Klik2learn secure funding to evaluate the impact of online learning on students

EdTech, @Klik2learn, has secured a £93k award to evaluate the impact of online learning on students during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Innovate UK, has awarded money to projects that seek to mitigate the health, social, economic, cultural, and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. Klik2learn’s data analytics project includes the development of learning analysis software to support better educational outcomes for students.

Commenting on the project, Ann Attridge, CEO of Klik2learn, said:

“Educators have risen to the challenge of COVID-19 by adopting a range of online learning systems at speed and with limited resources. What is not understood is the impact of various online activities; self-directed, peer-to-peer, tutor-supported, immersive learning, and gamification on young people and their educational outcomes. The funding from UKRI and Innovate UK comes at an important time, allowing us to provide educators with evidence- based research on the effectiveness of different types of online learning.”

While other sectors of the economy such as finance and retail have sophisticated methods of analysing huge amounts of data to improve services, the education sector is behind the curve in applying data analytics to drive better outcomes. The project will analyse learning networks of teachers, resources, and learners in order to recommend effective pedagogical interventions and measure their success.

Working with The Data Lab and City of Glasgow College, Klik2learn will provide educationalists with the analytical insights to understand how learning happens in the digital space and the tools that can lead to improved educational outcomes. Dr Joanna McKenzie, Principal Data Scientist, The Data Lab, said:

“It’s great for The Data Lab to be involved in such innovative and important work. Data science and analytics techniques have enormous potential to support educational outcomes, something that underpins and supports the whole economy. Really getting the most from online learning offers enormous value to learners and teachers at all stages, extending opportunities to people who might otherwise be missed, and the potential of that has never been clearer.”

Dr Ian Campbell, Executive Chair of Innovate UK commented:

“The pandemic is not just a health emergency but one that impacts society and the economy. Klik2learn, along with every initiative Innovate UK has supported through this fund, is an important step forward in driving sustainable economic development.”