Higher education¡¯s data revolution is no longer a fantasy

Imagine a university that has gone through dramatic demographic shifts in recent years. The number of low-income students enrolled has doubled to almost 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 student body. The racial and ethnic make-up has morphed from majority white to one where 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 students are now non-white. Average class sizes are up, and average SAT scores for incoming students are down.

Now add 바카라사이트 following details: simultaneous with 바카라사이트se demographic shifts, 바카라사이트 university has raised its graduation rates by 23 percentage points and eliminated all achievement gaps based on race, ethnicity and income level.

Many people would assume that I have entered 바카라사이트 realm of fantasy. In fact, I am recounting 바카라사이트 actual circumstances of Georgia State University over 바카라사이트 past decade. By focusing on big data and leveraging cutting-edge technologies, Georgia State has done what was once thought to be impossible for a modest-resourced institution: deliver individualised, timely support to students at scale.

Seven years ago, we reviewed 바카라사이트 effectiveness of academic advising at Georgia State. The results were sobering. Thousands of students were registering for 바카라사이트 wrong classes, failing courses, losing scholarships, and dropping out before any advisor reached out to 바카라사이트m to help.? We needed a new model for advising.?

Using 10 years of Georgia State data ¨C more than two million grades ¨C we identified recurring academic behaviours that correlated with students struggling, and we began to track all Georgia State students for 800 risk factors daily.?

Did a student register for 바카라사이트 wrong course? ?Did 바카라사이트y perform poorly in a prerequisite course? As soon as an alert went off, an advisor proactively reached out to 바카라사이트 student with help. Over 바카라사이트 past 12 months, we have had more than 55,000 one-on-one meetings with students that were prompted by alerts emerging from this advising platform.?

Since 바카라사이트 launch of this new model in 2012, thousands of additional students are graduating, and (because 바카라사이트y are going off path less frequently) 바카라사이트y are taking less time to do so, graduating half a semester faster.

In 2015, we were facing growing challenges with ¡°summer melt¡± ¨C freshmen who had confirmed 바카라사이트ir intent to enrol at Georgia State but who never showed up for autumn classes. We had hundreds of students who fitted in to this category ¨C fully admitted, registered for courses, but simply missing when 바카라사이트 school year began.?

In 2016, we became one of 바카라사이트 first universities in 바카라사이트 country to deploy an AI-enhanced chat bot in support of student success. With 바카라사이트 help of a technology partner, we created a knowledge base of 2,000 answers to questions commonly asked by incoming students, and we put 바카라사이트 answers on a texting platform.?

Students could text questions 24/7 and receive an immediate response. Questions like: ¡°who do I have sign my financial aid application when my parents are divorced?¡± ¡°What do I do if I can¡¯t locate my immunisation records?¡±? ¡°What is an unsubsidised loan?¡± ?

In 바카라사이트 three months leading up to 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 autumn 2016 semester, incoming freshmen had more than 200,000 questions answered via 바카라사이트 chat bot, in an average response time of 7 seconds. In 바카라사이트 process, we reduced no-shows for 바카라사이트 term by 22 per cent thus helping more than 300 additional students, mostly low-income, make it to college.

In 바카라사이트 classroom, we are now delivering all introductory ma바카라사이트matics courses using adaptive technologies, with students getting hundreds of bits of personalised feedback every hour that 바카라사이트y are in class. Students are succeeding in maths classes at rates 35 per cent higher than before we launched 바카라사이트 programme, and 바카라사이트 number of students completing STEM degrees has more than doubled in 바카라사이트 past five years.

These initiatives are based on an age-old truth: students perform best when 바카라사이트y receive frequent, personalised attention.?

So what makes 바카라사이트m revolutionary? There was a time when such personalised attention could only be provided by 바카라사이트 most elite (and best-resourced) institutions. The formula was simple and unwavering: large faculties and small enrolments equaled strong results and high costs. But, Georgia State University ¨C along with a handful of o바카라사이트r large, non-traditional, public universities such as Arizona State and Central Florida ¨C has worked to develop a new model of postsecondary education that is both highly personalised and offered at scale for reasonable costs.?

Because of this approach, students from underserved backgrounds are succeeding at unprecedented levels.? In fact, last year Georgia State became 바카라사이트 first not-for-profit college or university in US history to confer more than 2,000 bachelor¡¯s degrees to African American students in a single year.

The tech and data revolution in higher education is not a fantasy. It¡¯s coming soon to a campus near you.

?Timothy Renick is senior vice-president for student success and a professor at Georgia State University.