Some detailed notes on this session which really met the aims I had in attending – JISC colleagues take note!
A panel with Linda Baer (ex Gates Foundation) and Donald Norris (Educause)
There’s a note about this work on the Educause web site here
Richard Davenport is cited as a key author in analytics for competitive advantage.
The goal being to get more data in an accessible format for analytics.
Research sponsored by Gates.
Presents a typology for optimizing student success;
Managing the student pipeline; at risk students at pre and post admission
Eliminating impediments to success such as bottle neck courses
Dynamic query, alert and intervention, at risk behavior (predictive analytics by Phoenix, Capella, Rio Sallado / University of Phoenix and another – the 4 prophets) – advanced in embedded analytics
Learner relationship management systems and processes
PLEs and Learning Analytics
Data mining and Big Data (beyond the single institution) – a key area for JISC to progress?
Extend success to include employability / work eg monster.com
Organisational capacity issues;
Tech, tools, apps, solutions and services (Similar to the JISC Strategic ICT Toolkit)
Processes, policies and practices (SICT)
Values and skills of academics, staff, students, alumni (a big gap in the HE Sector) – again we hear about the need to educate for analytics skills
Culture and behavior
Leadership (SICT)
The MacKenzie report is cited as a key resource for student progression
Vendor Issues / Market Gap
A survey undertaken across best of breed suppliers for the following areas;
BI/EP
LMS
Advising/Retention
Analytics, consulting, general advising
Building a toolkit for organizational capacity for analytics through Gates foundation funding. This will include a wider range of vendors and institutions
Selected 40 HEIs that are doing good work in the area. Identifying what these leaders are doing and what is achievable
Vendors were asked what are the other HEIs doing in terms of their analytics capacity?
Preliminary Insights are available;
Student success analytics has strong ROI
Case studies on successful execution and capacity building
Leadership commitment is critical
Student success techniques demonstrated by leading HEIs
Wide variety of build/buy/ mashup strategies in use
Access and interoperability to data sets is seen as a continuing problem area
Vendor insights
Expanded emphasis on analytics
Expanding emphasis on student success solutions BI/ERP/LMS
New vendors
Cloud based applications allow comparative analytics across HEIs
Strong market place incentives for vendor innovations, expansion to next generation learning, consulting and support services
Capacity of Institutional Insights;
Institutional Leaders over estimate their capacity]
Need for professional development, capacity building and raising ‘analytics IQ’
Need for affordable solutions that deliver student success based ROI. The bar keeps being raised for analytics capabilities and this is a problem assigned to HEIs overestimating maturity
Strong accountability demands for analytics for student success and productivity
Summary
The talent Gap is worldwide
Need for CPD at all levels
Need for continuing enhancement sin tools, applications, solutions and services
Need for consulting, know how, capacity augmentation, constellations of cloud based collaborators, vendor communities, federated solutions
Next Steps; clarifying and bridging the gaps
Match up service between HEIs and vendors
Extending the interviews to 40 HEIs
Expand FAQs and match up services and an active information market place
Match Up Service;
What are other peer HEIs doing for analytics to support student success?
What are HEIs doing in the different analytics categories (framework for optimizing student success), and what vendor solutions are being deployed?
What vendor solutions are available for BI/Analytics?
What solutions are vendors offering, specifically tailored to student success?
Notes for JISC
Not surprisingly Educause have a good deal of overlap in aims and approach. We could tie in our work with theirs and consider any opportunities for collaboration.
Look at Starfish as a supplier offering immediate ROI on student retention and completion
Profile the JISC SICT for analytics
Consider the match up service
Check the Educause archive for further detail of the work to date and the recommendations