Webinars, Conversations & Assistance
The MS in Educational Psychology – Learning Analytics program is proud to present a series of webinars to engage meaningful discussions in the learning analytics community. In addition to program overview webinars, topics also include areas such as career outlook, innovation, and equity. We bring in industry experts and program faculty to present a variety of perspectives on the learning analytics field. We hope you join us!
Note: All webinars are hosted on Zoom and registrants will be sent an email confirmation containing information and links to join the session. Click the buttons below to register.
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Drop-In Office Hours
Program director Julia Rutledge hosts weekly office hours for prospective students. Feel free to stop by get questions answered about:
Curriculum design * Online modality * Instructional team * Time commitment * Job prospects… and more!
2023-2024 Webinar Schedule
Improving Learning Outcomes Beyond the Classroom
Thursday, July 27th at 12pm CST
With Emma Nickerson, MS (middle school language arts) and Jen Schenten (middle school math)
Are you a K-12 teacher looking to use data to impact your classroom, school, and district? Are you curious how you can wrangle the numbers to help improve student success? Join two K-12 teachers (one current student and one alumna from the Learning Analytics program) as they share how they’ve worked with their classroom data to influence decision-making and improve learning outcomes.
Program & Scholarship Overview
Wednesday, September 27th at 5pm CST
With program director Julia Rutledge, PhD and enrollment coach Pat Walsh, MS
Considering a master’s degree so you can make an impact on education? Join us for an informational webinar to learn more about our online part-time program’s design, curriculum, and career outlook, as well as scholarship opportunities.
For EdPsych 301 Current Students and Alumni
Wednesday, October 18th at 5pm CST
With program director and EdPsych 301 & 501 instructor Julia Rutledge, PhD
Did you enjoy taking EdPsych 301 at UW-Madison? Did you know that 301 serves as a substitute transfer credit for the first course in the Learning Analytics program, EdPsych 501? Join us to learn more about how elements of EdPsych 301 relate to the learning analytics field, and how undergraduates who took EdPsych 301 have matriculated into the Learning Analytics program. This information session is for EdPsych 301 students only.
Current Student Showcase
Thursday, October 26th at 5pm CST
With current 2nd year students in the Learning Analytics program
Everyone has a different reason for going to graduate school, and in a diverse field like learning analytics, there are a variety of career options to pursue. Meet current Learning Analytics students and learn about:
- Why did they decide to go back to school?
- How do they manage work and school?
- Future plans upon graduation?
Modeling Learning in the Age of Chat GPT
in partnership with the Society for Learning Analytics Research
Wednesday, November 8th at 12pm CST
With David Williamson Shaffer, PhD
ChatGPT is the new (and most well-known) AI tool that can whip up an essay, a poem, a bit of advertising copy—and a steady boil of hype and worry about what this will mean for education in the future. This talk looks at what ChatGPT and AI models are really doing, what that means for the future of education — and how we can model, study, and assess learning in the world that ChatGPT is helping us create. Join us for a Feature Webinar, in partnership with the Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR) as faculty director David Williamson Shaffer discusses implications and potential use for harnessing ChatGPT.
Application Assistance
Wednesday, November 29th at 5pm CST
With enrollment coach Pat Walsh
Working on your program application? Concerned about which type of references to request, or what should be included in your Statement of Purpose? Join MS in Educational Psychology — Learning Analytics program staff and learn strategies to make your application stand out.
Learning Analytics for Instructional Designers
Thursday, January 25th at 12pm CST
With Maria Widmer, MS
As more content moves online, so has the role of instructional designers in a variety of fields. Maria Widmer, the online instructional strategist for the Learning Analytics program and course developer for EdPsych 575: Instructional Design for Learning Analytics will discuss a selection of LA platforms and dashboards, and how to structure in analytical tools into the instructional design process (both proactively and retroactively).
Using Data to Bridge Research and Practice in Early Childhood Education
Tuesday, February 20th at 5pm CST
With current Committed Scholars Program recipients and their selected guests
How do early childhood educators and researchers use data in their practice? How can learning analytics help to build a more equitable and ethical early childhood education landscape? Join us as Sarah Short PhD, faculty member in the Department of Educational Psychology at UW-Madison who studies the impact of poverty on early child brain and behavioral development, and Anney Tripp ED, executive director at Tenney Nursery and Parent Center share observations from their fields, discuss how each use data to inform their goals and practices, and talk about their unique relationship as parent/researcher and teacher/practitioner.
Alumni Panel: Where are they now?
Thursday, March 21st at 12pm CST
With our program’s 2023 graduates
Each student has a different career goal as they enter our program, and there are a variety of tracks our graduates can take. Learn about how a selection of alumni have leveraged their program experience to pivot or promote themselves in their careers.
Committed Scholars Program App Assistance
Wednesday, April 10th at 5pm CST
With enrollment coach Pat Walsh and program director Julia Rutledge
Are you considering applying for the Committed Scholars Program? This scholarship provides 2 annual $6,000 stipends, or 40% of the total program cost. The selection committee is looking for applicants with a proven record of working towards educational equity, and wants to hear from you how you plan to use this degree towards future action. Learn more about what to include in your application essay, and how you can make your passion in this area stand out. The CSP application is due with the program application by May 1, 2024.
Webinar Library
Below are recordings of our highly attended webinars. These webinars were recorded 2020-2023 and highlight our program’s teaching team’s breadth of expertise; career journeys, and general program information. Peruse at your leisure!
Student Showcase
Meet current year students and learn about why they returned to school, work-life-school balance, and future plans after graduation
Career in Focus: Learning Analytics Architect
Learning Analytics Center for Excellence director Kim Arnold discusses the qualities her team looks for in job candidates
Women in Analytics
Female professionals discuss their journeys, challenges, and successes in the learning analytics field
Impact in the Field
Faculty Director on the evolution and impact of the field, and initiating the program
Program Overview
Program Director on program details, logistics, expectations, scholarship, and application materials
Learning Analytics & QE
The author of Quantitative Ethnography discusses the intersection of learning analytics and quantitative ethnography
Faculty Focus
UW learning designer on crafting online curriculum that embodies best practices in online instructional design
Research in Practice
Director of Impact at Education Analytics on finding a career in learning analytics research
App Assistance
Enrollment Coach on tips, tricks, advice, and best practices when writing your application
HAVE A TOPIC YOU’D LIKE TO SEE HERE?
Email program director Julia Rutledge with your suggestions. We are always seeking out new ideas and topics to present to the public.
Using Data to Drive JEDI
Rich Halverson, Percival Matthews & Tammi Summers
Examining the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion practices pipeline between high school, technical college & 4-year universities
Career Path: Academia, Industry, & Nonprofit
Learn about her career path through academia, consulting, and her current role at a nonprofit EdTech organization
Health, Education, Equity, and Data Analytics
4 experts examine how analytics are at the intersection of health and education
Analytics for Equity
Assistant Professor at Clemson University on how learning analytics can impact equity
Committed Scholars Program
Learn about the program’s Commitment to Equity initiative and scholarship qualifications
Questions? Chat with Pat, our Enrollment Coach
As an enrollment coach, my role is to answer your questions about the Learning Analytics program and to help you decide if this program is the right fit for you and your career goals. Prospective students often ask me about:
- Eligibility: Am I qualified?
- Workload: What’s the typical weekly time commitment?
- Collaboration: How will I be interacting with the teaching team and other students?
- Application advice: Who should I ask for a reference? How can I improve my resume?
- Etc.
I am here to help you navigate this decision process and welcome you into the Badger family.
So let’s connect! You can email me at pat.walsh@wisc.edu or schedule a meeting with me via Calendly