Welcome to the Foundations of Learning Analytics with R Professional Development Course at the AERA 2026 conference. 

This beginner half-day intensive course will provide professional development for graduate students, emerging researchers, and continuing researchers interested in Learning Analytics (LA). LA is a computational research methodology that increases the capacity to understand and improve STEM learning and learning environments through the use of new sources of data and powerful analytical approaches. In this workshop, the level of instruction will be appropriate for those with little or no experience using R, a free and powerful software environment to apply computational analysis techniques (e.g., data visualization, text mining, structure discovery) using a large, real-world STEM educational dataset. This course is an encore of the AERA 2023 PD Course (https://www.aera.net/Events-Meetings/2023-Annual-Meeting/2023-Annual-Meeting-Program-Information/Professional-Development-Courses#6), taught by a sub-cohort of the 2025 Learning Analytics in STEM Education Research (LASER) scholars (https://www.fi.ncsu.edu/projects/laser-institute) and instructors. Funded by the National Science Foundation (ECR:BCSER), one goal of the LASER institute is to provide instructional resources and support learning analytics education. This PD course will be the kick-off event of a series of educational efforts (workshops, tutorials, PD courses) aiming to educate professionals across various disciplines such as STEM education, learning sciences, etc.

Registration: https://www.aera.net/Events-Meetings/AERA-2026-Annual-Meeting/Registration-Housing-and-Travel 

For more information, please contact Yang Shi <yshi26info@gmail.com>