Addressing the Limitations of Experience-Driven Interventions with a Data-Informed Strategy
Despite people’s best intentions, relying too heavily on experiential knowledge can lead to inconsistent and potentially ineffective interventions. This is because it might not capture a complete picture of where students are in their learning journeys or what they need. “The accuracy will really depend on how much experience the lecturer has, and that may not be consistent across faculties,” says Percy.
Taking a data-driven approach is essential for ensuring the support is as equitable and effective as possible.
Since 2020, TP implemented ALERT, an approach that was conceptualised by Polytechnics and ITE (POLITE) in Singapore utilising diagnostic assessments to identify students requiring targeted support. “With the right set of questions, our ALERT quiz can easily identify the students that need support and provide timely interventions for them,” Percy says.
Operationalising ALERT: From Data Collection to Actionable Insights
When TP initially implemented ALERT, it employed forms and spreadsheets to gather and track data. Implementing a learning management system, D2L Brightspace, in 2022 helped to facilitate a consolidation of data and enabled a more comprehensive monitoring of student progression.
“With D2L Brightspace, ALERT turns student data into real-time action,” Percy says.
The Subject Leaders’ Dashboard, a customised dashboard developed by TP that is powered by D2L’s Insights Report Builder, provides educators with the capacity to:
- identify at-risk students, facilitating rapid identification of students needing immediate support
- conduct granular analysis, enabling detailed examination of specific learning challenges
- analyse cognitive processes, providing insights into student thought processes through response analysis
Diagnostic questions, for instance, may assess comprehension of fundamental concepts that help educators identify specific areas of misunderstanding. Similarly, visualisations within the dashboard allow for the tracking of students’ progress over time to reveal patterns and trends.
Percy provides a concrete example from his own class, where ALERT identified struggling students early in the semester, enabling timely and effective interventions that would have otherwise been missed.
Exploring Implementation Strategies and Outcomes
TP’s Digitalisation Plan, of which ALERT was a part, has been instrumental in cultivating a data-driven culture. TP’s Digitalisation Plan aims to create a digital campus, develop staff digital capabilities, and leverage digital tools and technology to transform teaching, learning and administrative processes.
Staff underwent 20 hours of training on learning analytics, intervention design and data preparation—minimising implementation resistance.
The success of ALERT, leveraging Brightspace, is evident in:
- 86% of staff reporting enhanced confidence in utilising learning analytics
- 84% of staff confirming ALERT’s effectiveness in identifying student learning gaps
- positive student feedback regarding the personalised support they received
TP values the partnership with D2L. Through the bi-weekly meetings with the Technical Accounts Manager (TAM), D2L seeks to understand TP’s pain points and make effort to resolve them besides providing TP with regular system updates. The Customer Success Manager (CSM) listens and helps communicate TP’s use cases to the core team to improve system functionality.
Strategic Recommendations for Higher Education Institutions
Percy recommends the following strategies for institutions seeking to enhance student support:
- Invest in Faculty Development: Prioritise the development of digital literacy and analytics skills among faculty.
- Encourage a Data-Driven Culture: Integrate learning analytics into institutional decision-making processes.
- Develop Targeted Diagnostic Instruments: Create assessments that accurately identify student learning needs.
TP’s vision of “Creating Tomorrow” underscores its commitment to equip students with the skills necessary for their future world of work. Now more than ever, data is playing a significant role in bringing that vision to life.