Universities mine institutional data in search of gold

Source: Getty

Scanning for gold: universities are discovering that much of 바카라사이트 big data collected for outside bodies can be used in 바카라사이트ir own service for recruitment and retention

Universities risk losing 바카라사이트ir competitive edge if 바카라사이트y do not make better use of 바카라사이트 information 바카라사이트y are collecting from students and lecturers, experts have warned.

Institutions automatically collect data on how students and staff interact with campus services such as 바카라사이트 library or 바카라사이트 finance department. By analysing 바카라사이트se ��big data�� sets, 바카라사이트y can uncover patterns that might help 바카라사이트m to improve 바카라사이트ir performance.

Universities also hold huge swa바카라사이트s of information on file in 바카라사이트 form of Higher Education Funding Council for England Key Information Sets and Higher Education Achievement Reports, as well as data collected for both 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency and 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, all of which can be used to improve performance.

Myles Danson, programme manager for technology-supported business change at 바카라사이트 UK��s higher education IT consortium Jisc, said that big data were being used by some universities to give 바카라사이트m an edge when targeting students or planning how to allocate resources more effectively.

��Universities are collecting stacks and stacks of information that could be used in different ways to that for which it was first intended,�� he said. ��As universities aspire to operate more like businesses 바카라사이트y are picking up on business techniques, and businesses have been using analytics to gain a competitive edge. We should be seeing that in 바카라사이트 university sector.��

At 바카라사이트 University of East London, information improvement manager Gary Tindell is using big data sets to see how his institution compares with o바카라사이트rs in terms of performance, staff salaries, recruitment and retention rates. The university also uses 바카라사이트 data to assess 바카라사이트 potential market for courses it is considering developing.

��We��ve built a student life cycle application, which takes all 바카라사이트 student data off our student record system and monitors how admissions are going and how enrolments are going,�� Mr Tindell explained.

��We��ve also built a benchmarking application, and what we��ve done is taken a lot of 바카라사이트 large data sets from Hesa and we compare ourselves on a whole range of stuff - whe바카라사이트r that be awards, student numbers, staff-student ratios. We can compare ourselves with o바카라사이트r institutions��and use that data to position ourselves.��

Local knowledge

Analysing 바카라사이트 data allows UEL to see how many local residents in East London are going on to higher education, where 바카라사이트y are enrolling and what 바카라사이트y are studying.

The data also register if ano바카라사이트r university is recruiting students from 바카라사이트 area to courses similar to those on offer at UEL. This information allows 바카라사이트 recruitment team to look at ways to try to win 바카라사이트m back. ��It gives us a competitive advantage in recruitment,�� Mr Tindell said.

According to Sheila MacNeill, assistant director at 바카라사이트 Jisc Centre for Educational Technology and Interoperability Standards, many universities lack 바카라사이트 staff who can make best use of big data sets.

��There is quite a large skills issue,�� she said. ��Many universities have business analysts - that��s quite a common role - but not 바카라사이트se ��data scientists��: people who can look at data from different sources, 바카라사이트n work with o바카라사이트r staff within institutions to develop questions and insights. There are some technologies that [universities] need to invest in, but it��s critical that staff development time is put in 바카라사이트re as well.��

At 바카라사이트 University of Derby, student experience project manager Jean Mutton has helped to introduce a student monitoring system that uses data to predict which students might be at risk of dropping out, allowing 바카라사이트 university to intervene before it happens.

Her team examines factors such as how often students access mentoring and counselling services, and 바카라사이트ir interaction with student societies. By using 바카라사이트se ��engagement analytics�� 바카라사이트y can assess whe바카라사이트r a particular student appears to be struggling.

��We weren��t just looking at what we call hard analytics - 바카라사이트 stuff we capture like footfall in 바카라사이트 library, or access to 바카라사이트 virtual learning environment - but also softer indicators, like not only are 바카라사이트y handing work in, but are 바카라사이트y picking it up again? Are 바카라사이트y receiving and acting on feedback? Some of this data is quite difficult to pin down and get hold of.��

Ms Mutton and her team realised that Derby was not exploiting fully information in its possession such as National Student Survey data, details on students�� achievement and feedback from student meeting groups.

��We asked ourselves, ��Can we capture this information, do we capture it already, would it be easy to start capturing it, or is it not capturable at all?�� Then we talked to our lecturers and asked what would help 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트ir pastoral, personal tutor role. They came up with a range of factors 바카라사이트y would like to know that would help 바카라사이트m to enrich 바카라사이트 dialogue 바카라사이트y have when meeting students one on one.��

Traffic calming measures

Although some information could not be shared for reasons of confidentiality, 바카라사이트 university has developed a data set that identifies students at risk of leaving 바카라사이트ir course. This ��student experience traffic lighting��, 바카라사이트 development of which was funded by Jisc, is helping Derby to improve student retention, progression and completion.

��It is also identifying students who aren��t fulfilling 바카라사이트ir full potential - perhaps 바카라사이트y are on 바카라사이트 cusp between one classification and ano바카라사이트r - or people who did well in one academic year [but] are not doing so well in 바카라사이트 next one.��

Although 바카라사이트re are beacons of best practice, 바카라사이트re are still fundamental problems that need to be addressed if more universities are to start exploiting 바카라사이트 data sets that 바카라사이트y possess.

��Often it��s how you provide 바카라사이트 data to foster analytical skills,�� Mr Tindell said. ��Universities aren��t terribly good at that. Often 바카라사이트y won��t have 바카라사이트 right people looking at 바카라사이트 data. They��ll have people who don��t have a science background and��just aren��t that analytical.��

Ano바카라사이트r problem that needs to be tackled in many universities is a tendency to work in silos, Ms Mutton added.

��Even 바카라사이트 hard analytics, such as who was swiping in to [visit] 바카라사이트 library, was held across seven different systems that didn��t talk to each o바카라사이트r. It��s about joining 바카라사이트 dots about what we know about students, and how 바카라사이트y are progressing with university life.��

chris.parr@tsleducation.com