Educational Technology Governance, Learning Analytics, and Student Well-Being: A Comparative Study of University Digital Ecosystems in the United Kingdom and South Korea,

Abstract

This article examines educational technology governance and learning analytics through a comparative institutional analysis of university digital ecosystems in the United Kingdom and South Korea between 2020 and 2026. The study argues that learning analytics and digitally mediated higher education should be understood not merely as technological systems for improving academic performance, but as socio-institutional governance arrangements that reshape student well-being, educational accountability, institutional surveillance, and pedagogical legitimacy. The United Kingdom and South Korea provide analytically significant comparative cases because both possess highly digitalized higher education systems, yet they differ in governance philosophy, student support models, institutional coordination, and educational culture. The United Kingdom emphasizes data-informed student support, institutional autonomy, and regulatory accountability, whereas South Korea emphasizes digitally integrated learning ecosystems, centralized educational modernization, and performance-oriented institutional governance. The findings indicate that learning analytics improves educational responsiveness only when universities align data governance, pedagogical ethics, faculty adaptation, and student well-being protections. The comparative evidence demonstrates that analytics-driven systems may strengthen retention and engagement but can also intensify surveillance, stress, and algorithmic dependency if implemented without participatory governance and ethical oversight. This article contributes to educational research literature by conceptualizing learning analytics governance as a socio-technical educational process linking digital infrastructure, institutional capacity, student well-being, and educational resilience.