THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA:

SUPPORTING STUDENT AND

ORGANISATIONAL DECISION-

MAKING

WHAT WE WILL COVER

The importance of data in:

• student decision-making

• organisational decision-making

Use of data: an example from Oxford Brookes

KEY INFORMATION SETS –

INFORMING CHOICE:

Key items of

information

What

students

want …

Where they

want it …

Making initial

comparisons

easier

STUDENT LED INFORMATION

INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL:

Bursaries, accommodation costs, Students’ Union data and fees

EMPLOYMENT:

Future employment and salary (DLHE) data and

professional body accreditation.

COURSE LEVEL:

Student satisfaction (NSS), Information on learning and

teaching and assessment.

It has the most

important information

there straight away

I think the idea is brilliant, there’s

nothing out there like it, everyone

will use it, anyone who’s in line for

university which is like thousands

and thousands of students, every

single one will use this

It kind of feels like the

website really wants to

help you in your decision

Report to HEFCE by Fluent Interaction

FOCUS

GROUPS:

USAGE SO FAR

5.2 million

page

views

280,000

unique

visitors

Average

duration

of visit –

almost 8

mins

REVIEW

Improving employment

outcomes information

Behavioural use of

information: a clearer

view on student

decision-making

NATIONAL

STUDENT

SURVEY: A

REMINDER

Annual

survey since

2005

Covering:

Teaching on my Course

Assessment and Feedback

Academic Support

Organisation & Management

Learning Resources

Personal Development

Students Union

Assessment and

feedback:

Year on year improvement

2007

62% satisfied

2008 & 2009

64% satisfied

2010

66% satisfied

2011

68% satisfied

2012

70% satisfied

2013

72% satisfied

Overall

satisfaction

the highest

in 9 years

LEADING CHANGE

17,000 more

respondents

than in 2012

National Student Survey

review underway

Deadline for responses was

13 November.

NEXT STEPS

Need to ensure it is fit for

purpose and reflects

changes in HE.

DATA IN ORGANISATIONAL DECISION-

MAKING:

CONTEXTUALISED ADMISSIONS

THE ROBBINS

REPORT

50 YEARS ON

The ‘Robbins principle’

‘courses of higher education

should be available for all

those who are qualified by

ability and attainment to

pursue them and who wish to

do so’

‘modern societies can[not] achieve their aims of economic growth and higher cultural standards without making the most of the talents of their citizens.’

FAIR ACCESS TO

HIGHER EDUCATION…

WHY IT MATTERS

‘…it’s obvious when students come to study with us that the brightest sparks do not always come with the best results.’

Contextualised Admissions: Examining the Evidence

‘A degree is one of the best

guarantees of stable

employment and economic

security over a lifetime.’

State of the Nation: Social

Mobility and Child Poverty in

Great Britain

WHERE WE ARE

‘Learners with University-

educated parents were

found to be five times more

likely to reach higher

education than those from

disadvantaged

backgrounds.’

Contextualised Admissions:

Examining the Evidence

‘You can see differences,

for example in personal

statements… there is more

‘grooming’ in independent

schools which have more

experience to give better

careers advice, support

and preparation.’

THE CHALLENGES

Student

Number

Controls:

ABBs

Media coverage

‘Top universities are secretly

admitting poor students with

lower entry grades amid

growing political pressure to

boost access to higher

education’

The Telegraph

Could aid

social

mobility

Facilitates

reaching

targets

Helps identify applicants who may

benefit from additional support

Helps assess

applicants for

financial

support

Supports the

applicant

experience

Enhances

the

diversity of

the student

body

Widens

participation

THE

BENEFITS

Improves

calibre of

entrants

through

identifying

potential

USING

INFORMATION AT

AN INSTITUTION

LEVEL:

THE BROOKES

EXPERIENCE

BROOKES ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE TRACKING:

STUDENT:

Level, mode, gender, age, ethnicity, socio -

demographics, academic programme

PLUS

ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE:

Intake numbers, tariff entry,

progression, retention, degree classification, first

destination etc

WHAT

DATA?

IMPROVING

DECISION

MAKING:

One version

of the ‘truth’

In the hands

of those

responsible

at all levels

Puts time &

emphasis in

right place

SOME

OUTCOMES:

… student experience development

and operational planning

Agreement on

what academic

performance

means

Brookes-wide

benchmarks

Department

heads can

monitor their

contribution to

targets &

issues can be

solved more

quickly

MEETING STUDENT

NEEDS

Data is vital to:

• Enable informed decision-making

• Act as a catalyst for change

It is additional work, but it is having an

effect.

QUESTIONS?