Are you looking to make an impact in education using data?
The Master of Science in Educational Psychology – Learning Analytics program at UW–Madison is a fully online and skills-based degree designed for working professionals. Offered through the nation’s No. 1-ranked Department of Educational Psychology, the program is led by world-class faculty who give students the skills and tools to use data to help improve educational outcomes in a range of learning environments.
Participants also collaborate with students in their program cohort and build vital professional relationships.
Following is a Q&A with Kate Brand, a student with the Learning Analytics master’s program (LAMP) who plans to graduate in the spring of 2025. Brand previously earned a BA in psychology and a BS in biology from Miami (Ohio) University.
How did you become interested in pursuing a master’s in this field?
Brand: Throughout my undergraduate studies at Miami, I took a course called Sociocultural Studies in Education as an elective and I quickly became very interested and passionate about the topics we covered in that class. This led me to take other education courses — and combined with my interest in statistics gained from working in a research lab and as part of my psychology degree — this seemed like the right fit for me. I think learning science and theory are very interesting, so learning how to apply those concepts and leverage data in a way that can strengthen and improve our education system was very appealing.
How did you decide that UW-Madison was the right place to pursue this degree?
Brand: The UW–Madison program appealed to me at first because it was online and part-time. I knew that when I was done with my undergraduate studies, I wanted to have the flexibility to pursue the best employment opportunities, so I knew I would be able to do this program while still allowing myself to do that. Then, I met with (LAMP program directory) Julia Rutledge and she was so excited about the program and so welcoming that I knew this was the place for me.
What has been your most meaningful experience with the Learning Analytics program?
Brand: My most meaningful experience in the program so far has been the qualitative project we completed during the first fall semester of the program. We were able to choose any topic and any group to conduct observations on. I was able to revisit a class I had taken the previous year, Psychology of the Exceptional Learner, and observe discussions between students from an outside perspective. I conducted interviews with students and with the professor who had also taught me in the class. It was interesting to look at the class from a different viewpoint and I really enjoyed connecting with my professor and the students who I had been similar to the previous year. It was also a great learning experience in conducting a qualitative study from start to finish.
What class or professor had the greatest impact on you, and why?
Brand: Our second summer class, Ed Psych 551: Quantitative Ethnography has had the greatest impact on me. I have always been more drawn to quantitative research than qualitative and I think this class actually changed my outlook on that. Quantitative ethnography showed me a new way of thinking about qualitative data and a new way to present large amounts of it to tell a story over time. I really enjoyed the class and am interested in pursuing this methodology as the focus in my future career. I am actually attending the International Conference on Quantitative Ethnography because of the class and am really looking forward to it!
What are your future goals or plans?
Brand: In the near future, following graduation in the spring, I would like to attain a research position at an education research institution. My overall goals include getting my PhD in education policy and becoming a senior researcher or education policy analyst, either for a state or national government entity.
Is there anything we haven’t asked about that you want to share?
Brand: This program is awesome and I would recommend it to anyone considering a career in the field!