Could data on digital learning support student success?

Providing the right support at the right time has become increasingly vital for student success. 

To achieve this, universities need to get a clear understanding of what students want from their higher education experience, as well as what kinds of support they need to succeed, both academically and in terms of their mental health.

One area where big decisions will need to be made is around how and where universities should deliver teaching and learning. 

A mix of face-to-face and online learning can offer flexibility to an increasingly diverse student cohort, including those with part-time jobs or caring responsibilities. However, while some students have the independent learning skills they need to thrive learning online, others may struggle to stay focused, putting them at risk of falling behind.

Similarly, there are students who enjoy the experience of learning face-to-face in large groups. Others can find this group learning environment intimidating.

Striking the right balance is key to meeting students’ needs, so universities first need to get a clear understanding of which face-to-face experiences really matter to students and which services could be delivered digitally.

And arguably, the best way to find out what students need is to ask them.

Regular surveys are a useful way to gather the views of students on their university experience, but they have their limitations.

For example, if an academic runs a quick poll at the end of a face-to-face session, those students unable to attend the session on that day will miss out on sharing their opinions. 

Running a larger student survey across a department to capture a broader spectrum of views is another option, although this can be labour intensive, and responses will only ever come from those students who are willing and able to complete the questions. 

Universities can get a good overall view of what aspects of university life are important to students from the National Student Survey (NSS) too. However, this data alone only tells us about the experiences of a cohort that has already moved on to the next stage in their education or careers. This won’t help to identify and address the challenges of the students who need to be supported today.

So what can the sector do differently?

Surveys are a great source of insight, but there is also a wide range of data that already exists within universities that could be added to the mix.

Detail such as students’ grades, their engagement with online learning resources and even whether they have work or family commitments could also help to provide clarity on how teaching and learning could be delivered more effectively to help them progress. However, this information is often held in separate databases or recorded on spreadsheets managed by individual lecturers or support staff.

Bringing this wealth of information together and enabling it to be shared securely is key to creating a more complete picture of what students want and need from their institution.

Let’s say you’re teaching a class of first year students. If their schooling was disrupted by the pandemic, they may have started university without the analytical or problem-solving skills they need, or they may have not had as many opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers as previous cohorts. Finding this out halfway through the first semester means there’s less time available to get their progress back on track too.

Being able to view survey responses on students’ previous experiences and learning preferences, as well as the results of an assessment of their skills at the start of the course, would help ensure issues are flagged much sooner. This would help you to respond in a timely way to provide the most appropriate support tailored to the individual needs of the student. 

You’d also be able to make more informed decisions to maximise the benefit students gain from the time they spend on campus. For example, you could ask students to complete reading tasks and background research remotely, so that face-to-face teaching can be focused on activities that help to close skills gaps. 

Data can reveal a much more rounded picture of what students want and need from their institution when it’s viewed alongside other sources of information. 

Noticing changes in behaviour, such as a student no longer coming to campus regularly, participating in social events or accessing the resources available to them when they’re learning remotely, can help to identify red flags early on in their higher education journey. This means universities can take the right action at the right time to prevent a student from struggling academically, socially, or emotionally with university life.

The first step for the sector is to ensure the appropriate leadership and governance is in place to make this vision for information sharing a reality into 2023 and beyond.