Ontology-Based Learning Analytics Framework for Students’ Digital Competencies Discovery

Uncovering students’ digital competencies is crucial for cultivating future-ready talent, aligning education with evolving workforce needs, and promoting equity. Despite various frameworks designed for this purpose, a notable gap exists in effectively assessing these competencies, hindering a comprehensive understanding that can significantly influence the discovery process. Learning analytics (LA) plays a pivotal role in enhancing the discovery process by interpreting educational data, offering insights into student interactions with digital content, and addressing gaps in digital competency assessment. While many LA frameworks provide information on metrics associated with digital competency, only a few grasp the fundamentals of this intricate concept. Previous works often assume digital competency is solely represented by performance, overlooking its broader scope, which encompasses various elements. The evolving definition of “digital competency” due to technological advancements poses challenges in creating a universally applicable paradigm, given its context-dependent nature. The dynamic and diverse nature of digital competency requires a strategic approach that considers knowledge, skills, attitudes, and adaptability for accurate assessment. To tackle this challenge, this research aims to assess students’ digital competencies, examining their influence on learning outcomes and improving existing frameworks for discovery. There is a pressing need to identify a unique collection of digital competencies, considering the dynamic interplay of factors within the educational system, such as curriculum relevance, teaching methodologies, and pedagogical approaches. To overcome this challenge, constructing an ontology-based framework becomes essential for systematically capturing and defining the intricate components of digital competency, ensuring a more comprehensive understanding. This research endeavors to establish a new framework, providing an ontology-based learning analytics approach that enhances understanding and adaptability assessment in various contexts. Additionally, this research contributes to equipping future-ready talent with essential digital competencies.