I went to university a long time ago, longer than I care to mention, but when I reflect on that time, I realise that for most of my course I had no idea how I was getting on. I would go to lectures, visit the library, and attend tutorials, but I had no insight as to whether any of those things were making an impact in terms of my learning.
It was only at assessment time that I had any kind of idea, and by then it was too late to make any meaningful change. Due to this it was quite easy to become de-motivated, especially when having to deal with all the other stuff that comes with being a student – working, wellbeing issues, learning to live independently.
Of course, back then there was little in the way of learning technology, so the university would have found it difficult to know exactly how I was participating in my learning as well.
In today’s digital world there is no lack of this type of insight. However, the challenge now lies in gathering the right data to interpret and then act on it in the interest of student success.
Data can be an enabler for change, giving institutions a real-world view of how their students are doing, and empower them to put in place strategies to support their cohort. Many universities understandably focus these interventions on students who are identified as struggling.
However, it is not only those with low engagement that may be having issues or be in need of motivation to reach their full potential.
We all like to know when we are doing well, and for a student, external validation can really help with confidence and develop a sense of belonging. During the recent WonkHE Secret Life of Students event, this connectedness to university was highlighted as a challenge in the post-pandemic campus. Reassurance and positive reinforcement can act as motivators, and make sure students feel supported and not alone.
Engagement patterns have a natural ebb and flow. Students will fluctuate along this continuum – sometimes engaging a lot and sometimes less so. Of course, the question of what success looks like is as unique as the student themselves, and so the importance lies in recognising each student as an individual. They are not just numbers on a spreadsheet but people with their own challenges, pressures, and measures of success.
Looking at how a particular student fits alongside the rest of the student body can be where we see the outliers, those who are spending longer in the two extremes of engagement (very high and very low engagers). These are the students that often benefit the most from intervention strategies.
Disengagement is used as an indicator, signalling that a student needs additional support. Signposting to financial or wellbeing services, or even just a chat to talk through an issue can be enough to encourage the student to increase their engagement.
Engagement that is consistently very high can be indicative that a student could be at risk of burn out, need more guidance on where their efforts are best placed or deserve congratulating on their achievements and participation. And so, it is also important to reach out to these students to check that they are getting the support they need to be able to achieve their full potential.
For those students who fall somewhere in the middle of the engagement curve, it could indicate that they are doing just enough to get by but are capable of more. Universities can use this insight to send a message of encouragement and motivation. A simple “well done for your hard work this week” or pointers as to where to go to increase engagement, can help to keep students on track for success.
Student engagement analytics data should be the start of a conversation, giving tutors the insight, they need to see where a student may benefit from additional support, but also encourage and celebrate where students are engaging positively.
Many higher education institutions are looking at how they engagement data can help them to reach out to student groups across the engagement continuum – here are a few examples:
The University of Winchester has recently used engagement data in a positive way to encourage and celebrate higher engagers.
They have found that this approach has given the institution a way to encourage and support large sections of the cohort that otherwise may not be identified as having additional needs.
They are now able to pinpoint additional personal development opportunities such as coaching and mentoring or give reassurance whilst reinforcing positive engagement in a way they were previously unable to.
University College Birmingham has also been reaching out to their highly engaged students which has proved popular with students, with one commenting “Thank you, it’s things like this that keep students like me motivated. It’s really appreciated”
University of the West of England regularly reach out to their students with a wellbeing check. This approach allows students to respond with requests for assistance or provide the institution with reassurance that they are fine and keeping up with work.
This can help to foster the essential feeling of belonging, serving as a reminder to students that they are not alone. It also gives the university the opportunity to signpost where more support could be available if needed.
At Solutionpath we know that being a student is so much more than just turning up to class, and so our platform, StREAM, takes data sources from across a universities digital landscape to draw together a true picture of engagement for each student.
Presented to students and staff in a simple to view dashboard, the StREAM student engagement analytics platform makes it easy to see which students may benefit from help or encouragement to deliver on institutional student success initiatives, and drive change within your university.
How will you use data to enhance the learning experience for your students?
Written by Solutionpath’s Product Marketing Manager Jackie Sherlock I went to university a long time ago, longer than I care to mention, but when I reflect on that time, I realise that for most of my course I had no idea how I was getting on. I would go to lectures, visit the library, and attend […]
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