Those critical of the American education system point to the lack of student engagement and boredom, the absence of personally relevant content and instruction for diverse learners, and antiquated tools and instructional approaches as issues that prevent student success (Barab et al., 2009; Eccles & Wingfield, 2002; Ketelhut, 2007; U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology, 2010).

Educational institutions, administrators, teachers, students, and parents, continually search for solutions to the problems challenging student success, engagement, and fulfillment of academic expectations. Availability of rich digital content, myriad outlets of information and resources, and new delivery platforms continue to revolutionize student interaction with educational materials.

At Boise State University’s Department of Educational Technology, we focus on researching, understanding, and developing pedagogical approaches that utilize resources in a digital world. As such, we look at the rich data generated through digital interactions as a means of understanding learner experience.