This article introduces the special issue from SoLAR’s 2016 Learning Analytics and Knowledge conference. The field of learning analytics (LA) draws heavily on theory and practice from a range of diverse academic disciplines. In so doing, LA research embodies a rich integration of methodologies and practices, assumptions and theory to bring new insights into the learning process. Reflecting this rich diversity, the theme of LAK 2016 highlights the multidisciplinary nature of the field and embraces the convergence of these disciplines to provide theoretical and practical insights to challenge current thinking in the field. This overview introduces six articles, each of which expands on an invited talk or paper from the conference, with the added goal of offering a small taste of the rich experience that comes from active participation in the conference.