BIG DATA: A REVOLUTION THAT WILL CHANGE THE EDUCATION LANDSCAPE R. Faizi, S. El Fkihi, R. Chiheb, R. Romadi ENSIAS, Mohammed V University in Rabat (MOROCCO) Abstract The recent advance in Information and Communication Technologies has resulted in a considerable increase in the amount of information that is being generated. This data revolution commonly known as ‘Big Data’ is, actually, one of the highest IT trends that is made use of in various domains and for a variety of purposes. This data revolution will not only have an effect on how individuals and organizations process and use information, but will also drive revolutionary changes in many fields. However, one of main the fields on which big data can have a great impact is education. The objective of this paper is, therefore, to explore the potential influence that this voluminous amount of data can have on the education landscape. In this respect, it was found out that big data can provide valuable real-time insights on how students acquire and digest knowledge. Moreover, it can be used to provide every individual student with a more customized, effective and engaging learning experience. Finally, it enables students, teachers and decisions makers to receive immediate feedback needed to enhance the learning/teaching process. Keywords: Big Data, education, impact, advantages. 1 INTRODUCTION Thanks to the advent and proliferation of social media platforms, huge amounts of information are generated and shared across a variety channels. This generation of unprecedented volumes of data, which is increasing at a rate that is previously unimaginable, has brought about a concept, commonly known as ‘Big Data’ (Bakillah et al. 2014). This term refers to enormous data sets that are so dynamic and complex that they go beyond the processing capacity of traditional database systems and beyond the retrieving, storing, managing and processing capability of software tools (Dumbill 2013, Manyika et al. 2011). Oftentimes, big data also refers to technologies that are used to process these voluminous quantities of data (Davenport et al. 2012). Big Data is currently one of the major Information Technology trends that can be beneficially made use of in various domains and for a variety of purposes. This concept will not only impact how people, institutions and businesses extract and process data but is also expected to play a major role in altering how things and activities are carried out. Big data, thus, represents valuable information that can open new avenues of opportunities in many domains. Yet, one of the major domains in which big data has great potential is education. The objective in this paper is, therefore, to explore how big data will revolutionize the way in which education is delivered. The remainder of the paper is structured as follows. Section Two presents the key components of big data. Section Three examines the opportunities of using big data in the education sector. Finally, Section Four gives a brief conclusion. 2 BIG DATA: KEY COMPONENTS Big Data is generally understood as the convergence of five dimensions which are termed the V’s of big data. These include volume, variety, velocity, veracity and value. The five V’s are briefly presented below. 2.1 Volume Volume, the major characteristic that makes data “big”, refers to the huge amounts of data that are generated. In the past, the quantity of information that was produced was minimal. Recently, thanks to the advances in information and communication technologies, the total amount of information has grown exponentially. Following a research study carried out by IBM in 2011, it was noted that 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are produced everyday (Coyne et al. 2014). On the Web, the huge amounts of Proceedings of EDULEARN17 Conference 3rd-5th July 2017, Barcelona, Spain ISBN: 978-84-697-3777-4 0284