From Clicks to Clues: A Learning Analytics Approach to Formative Assessment in a Digital Reading Environment

Learning analytics (LA) uses data to understand and optimize learning.This article investigates how data from a digital reading tool, reading packages, can function as both a formative assessment mechanism and a source for learning analytics.An intervention study with elementary school students was conducted to track engagement with digital reading packages.Data on task completion times and interaction with feedback functions (e.g., "skip," "second attempt") were collected and analyzed.Initial findings revealed that a 'skip' button, intended to reduce frustration, was potentially encouraging students to avoid challenging content.Based on this diagnostic analysis, a clear prescriptive action was identified: modifying the platform by removing the skip button.This study demonstrates a practical LA cycle where student interaction data is used for diagnostic purposes to inform evidence-based platform refinement.It illustrates how a data-driven feedback loop can be created to guide improvements aimed at enhancing the efficacy of the learning tool itself.