Data analytics is one of a kind of technology that proves to have a magical effect on transforming an institution’s performance. The sheer amount of data generated and collected by modern organisations have made it possible to manipulate each and every functional aspect of a business.
In this article we look at how educational institutions can benefit from improved performance by leveraging data analytics. But before we cover that lets see what big data is really about.
What is Big Data?
Big data points to the vast amount of information being collected on a daily basis. What makes it different from normal data is its quantity. The amount of information in big data is extremely large to the extent where it is difficult for traditional data processing programs to analyse.
The primary factor of such an increase in data generation can be traced to the advancements in IOT devices and technology platforms. As this is the new norm for industry leaders to have an advantage over their competitors, flexible platforms have emerged to meet the growing demands and find fruitful solutions to the problems and inefficiencies faced by institutions.It is much easier to recognise its importance in education sector when we categorise it into its different data sets like :
Student Data: Demographics like age, ethnicity and gender; whether they are full-time or part-time; if they take classes online, on campus or a mix of the two.
Course Data: Enrollment headcounts, grades and completion rates by program or section.
Instructor Data: Demographics like age, ethnicity and gender; salary information; productivity levels.
Facility Data: Classroom utilization and resource allocation, like how many hours a week each room is being used.
Some of the Benefits of Using Data analytics tools
The major benefits of having the right set of data analytics tools is that you can reduce a number of challenges of your institution. At the same time it also looks deeper into how to improve your existing performance to meet the goals. These include :
Accurate data driven decision making: Improve your decision making by using appropriate decisions from data driven models
Access information easier : Having to deal with the vast amount of data finding the right ones could be a tedious task. But since Data analytics tools work on the same platforms as the ones which collect , store and organise data , you’ll find your queries on your fingertips.
Find information quickly : since data is stored imade available for you to access from a single platform you’ll not have to scroll through dozens of files or folders to find the reports you’re looking for.
With all the above information in mind we’ve come up with some of the effective ways for educational institutions to leverage data analytics tools.
Improve your student success rate
A student’s educational performance depends on various factors. For instance, they come from different backgrounds, their habits and their interests and their passion, it all differs and also directly or indirectly affects their capabilities and capacity. Therefore, all these conditions make up the right parameters which decides the criteria to admit students to your institution. Thanks to data analytics, this is not a herculean task anymore.
Predicting success rate
Data analytics tools allow you to select the right students for your institution by analysing previous academic analytics and with the help of sophisticated algorithms, predict which student is more likely to succeed and who is more probable to drop out or fail their classes. At the same time, these platforms give you the ability to make judgment calls even before the student walks on to your campus
For example, if a student is accepted to your institution and wants to study engineering. Using data analytics tools, you will be able to come up with the right judgment as to whether the student will succeed or not with the help of all the previous test scores and other necessary qualifications and skills. These include SAT scores, high school GPA, Individual class grades – if the student was having difficulty with math, & if he or she decides to pursue engineering, then they would require additional support. Similar situations can be reviewed and necessary solutions can be taken with the help of right data analytics tools.
Reduce the number of struggling students
In normal circumstances it is difficult for professors and advisors to know if their student struggles with their studies before seeing a failed exam score. But with the help of learning data analytics, we can determine which students are more likely having troubles with their studies. This also helps them derive insights about what causes such issues and they can also take necessary steps to mitigate similar problems with other students.
Share a Public Fact Book
Students have many options to choose as to where they should pursue their education. They often search for clarity and specificity of information before coming up with a decision. This makes your institution’s website, the primary place where your future students interact with your institution.Sharing a well organised public fact book helps both students as well as professors and advisors meet the prospective candidates which can make recruiting and educating applicants easy.
A prospective student will be able to access multiple information like :
Tuition
Class size
Student to teacher ratios
Student outcomes
Evaluate how physical space is being Used
We often think that the potential of data analytics is limited to improving the operational and managerial aspects of an institution. But as we delve deeper, the ability of these platforms takes it a step higher. It can even prove to be useful even when it comes to managing your physical resources.
Tracking resources
Appropriately tracking data can reveal a fair amount of insights when it comes to deciding various plans for classes and schedules. For example, if analysis of particular data shows a lack of interest for students to attend english classes on a Friday afternoon, the management can re- schedule classes in a way to reduce energy consumption of that part of the campus.
Section fill rate
Some classes attract more students because of various factors. This might be the professors, or the time of the day, or similar factors. But if your institution is equipped with the right data analytics tools, then you’ll have better insight as to why student fill rates are high for some courses compared to others.
It can also benefit in your hiring decisions. If you happen to have less number of courses for a specific class and also have a long waiting list for those sections, then it might be indicative of a requirement to recruit additional staff for that course.
Track Enrollment trends
Highly valued courses attract a lot of student applicants from all corners of the country. This is where the right data analytics tool can help you find surprising trends and patterns. If you happen to know where high concentrations of student applicants are located, then you can specialise in improving your marketing efforts to that area. Furthermore, analysing enrollment patterns can also show more clarity into the existing gap between some of the demographics of students.
Improving Communication Between departments
A collaborative work culture can improve an institution’s performance. Especially when it comes to communication with departments. But it becomes hard when the common problem that needs to be resolved is not that clear. This is being addressed by using data analytics combined with structure reporting software. By effectively communicating enrollment trends institutions can decide on weather to combine similar programmes if one course finds less enrollment figures. This can improve the course structure on offer and marketed to prospective students.
Mitigating roadblocks while getting started
If you’re getting started then it’d be exciting to implement data analytics tools to your organisation. The broad insights and perspectives that you get to use to optimise the operations of your institution is boundless. But before any implementation it is necessary to choose the right data analytics tools and reporting software that is specially catered to your institutional needs. So make sure to take necessary steps :
Lay down the goals : All services on offer must be in line with the goals of your institution. Data analytics tools must be well crafted for your specific goals.
Set Expectations : Before implementing any solutions it is necessary to get all the employees understand the changes you are about to make to the institution. It is necessary to set the right expectations for your team to have coordinated effort in getting the data into and out of the system
Make it accessible : Employees must be trained to get all the information wherever or whenever they need it. So all the permission gants to access the appropriate data for staff must be well established beforehand. For example, access to data sets for teachers is different from administrative staff.
