Abstract With the increasing development and adoption of digital technologies for education, more data gathered from educational contexts are being analyzed to give actionable insights to stakeholders. As a data-driven approach for better understanding and optimizing learning and the learning environment, learning analytics has the potential to contribute to smart learning. However, current learning analytics lacks knowledge awareness, an important component in smart learning. This paper draws upon research in the domain of smart learning, reflects on current research on methods and processes in learning analytics, and proposes a framework for knowledge-aware learning analytics for smart learning.