Despite the potential evident in the application of data science in the realm of education, several researchers have pointed out that student behavioural data collected en masse do not overall capture student learning. As new EdTech platforms keep coming up, people have been  using computational analysis techniques from data science and AI. They have been researching learning and teaching, tracking student progress, analysing school or university data, designing assessments and using evidence to improve teaching and learning for a long time.

Acknowledging how this domain is maintaining its growth over the years with applications of technology popping in, Learning and Development Specialist Smruti Sudarshan illustrates the aspects wherein data has proved to be noteworthy in analyzing learner behaviour. Alongside, she is an eLearning Evangelist, who bears the torch of guiding individuals throughout their learning journeys and with her effective methodologies showcases how a teacher or facilitator may progress by adopting customised learning methods, by mining educational data and analysing learner behavior models to make learning as learner-centric as possible.   

Acing the field of L&D, Smruti Sudarshan states the importance of AI in developing effective learning measures that are accountable for the learners overall holistic growth. She says, ÂThe best part of learning analytics as a growing field of research and application is that it leverages the increasing body of data about student behaviour and engagement. This resulting explosion of data has led to many possibilities such as better monitoring of student progress, identification of students Âat riskÂ, new insights into students patterns of behaviour, and real-time intervention in digital environments. All of it has been able to be added into account only after AI-driven approaches have been adopted, setting a benchmark.Â

Being a graduate from IIMB, Smruti has garnered in-depth understanding of HTML5, LMS, L&D, eLearning authoring tools (Storyline, Captivate, Lectora ), the Adobe Suite, front-end web development (HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, and JavaScript), and xAPI. Entering the field of L&D was a choice of her destiny. With success in the field seeping up to her, she gained enough confidence to begin freelancing projects that allowed her to explore her preferred area while also allowing her to achieve financial independence. Smruti has a lot of professional experience before she graduated from the Global Academy of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

Accrediting her expertise in the field, she is the recipient for The Brandon Hall Award for the best certification programme, Excellence in Digital Transformation, was bagged by the 26-year-old L&D Specialist by GTF India. She also made history by becoming the first Indian speaker at the eLearning Success Summit 2.0. She’ll also be one of the first Indians to speak at “The Learning Ideas Conference 2021,” as well as collaborate on numerous podcasts with various Learning Industry Experts.

When she first offered data-driven solutions, the L&D business was quite strict in terms of using data, therefore her success did not appear to be easy. The sector had inflexible procedures such as solely using video-based learning or having a five-day instructor-led course that did little to help people retain what they had learned. She emphasizes that through all these methods, collecting, integrating, and analysing data, learning analytics provides opportunities for further examination of how observations from the laboratory translate to the classroom.

Smruti assisted a Multinational Corporation in developing e-Learning modules for customer service representatives. Following that, she collaborated with US clients to develop a number of learning programmes based on novel learning methodologies. Her most cherished experience was developing courses for personality-disabled employees and workers with an Australian NGO.

Being a thought leader she implemented data-driven methods in notable companies and encourages everyone to be self-directed learners who take advantage of technology. She develops customised solutions so that corporate learners can design their own learning paths. ÂContinuous learning was the influence it had on the organisation.

Sharing her insights on the matter, Smruti says, ÂArtificial Intelligence is redefining the way students learn. A variety of digital classroom tools are changing the teaching dynamics for teachers. In the data-driven classroom, collecting and analyzing a studentÂs work  are part of how schools report and track performance. Digital curriculums are changing the way teachers and the learning process work. Some digital courses use big data predictive analytics to determine what a student is mastering or not mastering which is actually a huge step in the right direction.Â

AI should be used to conduct evaluations in the most accurate and efficient manner possible, as well as to evaluate the results. To begin, educational institutions should try to unlock the value hidden in massive amounts of data. Smruti realizes how drastically data is taking over the education system and fortunately, it is proving to be an effective aspect in determining learnerÂs behavior as well helping to fortify the process along the way.

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed by the participant are solely their current opinions and do not reflect the opinions of the company or respective affiliates or the companies with which the participant are affiliated and may have been previously disseminated by them. The participants opinions are based upon information they consider reliable but neither respective parent company or its affiliates nor the companies with which the participant are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and should not be relied upon as such. The opinions or information expressed are purely personal in nature and does not endorse views of respective parent company or its affiliates.

Continue Reading on The India Saga