Fostering an impactful field of learning analytics

Over 2019, the breadth of articles published in the Journal of Learning Analytics reflects the diversity of contributions to the field, including quantitative, qualitative, and design-based studies and contributions through the different submission types (Research, Practical, Data and Tools, and Book Review). This year, we have also published two special sections. The first is a set of empirical papers related to the emerging area of human-centred learning analytics (HCLA). In this section, five sets of authors each address the core challenge of how to design and implement learning analytics in ways that are people-centric rather than technology-centric to achieve impact in the field. The second is a new format for the journal, an invited dialogue around a critical community issue. In this section, Neil Selwyn asks the intentionally provocative question, “What’s the problem with learning analytics?,” which is engaged with by four respondents from the community, representing a variety of perspectives. Both of these special sections tackle, in their own way, a central issue for the learning analytics community: how we ensure that the work we do has a positive impact in the world.