Data analytics is not a new term as it has been used in business since numbers were invented. Data analytics is often used in a business-to-consumer environment to help reform consumers’ satisfaction.
The way it is essential in any other business, higher ed data analytics is equally important; after all, the students are the consumer, and the school is the business.
The four critical arms of an education setting come in handy: governing body, students, instructors, and the college or institution. The evaluation from the analysis helps each arm of the institution reap the benefits.
However, unlike in a typical business, its use in a school setting is slightly different. Below are some of the importance of data analytics in higher education.
Trends and insights
The education system is not stagnant as it moves from one trend to another. There are many trends and insights in the educational system, such as military-based grading, personalised learning, genius hours, and so on.
From as far back as the 1950s, data analytics have helped institutions uncover some of these trends and helped with the movement towards standardisation.
Educational information
Higher ed data analytics today is quite helpful as it provides useful educational information. There are three main areas where data analysis provides helpful info.
Firstly, it helps with data mining, sifting through complex education data to discover a pattern. Secondly, learning analytics helps gather helpful feedback and insights. And thirdly, academic analytics helps detect problems by looking at the educational data and suggesting a correction.
Raise admissions
Higher ed data analytics also comes in handy in helping institutions find students with the highest chance of attending the institution.
With so many students applying to study at a given higher institution, the administration would be faced with such a burdensome task filled with biased decisions if there were no system to choose the best students.
To avoid this, higher institutions use data analytics to compare the student population and academic track records with potential candidates to understand the best candidates to admit.
Lower dropout rates
Many students often don’t choose a course to be major in based on their strengths but on the influence of friends or family, which often causes them to fail and drop out eventually.
But with data analytics, higher institution advisors can mitigate this by analysing a student’s academic records to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Hence, academic advisors can help suggest a more appropriate course for students.
Improve scholarship
Many higher institutions offer students scholarships frequently to help encourage people to get an education. But choosing the best candidate for the scholarship can be challenging.
To avoid bias, data analysis allows higher institutions to target students with the highest chance of retention to ensure the best return on investment of the scholarship.
Develop curriculum
Higher institutions offer different curricula to foster education to meet the needs of the course you want to major in.
But to ensure the institution remains profitable and students get the best education, administrators have to use data analytics to know which class or program is experiencing a significant dropout rate and failure to find the problem and amend it.
Keep track of attendance
Higher ed data analytics also comes in handy, helping higher institutions have a predefined class attendance list. This data is vital in assisting them in creating a student information system.
Hence, when a student is absent consistently, it alerts the educator via a daily data dashboard to know what’s wrong and if the student needs help.
Reduce expenses
Running an educational institution costs much money. And with limited resources, administrators have to cut operating expenses using data analytics. Higher ed data analytics provide helpful information about the best way to optimise cost and identify areas that need the most attention.
Manage investors and donors
The education system needs funds to maintain and improve the system. Hence, donations from alums and investors go a long way.
With data analytics, school management can scan their database to know the most consistent supporter and those who are waning in their financial assistance.
Evaluate instructor performance
Higher ed data analytics also provides helpful information to measure an instructor’s effectiveness. The data analytics compares the effectiveness of one instructor with other instructors in the same department and uses the same student demographics.
This info is vital to school management in determining if an instructor is performing satisfactorily or underperforming. Because at the end of the day, having the best instructors is the main strength of any educational institution