Learning analytics dashboard design: Workplace learner preferences for reference frames in immersive training in practice

Background: Learning analytics dashboards are increasingly being used to communicate feedback to learners. However, little is known about learner preferences for dashboard designs and how they differ depending on the self-regulated learning (SRL) phases the dashboards are presented (i.e., forethought, performance, and self-reflection phases) and SRL skills. Insight into design preferences for dashboards with different reference frames (i.e., progress, social, internal achievement and external achievement) is important because the effectiveness of feedback can depend upon how a learner perceives it. Objective: This study examines workplace learner preferences for four dashboard designs for each SRL phase and how SRL skills relate to these preferences. Methods: Seventy participants enrolled in a chemical process apprenticeship program took part in the study. Preferences were determined using a method of adaptive comparative judgement and SRL skills were measured using a questionnaire. Preferences were tested on four dashboard designs informed by social and temporal comparison theory and goal setting theory. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine the relationship between dashboard preferences and SRL. Results and Conclusions: Results show that the progress reference frame is more preferred before and after task performance, and the social reference frame is less preferred before and after task performance. It was found that the higher the SRL skill score the higher the probability a learner preferred the progress reference frame compared to having no preference before task performance. The results are consistent with other findings, which suggest caution when using social comparison in designing dashboards which provide feedback.