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 Christina Hwang, who graduated from the Learning Analytics master’s program (LAMP) in 2023. Hwang previously earned an undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego, in applied mathematics and today is an academic adviser at the University of Washington in Seattle.
How did you get interested in this field of learning analytics?
Hwang: During my undergraduate classes I started to get interested in data, statistics, and probability through my major courses. I also spent the majority of my undergraduate career as a math tutor, supplemental instruction leader, and metacognitive learning strategist where I had the opportunity to work with a diverse group of students in their journey through college. Once I graduated, I became the supplemental instruction (SI) coordinator where I was able to directly support the training and development of the leaders in the program. I really enjoyed my time working with students as a learning strategist, which is why I wanted to make sure that I could incorporate research-backed learning strategies within the SI program. This led me into learning more about learning analytics and how I could use the data I already had in my program to assess that what I was training my leaders on was being effective. I’ve always wanted to see what stories numbers could tell. However, I was aware that numbers could still be misleading so I wanted to educate myself in making sure I do not misrepresent what I had.
How did you decide that UW–Madison was the right place to pursue this degree?
Hwang: The main thing I didn’t want to give up was my job. I needed a program that could be flexible where I could continue working in my role and learn. I felt that I was sitting on a pot of gold that I could immediately use and apply what I was learning in the course to my role. UW–Madison is known for their School of Education so I knew I wanted to make this work. Finance was also a big key factor in choosing an online program. Since UW didn’t have an out-of-state tuition price, it was more affordable for me and I wouldn’t need to add onto my student loan debt I already had from undergrad. As I continued to do more research on the program, I learned about the Committed Scholars Program. As someone who is a first-generation college student, it has been a big passion for myself to continue supporting students navigating this big step in their lives. To see that UW–Madison was supporting people who were committed to work with diverse groups of students, I was sold! Luckily I was able to meet with (LAMP program director) Julia (Rutledge) before applying to learn more about the program. It was pretty much a closed deal for me after talking to her. She was able to reassure me that it is manageable to balance between work and school, and she was pretty much right!
What are you doing professionally today?
Hwang: Currently I am an academic adviser at the University of Washington in Seattle. I specifically work in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. My role is a bit different from a traditional academic adviser because I work with a specific group of students in the Allen School Scholars Program. This is a one-year cohort based program that focuses on supporting first-year students from first-generation, low-income, and/or underserved backgrounds in the state of Washington. In addition to advising, I also teach a quarterly study hall seminar for the cohort where I cover a variety of topics ranging from navigating the university resources and learning strategies, to helping make students more effective learners in college.
What was your most meaningful experience with the Learning Analytics program?
Hwang: The most meaningful experience with the Learning Analytics program is the connections I made with the different cohort members in the program. I had always dreaded group projects or group work, but this program changed my mentality! I was able to learn from my classmates and see how learning analytics could be applicable across a wide range of fields.
What class or professor had the greatest impact on you, and why?
Hwang: The class that had the greatest impact on me was Ed Psych 525 — Learning Analytics Theory and Practice. I was finally able to utilize the data from my role and apply it directly with what I was learning. It was a challenging class, but I felt fully ready and supported to go head-first into this challenge. I used this time to really think about what was important to me professionally and personally. I remember being so excited to finally dig deeper into the connection of parent involvement to student outcomes. I spent more of my free time working on this project than I probably did for all other courses. I do want to give a special shout out to our TA Yeyu Wang, who really helped me with my struggles of statistics and using R.
I want to emphasize that I truly enjoyed all the classes I took, as each one left a lasting impact on me. They challenged me to think more deeply about my current work and helped me draw meaningful connections between what I was learning in class and the tasks I was performing in my full-time job.
How, if at all, has the Learning Analytics program at UW–Madison helped you get to where you are today?
Hwang: The Learning Analytics program at UW-Madison has given me the opportunity to practice thinking critically about what stories can be told from data. About two-thirds of the way through the program I had to make a really big decision in my life, which was to move from San Diego to the greater Seattle area. I was able to leverage my knowledge and experience in the program to land my current role, which is more directly supporting the student populations I’m passionate about. I’m also extremely lucky to have a supportive boss who challenges and supports me in utilizing the knowledge from the Learning Analytics program to build things like a Tableau dashboard and datasheets to track progress of our students.
What are your future goals or plans?
Hwang: As a Navy spouse it’s hard to really know what my future plans are. However, my goal is to continue supporting students within higher education. If this means that I will do this around the country, then my reach will be even larger and greater. As someone who thrives better with student facing roles, I imagine myself continuing to work with students in different capacities.