OnlineHE_Toolkit

10 The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Project Number: 2020-1-RO01-KA226-HE-095434 case of HEIs, Moodle LMS is widely used in partner countries and across the EU. The open- source software is adapted according to the needs of the institution in order to organise study programs based on the curricula, training and learning activities, to facilitate communication, dialogues, reflection, evaluation processes, and final examinations. Using Moodle, like other similar LMS, the lecturers can easily update, adapt and develop the educational content, insert new, theory-supporting documents, exercises, tutorials, links, create questionnaires and assignments to be submitted by students (Carapeto & Barros, 2019, Brita-Paja et al., 2019). In addition, modules or specific software tools can be integrated to Moodle. The development department of the university can be responsible for upgrading and adapting the open-source software according to the users’ needs. Other popular collaborative educational platforms designed by Microsoft and Google can also be integrated. Through these, virtual classes, video conferencing, presentation and testing are all possible. The LMS along with other administrative/communication tools (e.g., e-library, student portal, e-mail, website) resemble the physical campus which, in this case, is taken into the virtual world. Another emerging area that can aid the integration of effective online learning is big data. During an online learning experience, a digital footprint is easily visible due to the technologically supported environments. Participants’ activity and interactions are available through the digital tools implemented which provide teachers and learning designers with a vast amount of information regarding the formers’ learning progress (Mothukuri, 2017). Specifically, we can observe students’ engagement, interaction, and performance in the VLE Such information can be provided by selected Learning Analytics Dashboards in a Moodle ecosystem that aim at optimizing e-learning (Gkontzis et al. 2017). By collecting and analyzing these data properly, education stakeholders can take actions and follow an effective approach (Klašnja-Milićević, Ivanović, & Stantić, 2020). This procedure of capturing relevant information refers to the concept of Learning Analytics. The data reporting provides us with concrete evidence to assess, evaluate, and review the whole process (from administration to teaching) and will be a valuable guide during the re-evaluation process (e.g., in redesigning a course and curricula). Knowing what students need can promote the development and creation of student-centered activities that strengthen students’ engagement, through various teaching approaches. To use learning analytics, it is important that data protection systems are in place and communicated to all parties. Šidlauskas & Limba (2019) highlight the importance of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which must be respected in all European Union countries. Authors provide the GDPR implementation steps in HEIs The GDPR is one of the reasons why tools and environments used for learning and teaching are carefully chosen. A common practice indicates that the course material is available to