To use learning analytics, we collect, measure, analyze, and report on data about learners and their situations to help improve both learning itself and the places where it happens. It’s relying on data to enhance the learning process.
Thanks to online learning and cloud-based LMSes, both institutions and EdTech businesses now gather a greater volume of student data than ever. The information is used by skills for instructional designers to -
- Adjust learning tasks to each learner
- Forecast who might drop out and prevent it from happening.
- Improve how topics and materials are taught.
"The global EdTech market is expected to reach over $700 billion by 2033, with analytics-driven learning and data-driven personalization playing a major role in this growth."
- As per the findings of IMARC, Globe Newswire, and market.us.
Where Learning Analytics Fits in EdTech Roles
People working in EdTech are learning to use learning analytics in more than just back-end roles now. If you work with curriculum, online platforms, research, or build educational products, interpreting data is now required.
Instructional Designers
More and more, instructional designers base course effectiveness evaluations on data. Thanks to the skills needed for EdTech jobs, instructors know which lecture sections are worthwhile, where students struggle, and what they can do to help learners remember more. Designers plan better learning paths by looking at insights from learning dashboards and LMS reports.
LMS & Product Managers
Managers of LMS and EdTech products rely on analytics to decide which features to add, how to improve the user experience, and how the platform will expand. Examining student interactions, course time spent, and seen versus used features allows LMS teams to select updates that may help students succeed more. Using skills needed for EdTech jobs, new approaches and methods for evaluating the fit of online education products can be developed.
Academic Researchers and Educators
In both higher education and K–12 schools, teachers and researchers count on learning analytics to learn how students learn, measure the effectiveness of teaching, and aid in student support. The information from class data shows what is needed to guide or direct work in either the classroom or in research. It also helps create new policies and ideas for teaching.
EdTech Startup Analysts
People in an analyst role in an EdTech startup tend to align their efforts with members of the marketing, content, and engineering teams. Thanks to learning analytics, these analysts can watch how learners engage, find challenges in the learning process, and improve all aspects of the application, including course designs and notifications. For new startups, analytics isn’t something optional - it helps them grow.
Tip - If you're already in education or tech, learning analytics is a natural next step to grow your impact.
Skills You Need to Master Learning Analytics
Being successful in data in education requires you to have both technical, educational, and analytical abilities. As a result, professionals can use data from education to take actions that improve how and what students learn.
Data Literacy
Data literacy is central to everything in data-driven education. You are expected to understand the basics of statistics like averages, distributions, correlations, and significance testing. We should not overlook being able to present our findings in charts, dashboards, and reports. Excel, Google Sheets, and visualization systems are used to describe the behavior and success of learners.
Learning Management Systems
Being familiar with LMS platforms is necessary because they are the main place where learning data is kept. Knowing how to move through, pull information from, and manage analytics apps inside Moodle, Canvas, or Blackboard improves your ability to assess and build strong educational environments.
Python/R for Educational Data
Even though it’s not necessary, learning Python or R allows you to explore more advanced analytics. Run unique queries, secure regular reports, and develop models predicting potential issues in students or program content.
Educational Theory & Pedagogy Basics
Using data in education helps students learn and not just obtain data. Having a strong understanding of pedagogy allows your lessons to be meaningful. Looking at the ways people learn, what encourages them, and how teaching strategies change outcomes helps you understand educational data.
Tools: Tableau, Power BI, xAPI, SCORM
Industry tools make it simple to collect, review, and show educational data. Creating interactive dashboards is possible with Tableau and Power BI. With xAPI and SCORM, it’s possible to keep a close eye on learner interactions with different kinds of content and learning materials.
Best Online Courses to Learn Learning Analytics & EdTech Data Skills
Only selected courses can help you quickly build your skills in the world of educational data analytics courses. People from any background can use these highly rated online programs to learn theoretical knowledge and important data skills. These are some of the top courses that will help you begin -
Learning Analytics Fundamentals – edX
Delft University of Technology and the University of Texas, Arlington both provide this course, which covers the main ideas, techniques, and ethics of learning analytics. You will find out how to gather data and review its insights to improve the learning results and examine true case studies as examples.
Analytics in Course Design – Coursera
Developed for both teachers and instructional designers, the course teaches how to use analytics to make courses more interesting and useful. You can learn how to read engagement numbers, use data in your designs, and put strategies into action that help improve learner success.
Data Science for Education - Compilation
The list provides top data science courses for those involved in education. Guiding educators, administrators, and analysts, it teaches data skills that can be used in the educational environment.
