Issues around Using Data to Improve Student Retention

Facilitators: Sharon Perry and Lisa Corley

This session will examine some of the issues around using data to predict students at risk of failure and provide some examples of possible solutions to ensure that the institution does not fail such students.

This session will consist of a number of mini-sessions looking at a range of aspects associated with using data to improve student retention. We have set strict timings to our mini-sessions in case delegates attending other sessions would like to pop in.

Mini-Agenda
13:00 Introduction - Sharon Perry and Lisa Corley, JISC CETIS The synthesis of the findings from Phase 1 of the JISC Relationship Management Programme will be launched. The report: Relationship Management in UK Higher and Further Education – An Overview (PDF Format, 3.64Mb) - is now available for download.

13:05 Issues involved in using attendance data to improve student progression - Melanie King and Andrea Wheeler, Loughborough University Presentation and demonstration: This session will consist of a presentation focussing on how Loughborough currently collects and uses attendance data; changes in the way attendance data (and engagement data) is used based on recommendations from the Loughborough's JISC Pedestal for Progression project; evidence that links attendance with progression; institutional recognition and issues surrounding the case for wider adoption. This will be followed by a demonstration of the Co-Tutor system.

13:35 fulCRM: another view of Customer Relationship Management - John King, Sarah Hall, Tony Evans and Brett Raymond-Barker, Roehampton University Presentation, discussion and demonstration: Roehampton’s Project fulCRM shows how the collection and use of key indicators of student wellbeing, developed by one department, can affect student retention and progression. The project shows that this became a platform on which to build a Student Performance Module with automated data feeds that release staff time and provide more accurate information to staff and students. From this platform Project fulCRM will explore the value of engaging the students directly in the presentation, definition, interpretation and use of such information as an aid to student support and ultimately retention and progression.

'''14:05 Whose Data? Issues in privacy and data protection''' - Hugh Davis, Yvonne Howard and Rikki Prince, University of Southampton Discussion: In attempting to use existing data to research and benefit student experience/retention, the Southampton Student Dashboard project team has experienced resistance from data owners, service providers, ethics authorities and faculty administrators claiming that we cannot do what we are trying to do – usually citing the data protection act, even to the level of having a picture of their tutee, or knowing their marks. In this discussion we will try to examine which of these issues are real privacy or ethical concerns, and which are smokescreens put up to prevent change.

14:35 Break

15:05 SETL (Student Engagement Traffic Lighting) - Jean Mutton, Ben Bailey, Sarah Hamilton and Jake Hibberd, University of Derby Presentation, video and practical session: This session will include a quick overview of the SETL project, what Derby is trying to achieve and the methodology used; an introduction to the 'dartboard' of engagement analytics; an introduction to Derby's 'personas' work with video clips of staff who have taken part in the workshops and a practical session on storyboarding an aspect of the student journey using student personas.

15:50 ESCAPES, ePortfolio and Employability - Kirstie Coolin and Judith Wayte, University of Nottingham Presentation and discussion: This presentation will introduce the ESCAPES project and explore how ePortfolio functions can provide enhanced student engagement with professional learning whilst on placement, and how retention could potentially be measured as an outcome.

16:20 Session close

Sharon Perry's summary of the session:http://blogs.cetis.ac.uk/accessibility/2012/03/14/using-data-to-improve-student-retention-more-questions-than-answers/

