Paradata (learning resource analytics)

Paradata (Learning Resource Analytics) is

This article is about contextualized usage data for digital learning resources. For information regarding data about the process by which the survey data have been collected see Paradata.

In 2010, the term paradata was adopted by the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) [1] to reference data about user interactions with digital learning objects within the NSDL’s STEM Exchange initiative [2]. The construct has since been adopted by other organizations engaged in digital library and digital learning resource projects including the Learning Registry [3] initiative spearheaded by the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education [4] and the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative at the Department of Defense [5].

Definitions

Paradata may be operationalized as a specific type of metadata, however the original construct as implemented by NSDL differs from the traditional descriptive metadata that elaborates upon the authorship and properties of the learning resource itself, and instead involves the capture—and open resharing—of in situ information about online users’ actions related to the resource [6]. Learning resource paradata is generated through user processes of searching for content, identifying interest for subsequent use, and integrating content into educational practices. Paradata may include individual or aggregate user interactions such as viewing, downloading, sharing to other users, favoriting, or embedding reusable content into derivative works. Paradata may be expressed in realtime data streaming as user actions occur, or as episodic reporting of user activities over a range of time [7].

=== Technical Frameworks for Sharing Learning Resource Paradata

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In February 2011, NSDL released an open source XML paradata framework versioned as NSDL comm_para1.0 [8], the structure of which parallels similar schemas for metadata so that it can interoperable with Dublin Core based schemas including nsdl-dc [9].

In October, 2011 the Learning Registry development team released its Paradata Specification V1.0 [10] that details the schemata of JSON objects for representing learning resource paradata.

External links

• Why Connected Online Communities Will Drive the Future of Digital Content: An Introduction to Learning Resource Paradata

• Modeling Paradata and Assertions as Activities V2.0.1

• Learning Registry Paradata Issue Brief