ORCID

Abstract

A persistent challenge for the learning analytics community is how to achieve a meaningful impact on educational practice. This paper proposes that Porter’s Value Chain framework provides a useful lens for addressing this challenge. This study developed operational definitions of a Learning Analytics Value Chain and mapped learning analytics research output (3,720 publications) over the last 16 years to its five stages: 1. Concept Development, 2. Prototyping & Efficacy, 3. Evaluation, 4. Dissemination, and 5. Impact & Iteration. SoLAR supported learning analytics venues show heavy concentration in Prototyping & Efficacy (41.5-43.2%) and Evaluation (43.4-53.4%), with minimal Dissemination (0.1-3.8%) and Impact & Iteration (2.8-6.1%) research. Non-SoLAR supported research demonstrates a slightly more balanced distribution, specifically, higher Concept Development (22.5% vs. 0-6.7%) and Dissemination (9.0% vs. 0.1-3.8%) emphasis. These findings suggest that achieving impact has been hampered by insufficient research examining how innovations reach educators. The 470-fold difference between evaluation (46.7%) and dissemination research (0.1%) represents a critical missing piece of the research landscape. The field has developed strong technical capabilities while neglecting implementation science and scaling strategies. Addressing the impact gap requires portfolio re-balancing toward dissemination research, longitudinal studies, and theoretical development rather than continued technical emphasis alone.

Keywords

evaluation, implementation, learning analytics, Value chain

Publication Date

2026-04-26

Event

16th International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge, LAK 2026

Publication Title

16th International Learning Analytics and Knowledge Conference, LAK 2026

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

ISBN

9798400720666

First Page

793

Last Page

801

Deposit Date

2026-09-24

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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