Beyond Usage Data: Why Learner Analytics are the Unsung Hero in Online Learning

Educators have always collected “data” to guide instruction and to garner feedback. Like an iceberg, instructors combine the surface level—attendance, homework, test scores—with what’s below the surface—body language, facial expressions, and eye contact. Together, these data points create a picture of learner engagement and comprehension.

However much of this below-the-surface feedback got lost in the shift to online learning. Many technology providers prioritized surface-level usage analytics—tracking whether students opened materials or clicked on links—over deeper insights, or “learner analytics.” 

To explore this topic further, we sat down for a webinar with Bill Gaudelli, Senior Vice Provost of Innovation at Lehigh University. With decades of experience spanning roles as a high school teacher, an early champion of online learning at the University of Central Florida, and a faculty member at Columbia Teachers College before his tenure at Lehigh, Bill offers a unique perspective on the intersection of analytics, technology, and the future of education.

You can watch the full conversation here - or keep reading for a high-level summary of our conversation with him.  

Learner Analytics Versus Usage Analytics: What’s The Difference?

Not all analytics are created equal. While usage analytics offer a snapshot of platform interactions, learner analytics uncover actionable insights about learners' journeys and successes.

What Are Usage Analytics?
Usage analytics focus on how learners interact with the LMS at a surface level, measuring activity volume and frequency—think page views, session duration, number of logins, clicks, and module completions.

While usage analytics provide helpful operational insights, they lack the depth to reveal meaningful stories about learner progress or outcomes.

What Are Learner Analytics?
Learner analytics delve deeper, examining the quality of the learning experience and its outcomes—mastery of skills, time to completion, assessment scores, participation in collaborative activities, and learner behaviors like note-taking or discussion contributions.

Below The Surface: Diving Into Learner Analytics

Learner analytics have the power to drive results at every level of education, from organizational strategy to individual learner support, and should serve as a decision-making guide. As Bill Gaudelli highlights, “We have intuition, we have hunches, but we also have really good data now that's possible as a result of these engagements and interactions, and we should institutionally rely heavily on that.”

1. Organizational Level: Enhancing Structural Interventions

At the highest level, analytics empower institutions to identify patterns and make strategic decisions that shape the overall learning environment.

For example, data can reveal systemic barriers to learner success, such as underutilized support resources or inequities in participation. Institutions can then design structural interventions to address these challenges—improving accessibility, allocating resources more effectively, or developing new programs that meet emerging learner needs.

Analytics can also help organizations track the long-term impact of these interventions, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and continuous improvement over time. 

2. Course Level: Improving Content and Experiences

On a course-by-course basis, analytics provide actionable insights that help educators refine their teaching methods and materials.

By analyzing engagement metrics, instructors can identify which topics resonate most with students and which may require additional clarification or support. If analytics reveal a significant portion of students struggle with a particular module, educators can redesign the content, offer supplemental resources, adjust the pacing to improve comprehension, or even support students with a different outlook. One of the ways Lehigh addresses challenging content in its mathematics course is by introducing principles of belonging. 

“Introducing concepts of belongingness into the ways in which they teach as well as giving students the kind of tools to think with about the persistence and challenge of learning some of these sophisticated mathematical concepts. They're not going to come easily to learners, and they have to take time and really spend the time and invest in the knowledge construction,” said Bill. 

3. Individual Level: Empowering Learners

At the most granular level, analytics put power directly into the hands of learners, fostering independence and self-directed growth.

Presenting learners with real-time insights—progress, areas of strength, areas for improvement, —empowers them to take ownership of their educational journey. This approach encourages students to develop critical executive function skills, such as goal-setting, decision-making, and self-monitoring.

Bill sees this as a pivotal shift in education.

“Our ability to teach ourselves is where the power comes in. The sweet spot is empowering learners—giving them the information they need to make informed decisions about their next steps, rather than having those steps predetermined. This closes the loop and fundamentally changes how we educate.”

By leveraging analytics at these three levels, educators and institutions can create a more holistic and responsive learning ecosystem. Each level complements the others, forming a continuous feedback loop that drives improvement and fosters a more engaging and impactful educational experience.

Transforming With Learner Analytics

Becoming a data-driven organization doesn’t happen overnight, and can feel overwhelming. Bill’s advice? Start now.

“You have to jump in—you have to experiment, engage, and not be afraid of the possibilities. Align resources and policies with your values and intentions. If you don’t, the change you wish to see won’t happen,” he emphasizes.

About Honor

In the world of online learning, technology providers have largely prioritized usage analytics over learner analytics, losing much of this valuable feedback. 

At Honor, we believe the most effective learning programs combine both and is the driving philosophy behind how we surface analytics within our platform. 

Our platform serves partners across the higher education, nonprofit, and corporate sectors to put human connection at the center of their online learning experience, resulting in increased comprehension, connection, and retention.

Contact us here and a member of the team will be in touch today.