Instructional Design and Technology – Coursera
The program merges teaching strategies with knowledge of technology. The guide looks at ways to apply technology to education and also explains how data can be used for instructional design. This course helps teachers entering the EdTech field or those creating learning experiences with clear results.
Excel to MySQL: Analytics for Business – Coursera
Even if you aren’t in education, this course will give you strong data analytics skills and introduce you to Excel, SQL, and Tableau. It is ideal for those beginning to learn how to gather, tidy up, and study data - which are EdTech career skills.
Want to get into the most overlooked EdTech career path? Explore top-rated Learning Analytics courses on Class Bazaar
Career Paths and Salaries in Learning Analytics
Because educational institutions and EdTech businesses are basing their choices more on data, educational technology is becoming a popular field with many roles and high potential for earning. If you are transitioning from education, data science, or product management, you have many areas to explore in your career.
- Instructional Data Analyst: $60K–90K
It connects the work of instructional design with the study of data. Instructional data analysts join forces with course developers and faculty to assess how students learn from LMS information and user activity. They find out what learning issues exist, resolve them, and make adjustments to what is being taught to help students succeed.
- Learning Consultant: $70K–100K
We frequently work together with schools and corporate teams to introduce new strategies supported by data. They examine training courses, create interventions, and suggest technologies using information from learner results. If you are a professional who values strategic planning and educational results, this is the best choice.
- Academic Researcher (EdTech): Variable
Experts in EdTech-connected positions examine how information is used and shared through technology. Most of their studies are funded by grants and explore big ideas in teaching, digital methods, and student actions. Even though salaries for this role are broadly dependent on the situation, its importance lies in how it drives changes in education.
- Product Analyst in EdTech SaaS companies
Product analysts in EdTech startups and SaaS companies rely on data to guide design, the addition of features, and user experience. They watch user activities, detect slow spots in learning platforms, and partner with engineers and designers to produce products based on data. A great environment for professionals who love technology and are dedicated to achieving better learning results.
Who's Hiring?
- EdTech companies (Coursera, Byju’s, Khan Academy) - Companies and organizations in many fields are increasingly needing predictive analytics in education experts. Firms such as Coursera, Byju’s, Khan Academy, and Udemy are putting a lot of effort into using data and interacting with learners.
- Universities & schools with LMS platforms - With more digital resources available at universities and schools, experts in analytics are now needed to make the best use of LMS information.
- Government digital learning initiatives - Worldwide, government efforts to use technology in learning depend on analytics to build up skills for all, which is attracting more educators to public schools and international agencies.
Case Study: How Learning Analytics Is Shaping Modern Classrooms
Learning analytics is already at work in today’s classrooms, from primary to higher education and to large online institutions.
- GSU used online learning trends to help bring down the number of student dropouts. By tracking over 800 potential risk factors affecting students at GSU, such as their attendance, grades, and financial aid situations, the university found at-risk students and took early action to help them. That approach led the university to raise its graduation rate by over twenty percentage points in the last ten years.
"We don’t just wait for students to show up. We are looking at analytics to lead us to the right approach," is Tim Renick's strategy from the National Institute for Student Success at GSU.
- Educators are using learning dashboards in K–12 schools to keep an eye on student behavior, attendance, and learning progress right away. With the help of dashboards, teachers are able to find students who need assistance, change the way lessons are delivered, and increase communication with parents. In particular, using platforms like PowerSchool and BrightBytes leads to greater participation and fewer absences, districts have noticed.
- edX and Coursera’s Massive Open Online Courses make use of predictive analytics to increase how many of courses completed. After reviewing data on user actions, assignments completed, and forum discussions, the platforms can point out learners who are not paying attention and prompt them with valuable content. Using Stanford and MIT data, it has been found that these approaches help many struggling students complete their classes.
Final Thoughts: Why You Shouldn’t Ignore This Skill in 2025
At the time, learning analytics serves to uniquely link technologies, educational approaches, and what matters to society. Since data is shaping learning in the future, those who can understand and work with educational insights will be needed more than ever. Educational data analytics courses are an appealing opportunity for teachers, data specialists, or career changers who wish to add more purpose to their work and plan for the future.
Despite the demand for EdTech, this ability is surprisingly rarely put to use. Investing in personalized learning now will give anyone an edge over others in leading curriculum creation, innovation, and student retention. If you want to get serious in EdTech, you should not overlook EdTech career skills - make it your top priority going forward. Explore Learning Analytics and EdTech Courses on Class Bazaar!