Leveraging Learning Analytics to Improve the User Experience of Learning Management Systems in Higher Education Institutions

This systematic review examines the application of learning analytics to enhance user experience within Learning Management Systems in higher education institutions. Addressing a salient knowledge gap regarding the optimal integration of learning analytics for diverse learner populations, this study identifies analytical approaches and delineates implementation challenges that contribute to data misinterpretation and underutilisation. Consequently, the absence of a systematic evaluation of analytical methodologies impedes the capacity of higher education institutes to tailor learning processes to individual student needs. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a search was conducted across five academic databases. Studies employing learning analytics within Learning Management Systems environments to improve user experience in higher education institutions were included, while purely theoretical or non-higher education institution studies were excluded, resulting in a final corpus of 41 studies. Methodological rigour was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Checklist. This study revealed diverse learning analytics methodologies and a dual research focus on specific platforms and broader impacts on Learning Management Systems. However, ethical, implementation, generalisability, interpretation, personalisation, and system quality challenges impede effective learning analytics integration for user experience improvement, demanding rigorous and contextually aware strategies. This study's reliance on existing literature introduces potential selection and database biases. As such, future research should prioritise empirical validation and cross-institutional studies to address these limitations.