How Higher Education Data Can Improve Campus Life
Campus life provides the context for students to explore, learn about themselves, and discover interesting and engaging opportunities for their career. Every student on campus experiences college life differently. This is because every student is different.
Today, technology is far superior to anything we could have ever imagined in the past. More data about people, places, and things is now generated more than any other point in history.
This data is constantly being tracked through everything we do online. From looking for a nice pair of shoes on amazon.com, liking a reel on Instagram, to even using Yelp to discover local restaurants.
Organizations are already using this data to tailor specific personalized experiences for every individual using their platforms. For example, Instagram feeds personalized content to the user’s history. Similar posts from recent searches pop up in the feed with accounts like the ones we already follow.
Colleges and universities hold a plethora of data at their disposal, including grades, attendance records, LMS engagement reports, tuition and payment history, and more. However, many schools are finding it difficult to utilize this data to benefit the students' ability to make more informed decisions during their time at college and university.
This may be due to the fact that outdated systems are being used to sort and manage the data. Or that this data is simply not being retained or is being lost in a complex structure where very specific questions need to be asked to retrieve the most useful data. No matter the challenge, higher education institutions must look to other organizations to understand how they can better use their data to support their students and create a successful environment for them to thrive.
Personalized for the Student
Personalization is becoming expected by people who are interacting with their favorite organizations. They expect these companies to know them - both what they like and what they need. Colleges and universities need to pay attention to this fast evolving trend to drive stronger connections with their students.
Today, many young adults attending college are Generation Z. This generation has the highest tech expectations of any previous generation because they grew up with smartphones and personal computers. According to the Educause Review, “These students are digital natives, already comfortable with the unique, tailored customer experiences of the commercial world, and they expect the same type of experiences in their learning environments' '. Gen Z students want a personalized learning experience where they can engage with like minded peers and get personalized help from professors when they need it.
Not only do colleges and universities need to personalize the needs of their matriculated students, but also while they are still prospective students. Personalization not only aids students' success, but can also help increase enrollment and improve campus life.
Campus Life
Another part of college life is the free time students engage with peers outside of learning. Research at Ball State University during the COVID-19 pandemic proved that social time and networks of friends on campus is critical for the success and flourishment of students.
Institutions can use data collected from the entire campus to provide networking and engagement support to help enrich a student's entire experience.
According to additional research from the Educause Review, “All students' experiences include their entire lifecycle—from recruiting to admissions to class attendance and to alumni engagement. This lifecycle encompasses the academic experience that students have with their class material and professors and the campus experience that they have outside of class.”
It’s important that colleges and universities use their data to support students with personalized college experiences. This not only will improve students' success in their fields of study but will also allow faculty to pinpoint what is working with their students and what might need tweaking.
For example, collected data across quiz scores can inform professors which students were struggling with the most recent units. This can help professors know which students might need extra help and on which part of the curriculum or how the syllabus might need to be adjusted for the entire class.
Attendance and other online engagement data can also help provide faculty with crucial knowledge to help their students. If multiple students, for example, are failing to arrive to class on time, or at all, and are also not engaging in depth with the course material online, then it may be symptomatic across their experience. This will allow administrators to better understand the students' needs and keep retention numbers healthy.
How Invoke Learning Can Help
With its variety of different solutions Invoke Learning is able to predict where students need the most help, when they need it, and the most effective way to provide that support. College can be hard for many students who know nothing of what to expect. It is crucial for administrators to understand and be able to support their students from the first step they make on campus to the last steps crossing the stage with their diploma.
Colleges and universities need to identify students who are at the most risk, while also understanding why stress levels on campus are spiking. Data such as this, from InvokeEngagement™, can be used to pinpoint the problems and provide solutions within minutes.
Administrators will find it beneficial to analyze their data gathered from InvokeLearning’s InvokeStudentSuccess™ solution to identify struggling students earlier, make decisions on what exactly they need, and execute the best course of action to fully support each student's needs.
Colleges and Universities looking to better support the needs of their student communities might look to InvokeDEI™ to help address disproportionate impacts, understand what's important to their student communities, and enhance student equity and access for all students.
To learn more about Invoke Learning solutions and how you can help support your college, university and students click HERE.