Measuring dissimilarity in learning capital using time trajectories

This article focuses on measuring dissimilarities in learning capital accumulation for university students across their academic path. We use time trajectories of learning capital accumulation to detect which phases of students’ academic path are more fruitful in terms of knowledge accumulation. This is carried out using an approach consisting of two steps: first, we synthesise the information on learning capital accumulation by using an indicator of the knowledge accumulated by each individual; second, we handle three- way data of the type “individuals × variables × times” by rearranging their structure in a way that allows to perform a joint analysis of them. We apply the time trajectories analysis to a cohort of Italian university students enrolled in an Italian faculty of Economics in 2002- 2003