Learning analytics-driven reflexivity in learning design: A case for the community of inquiry

Abstract

The integration of digital technologies in higher education is transforming learning design and requires approaches that equip students with 21st-century skills, such as digital literacy, adaptability, and reflexivity. Learning analytics, which involves the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of student data to optimise student-centred learning environments, yet its role in informing learning design remains underexplored. This qualitative multiple-case study investigates how learning designers at three  South African higher education institutions use learning analytics to inform decision-making when creating student-centred experiences. Guided by the community of inquiry framework, which emphasises the interplay of cognitive, social, and teaching presences, six learning designers participated in video-stimulated recall interviews and reflexive thematic analysis was applied. The findings revealed that cognitive presence was enhanced through identifying at-risk students and engagement patterns, social presence was fostered by integrating student feedback and multidisciplinary expertise, and teaching presence emerged through iterative, data-driven refinements. These findings underscore how data-driven reflexivity can reinforce inclusive, contextually responsive learning design and provide insights into navigating digital transformation in global and South African higher education.