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 Mamta Shah, who graduated with the first cohort of the Learning Analytics master’s program in 2023. Shah, who previously earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in human development from the University of Mumbai, went on to earn a PhD in educational leadership and learning technologies from Drexel University.
What are you doing today?
Shah: I am currently a senior learning scientist at Elsevier, a global health and analytics company. Reporting to Dr. Cheryl Wilson, senior director of learning research and design, I lead innovative research programs that evaluate and enhance digital learning environments for nursing and health education. My role involves managing and mentoring distributed teams, fostering national and international collaborations, and driving operational efficiency.
I work cross-functionally with product managers, user experience researchers, data scientists, and business leaders to translate research into actionable insights, communicate findings, and offer thought leadership. Additionally, I build strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in educational technology, learning sciences, analytics, and nursing education.
How did you become interested in learning analytics? And how did you decide that UW–Madison was the right place to pursue this degree?
Shah: My formal introduction to learning analytics came during my postdoctoral scholarship at Drexel University’s Games and Learning in Interactive Digital Learning Environments (GLIDE) Lab, led by Interim Dean Aroutis Foster. I managed Dr. Foster’s National Science Foundation CAREER award project, which used quantitative ethnography (QE) to study identity exploration in STEM through virtual learning environments. QE, developed by Dr. David Williamson Shaffer at UW-Madison, demonstrated the power of theory-aligned learning analytics to explore human behavior. This experience sparked my interest in the field and made UW–Madison the clear choice for deepening my expertise.
What was your most meaningful experience with the Learning Analytics program?
Shah: Three words: The. Capstone. Project.
What class or professor had the greatest impact on you and why?
Shah: While each course and interaction left a lasting impression, Maria Widmer’s Educational Psychology 615: Conversations and Visualizations in fall 2022 had the greatest impact. I believe that effective, compelling, and responsible data storytelling is essential to a learning analyst’s toolkit. Maria’s course made me more aware of how to use communication intentionally to drive understanding and change. This commitment to accessible, action-oriented communication continues to shape my research and mentoring today.
How did the Learning Analytics program at UW help you get to where you are today?
Shah: The program empowered me with new and nuanced ways to analyze educational data, assess complex learning processes, and improve nursing students’ career readiness. It also allowed me to reflect on my growth as a learning scientist and data leader. I’ve led several initiatives in capacity building and mentoring, identifying and nurturing talent, organizing professional development, and supporting data literacy within my teams. Additionally, I’m learning from colleagues and mentors about the potential of generative AI in shaping the future of education and work. The Learning Analytics program at UW has been instrumental in my career advancement and leadership.
Is there anything we haven’t been asking about that you’d like to share?
Shah: As a full-time employee at Elsevier, I was fortunate to benefit from the company’s tuition reimbursement program, which covered a significant portion of my tuition at UW–Madison. I mention this to encourage future students to explore similar opportunities within their organizations, as many companies are willing to invest in their employees’ professional growth and development.
Since graduating from UW–Madison, I have actively pursued professional development opportunities to enhance my expertise. Since Summer 2023, I’ve been engaged in research as a faculty fellow at the Penn Center for Learning Analytics, directed by Dr. Ryan Baker. In this role, I’ve integrated JeepyTA, a large language model-powered virtual teaching assistant, into my courses at the University of Pennsylvania, where I am also investigating its impact on student learning.
In Spring 2024, I completed the Data Science Methods for Digital Learning Platforms certificate program, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. This program, offered in partnership with Penn Graduate School of Education, the University of Florida, and Digital Promise, has deepened my knowledge of data science methods used in educational technology research. It has also expanded my network of early- and mid-career scholars who are examining digital learning data across various organizations and contexts.