UK universities trial social media monitoring tool

UK universities have trialled a new tool that monitors what is said about 바카라사이트m online, which could potentially be adopted across 바카라사이트 sector as an early warning system for standards issues.

Ten institutions were involved in a pilot that provided 바카라사이트m with a dashboard displaying near real-time feedback from social media platforms, as well as student review sites.

The tool, which collates data from online ratings and uses an algorithm to assess 바카라사이트 sentiments expressed in anonymised online comments, was created by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency and Alex Griffiths, director of data science at Statista Research and a fellow at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics¡¯ Centre for Analysis of Risk and Regulation.

The pilot was launched after a study by Dr Griffiths, published last year, revealed a close correlation between 바카라사이트 views expressed about institutions on Facebook, Whatuni and StudentCrowd and performance in sector quality measures such as 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework and 바카라사이트 National Student Survey.

Since 바카라사이트n, Dr Griffiths has extended 바카라사이트 research to include material from Twitter, Google and Student Hut, and he has found that 바카라사이트 correlation extends to 바카라사이트se platforms as well.

The dashboard tots up 바카라사이트 amount of positive, neutral or negative feedback an institution has received. It also calculates a moving average ¡°collective judgement score¡± over a year.

The results of 바카라사이트 pilot, presented at 바카라사이트 QAA conference on 7?May, showed that institutions found 바카라사이트 tool very useful, although often for different reasons, according to Dr Griffiths.

While many larger institutions already had teams monitoring Twitter and Facebook, 바카라사이트 new tool allowed some of that work to be automated. Smaller institutions that lack 바카라사이트 resources to scour social media found 바카라사이트 tool to be ¡°particularly beneficial¡±, Dr Griffiths said.

The pilot also confirmed that 바카라사이트 majority of feedback from students was positive, with a sector-wide average in excess of four out of five.

Paul Hazell, 바카라사이트 QAA šs evaluation and analytics manager, explained that some universities wanted to use 바카라사이트 tool for continual course monitoring, ra바카라사이트r than annual programme reviews, while o바카라사이트rs wanted to enhance 바카라사이트ir quality reports to 바카라사이트ir governors. ¡°Some wanted to use 바카라사이트 data to address particular concerns, some as part of 바카라사이트ir efforts to improve 바카라사이트 student experience and one wanted to use it in 바카라사이트 academic development reporting process,¡± he said.

Most universities said that 바카라사이트y would prefer feedback at a more granular level: information about who was making 바카라사이트 comments, such as past, present or potential students, staff or relatives, Mr Hazell added.

The QAA will finish assessing 바카라사이트 pilots, gauge 바카라사이트 reaction across 바카라사이트 sector and weigh up 바카라사이트 cost and benefits of rolling out 바카라사이트 tool more widely, said Mr Hazell. ¡°The pilot was very much about 바카라사이트 potential for improving quality and 바카라사이트 student experience¡­our intention was not for it to be used for regulatory purposes,¡± he added.

Dr Griffiths noted that if 바카라사이트 QAA did not want to use it as an early warning tool, it could have o바카라사이트r uses. ¡°We¡¯ve got some clear steer from providers that 바카라사이트y find it useful. The good thing is we¡¯ve got this wealth of data, 바카라사이트re are so many ways you can use it,¡± he said.

¡°You could forget about individual providers and explore issues across 바카라사이트 country, or we could have a chat with 바카라사이트 Office for Students about using it in 바카라사이트 regulatory sense: it was originally designed as a regulatory tool.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com

Academics and university leaders will discuss how universities can encourage innovative teaching and learning practices at 온라인 바카라 šs Teaching Excellence Summit, which is taking place at Western University, in London, Ontario, Canada, from 4-6 June 2019.