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Academic analytics, although a relatively new concept, refers to the analysis of data to help educational institutions monitor progress on key institutional goals, such as student retention, faculty productivity, and the impact of outreach and engagement.  Below are articles, presentations and seminars that further discuss the use of academic analytics in higher education.

The new EDUCAUSE E-Book Game Changers: Education and Information Technologies, which is a collection of chapters and case studies contributed by college and university presidents, provosts, faculty, and other stakeholders. The following chapters from the book specifically address the use of academic analytics in higher education.

  • The Open University of Hong Kong: The i-Counseling System
    Chun Ming Leung and Eva Tsang
    PDF | HTML

  • Valencia College: LifeMap and Atlas—Planning for Success
    Joyce C. Romano and Bill White
    PDF | HTML

  • From Metrics to Analytics, Reporting to Action: Analytics' Role in Changing the Learning Environment
    Linda Baer and John Campbell
    PDF | HTML

Other Resources on Academic Analytics include:

  • Analytics in Higher Education: Establishing a Common Language, ELI White Paper, January 2012. The intent of this paper is to present the different descriptions of the various types of analytics being discussed in the academic and practitioner literature.
  • 7 Things You Should Know About Analytics. EDUCAUSE 7 Things You Should Know series, April 2010. This two page brief provides a description of analytics and how these data tools provide statistical evaluation of rich data sources to discern patterns that can help individuals at companies, educational institutions, or governments make more informed decisions.
  • Academic Analytics. EDUCAUSE White Paper, October 2007.  Authors Diana G. Oblinger and John P. Campbell highlight what IT and institutional leaders need to understand about academic analytics, including changes it may require in data standards, systems, processes, policies, and institutional culture.
  • Action Analytics: Measuring and Improving Performance That Matters in Higher Education. EDUCAUSE Review, Volume 43, Number 1, January/February 2008.  This article discusses the action analytics of the future that will better assess students’ competencies. The authors explain that by using individualized planning, advising, and best practices from cradle to career, action analytics solutions will align interventions to facilitate retention and transitions and will fully maximize learners’ success.
  • Academic Analytics: A New Tool for a New Era. ELI Web Seminar, October 8, 2007.  Audio and slides from the presentation. The session will be based on an article [PDF 601 KB] published in the July/August 2007 EDUCAUSE Review by John Campbell, Peter DeBlois, and Diana Oblinger. The speaker John Campbell explores the role of IT in analytics projects while highlighting some early projects.
  • Academic Analytics: The Uses of Management Information and Technology in Higher Education. ECAR Research Study Volume 8, 2005.  The following chapters specifically discuss using learning analytics to increase student retention and monitor student academic success.
  • Doing Academic Analytics Right: Intelligent Answers to Simple Questions. ECAR Research Bulletin, Number 2, 2011. This ECAR research bulletin explores the various factors that must come together for an institution to have an academic analytics infrastructure that is flexible, agile, appropriately structured, and cost-effective. It examines not only appropriate technologies but, more importantly, the critical roles that stakeholders and governance play in setting the stage for success.
  • Opening the Door to New Possibilities Through the Use of Analytics. EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, Annual Conference, February 2011. This session will explore some of the uses of analytics and the challenges institutions will face in the upcoming years.
  • Signals: Applying Academic Analytics. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Volume 33, Number 1, 2010.  This article describes the Signals project at Purdue University, which has delivered early successes in academic analytics, prompting additional projects and new strategies.
  • Using Analytics to Intervene with Underperforming College Student. EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, Annual Conference, January 20, 2010.  This is a video recording of a presentation.

Updated July 2012

EDUCAUSE Staff Picks

The entire issue of EDUCAUSE Review Online, July/August 2012 is devoted to the topic of analytics in higher education. Subjects explored include how the use of analytics can help address higher education accountability, affordability, productivity, and student success.

Understanding and Managing the Risks of Analytics in Higher Education: A Guide, June 2012. This guide provides an introduction to the major risk categories faced by a higher education institution considering investments in time, energy, and money in analytics work. Under the right circumstances, decision making can be enhanced by the tools and techniques of analytics; large data sets, analytics engines, and new data visualization techniques have considerable potential to enhance both student learning and institutional business intelligence. However, careful consideration must be given to the risks of such investments for those in institutional leadership roles as well as the risks associated with data and information governance, compliance, and quality.

Analytics in Support of Student Retention and Success, ECAR Research Bulletin, April 2012. This bulletin describes an analytics system that Bowie State University (BSU) has implemented and is enhancing in order to improve the retention and success of at-risk students. While BSU has a substantial population of such students, the approaches taken are broadly applicable since many institutions have students in this category.

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