1. NTU Student Dashboard CADQ/ IS Staff Briefings September 2014 www.ntu.ac.uk/ studentdashboard

2. www.ntu.ac.uk/studentdashboard

3. Overview Learning analytics & dashboards 2013-14 pilot What does the dashboard do? Ethics & access to student data How to use the dashboard What to expect in the next few weeks & support Future developments www.ntu.ac.uk/studentdashboard

4. Learning Analytics “Analytics” is a term used in business & science to refer to computational support for capturing digital data to help inform decision making... this extends to designing infrastructures to exploit rapid feedback, to inform more timely interventions, whose impact can in turn be monitored. Learning analytics appropriates this concept for education … –(UNESCO policy briefing on Learning Analytics, 2012) Very widespread use at college level Increasing interest from across the sector Potentially useful for improving: –Retention –Student experience –Saves time for staff

5. Why are we developing the dashboard? Potentially helps solve problems HERE Project: NTU, Bournemouth, Bradford (2008-2011) –Up to 1/3 of NTU 1 st years have considered leaving, report poorer quality experience –Factors associated with improved experience –Being known by staff, working relationships with staff, coping with the transition into HE Internal audit report (summer 2012) –Good overall retention, however patchy use of data for tutors & teaching staff IS sense checking in the market, testing the possibilities for technology (2012-13) –Strong interest in the sector, lessons coming from North America, lots of data being under-utilized After tendering process we are working with an external vendor, DTP SolutionPath, the dashboard is driven by HP Autonomy IDOL

6. Benefits for staff & students Early warning of the risk of disengagement & withdrawal –Appropriate retention Building a sense of belonging –Students want to feel known – may be particularly useful for groups with traditionally lower progression & attainment (male, BME, poorer SE backgrounds) Puts lots of information about students in the hands of tutors –Grades, Disability Access Statement, potential at risk factors Large scale analysis of behaviours –Warning students of risks of current levels of engagement Future developments –Feedback, attendance monitoring, possible diagnostic testing, increased planning tools

7. Who is the dashboard for? Primarily students and course tutorial tutors Both see identical screens However, all staff can input comments in free text boxes Based around course tutorial structure –To give manageable groups Other NTU staff can access & use it StudentTutor Academics on course Course administrators Student Support Services Limited library staff Limited careers staff

8. Dashboard Pilot (2013-14) 4 first year courses, 50 staff, 400 students (Sept-June) –Education, NBS, Social Sciences Student views –Can see potential benefits –Feel strongly positive about the dashboard –But also have strong concerns of abuse “Will this be used against me if I fail?” Staff views –Strongly positive –Dashboard not perfect, but can see how they can use it in own practice –Useful for relationship-building –Valuable to understand what happened to students who may be disengaging & may also have an impact on driving up engagement –For most staff use was considerably less than 30 minutes per week

9. Ethics

10. Student perspectives Students grant permission to use the dashboard as part of their enrolment conditions We’ve checked with legal services to ensure that current terms & conditions are appropriate We’ve communicated via a number of central communications channels As the primary use is between students and tutors, please would staff introduce it as part of new student/ returners inductions –We’ll forward a couple of slides via school contacts Low engagement – risk of labeling

11. Staff Access Apart from the engagement rating, staff already have access to all the data in the dashboard However, ease of access makes it important to impress the importance of data protection & privacy Staff computer use regulations make it an offence to abuse personal datacomputer use regulations Use of the dashboard is to support student experience

12. Access levels LevelAccessWho? 0Whole dashboardStudent Services, some library & careers staff, developers 1College levelCourse/ subject administrators 2School levelDeans, associate deans, QMs, LTCs etc. 3Division levelMost academics NB we are trying to capture staff who teach outside their division & school using timetabling software. Please be on the lookout to ensure you have the necessary access

13. Working with the dashboard

14. What does the dashboard do? NTU Student Dashboard Student biographical info, e.g. enrolment status Evidence of student engagement Door swipes (where appropriate) Library books NOW use Attendance at tutorials Dropbox submissions Academic history Staff view Student view Compares student engagement across the cohort & gives rating Can make comments in free text box Raises alerts!!

15. Log in Via My Tools in NOW or www.ntu.ac.uk/student dashboard www.ntu.ac.uk/student dashboard

16. Name Entry age Disability Access Statement Gender Home address Residency Entry qualifications Enrolment status Course name, level, & year Study mode Repeating Detail www.ntu.ac.uk/studentdashboard Points to note Sortable – each heading is dynamic

17. Points to note Disability Access Statement Other contact details Tutor name

18. Student Engagement Rating - Cumulative

19. Student Engagement Rating – week-week

20. Engagement based on student behaviour

23. Potentially useful if you inherit a new group Will be able to see how students are navigating their way through

24. Looking at student engagement

25. Three examples of withdrawn first year students 2012/13 Not in the pilot Different patterns of withdrawal, some may be more amenable to support/ early warning Patterns of disengagement & then withdrawal Early analysis looks like association between low engagement & withdrawal

26. Potential impact of responding to low engagement Tutor Notes 18/11/13 Concerned about student attendance. Emailed student to request a meeting : added on 20131120 for N0*****

27. Tutor Notes Arranged to see [student] as attendance was poor. We had an open and honest discussion about this and I explained to him the relationship between attendance and success! We talked about the barriers to his attendance, which related to too many late nights! Will meet again to review his attendance [tutor name] [student] has not attended my lectures for a few weeks. Emailed him to ask him to attend a one to one tutorial [tutor name]

28. Working with the dashboard www.ntu.ac.uk/studentdashboard

29. Staff working with the dashboard Would tutors please: Tutors check the mid-Sept email alert contains the right information Introduce the dashboard during induction/ welcome back Respond to the two automatic alerts Complete registers for tutorials in NOW Check in fortnightly, or whenever you meet individual students Use the dashboard & particularly the free text field during meetings with students (all staff) www.ntu.ac.uk/studentdashboard

30. What happens next From Monday 8 th September, the dashboard switches to 2014-15 –Staff ought to be able to log in and see the right students Wednesday 17 th all tutors will receive an email alerting them to their tutorial groups –Please log in before then and try out the dashboard Please start using the dashboard from the start of term If you can’t log in, have the wrong student students, please email studentdashboard@ntu.ac.uk studentdashboard@ntu.ac.uk

31. Future developments November – December 2014 – detailed analysis of student engagement data –Look at the pilot groups, start to look at cohorts with lower levels of engagement Explore bringing feedback into the dashboard Explore potential of analytics –Diagnostic testing –Risks associated with particular engagement patterns

32. Conclusions The dashboard is a real asset to students and tutors However, it’s only as useful if it’s used We are only starting to exploit this technology – we will be able to do a lot more in the future

33. Thanks for listening Discussion, questions?