I want to share what I’ve been working on as part of my PhD training. Specifically, I’ll be explaining my dissertation topic. There’s a reason for writing this post. For one, my experiences throughout my training so far have taught me a valuable lesson about learning: the best way to learn something new or reinforce existing knowledge is by teaching it to someone else. Since my audience is the readers of this blog, I believe that sharing my thoughts here is a great way to put this into practice. 🙂

So, what have I been doing recently for my study? What kind of research am I conducting?

Before I dive into the details, let me clarify something. I’m a researcher in educational science, and I strive to be a unique researcher. That means I always look for ways to conduct studies that bring new approaches to the field. For me, science—especially social science—would be incomplete without data. Therefore, I include data in my research, as any scientific work should. However, what sets my research apart is the use of digital data, which can be collected from the platforms we use and leave behind traces of our activities.

I believe that measuring our capabilities unobtrusively through digital data can provide deeper insights into our behaviors, skills, and tendencies. This goes beyond what we explicitly say or report. You might have experienced something like this: when you search for something temporarily interesting online, only to see ads related to it days later. It feels as though someone is observing you, doesn’t it? This is a fascinating aspect of our journey on the web. Web services learn about us based on our previous actions, predicting when we might be ready to buy something we’ve searched for or even suggesting products we didn’t realize we were interested in. This is the essence of data-based analytics.

Now, consider that I’m applying similar principles to measure students' capabilities in virtual classrooms. By analyzing data such as the average time spent on tasks, the number of clicks on resources, contributions to discussion forums, connections with others, profile views, messages sent, and more, we can gain insights into a student’s current status. By clustering students based on their performance across these criteria, I can provide personalized support tailored to each individual. This opens up a path for offering a more equitable and fair training journey for everyone.

Let me ask you something: Do you think this approach is stronger than traditional methods of measurement? For example, asking how many times you study each day or how often you reach out to a colleague when facing challenges? I’m on the side of using digital data to gain insights that go beyond what we know about ourselves.

Now, consider the potential opportunities. By using these approaches to understand and support individual tendencies, we can unlock new ways to enhance learning and personal growth. This is an exciting direction as we continue to explore the positive impact of digital data in education.

I’ll leave you with that thought. Until next time!

Best,
Mutluhan

11/12/24