From the LASI '16 web site we learn:

"The sheer amount of data that we generate in the course of our lives is growing exponentially as technology plays a larger and larger part in what we do every day. Nowhere is this fact more important than how information technology has become part of the basic infrastructure for education– in formal and informal settings, playing a role whether we are face-to-face with others or interacting solely online. The “data exhaust” that is generated by the systems used today to support how we teach and how we learn provides an unprecedented opportunity to better understand and support learning, and to question the impact of these technologies on individuals, institutions and culture. This effort, however, is necessarily interdisciplinary and requires the use of a diverse methodological toolset."

 LASI '16 aims to address 2 primary goals:

 1. Build the field of Learning Analytics through the advancement of LA methods, cross disciplinary interactions, and connecting researchers and research communities.

2. Develop the skills and knowledge of doctoral students and academics, equipping them to engage actively in LA research and teaching.

 Learn more from the LASI '16 web site.