How data analytics can enhance educational experience

Institutions can gain a lot by investing in data management platforms; insufficient access to technology and modern data cloud platforms is widening the existing gap between public and private educational institutions

Smart data analysis and data intelligence can make education more engaging and fruitful. India has one of the largest higher education systems in the world—second in terms of the higher education network—comprising of over 1,000 universities and more than 42,000 colleges. These institutions can resolve certain challenges at the heart of the education landscape by exploring the benefits of data analysis.

Cost-effective platform

Insufficient access to technology and modern data cloud platforms is widening the existing gap between public and private educational institutions. By accessing and sharing valued information with students, fellow educators, broader networks and partners in real-time, institutions can unlock optimum utilisation of resources and higher productivity beyond mere quantitative expansion.

To transform learning, institutions must be open to exploring new data sources and mediums of knowledge while simultaneously developing the ability to better manage the huge volumes of data generated through these new tools and channels. Comprehensive data analytics empowers students and researchers to extract critical insights and power learning excellence and collaboration. Several routine operations can be accelerated and automated, creating value-for-money at every stage of the education process.

Teaching driven by AI

For decades, educators have been facing challenges in managing large amounts of student data and learning content physically. Also managing diverse student needs calls for the capacity to carry out ad hoc, fast analysis, secure data back-ups, and enable seamless global data access.

A resilient data infrastructure and powerful data-warehousing capabilities over the cloud can cater to these requirements and ensure that educators are not overburdened and can spend time on high value activities rather than routine data administration or maintenance issues. This also contributes to retaining skilful teachers and providing them with deserving growth opportunities.

Streamlined data analytics and its application to gauge human behaviour and preferences can enable institutions create and leverage adaptive learning tools, explore game-based models and visual learning environments across levels. It can help prepare educators to study test results, develop personalised learning strategies and nourish each student’s unique requirements, empowering them to chase their intrinsic areas of interest.

Establishing a culture of data-driven teaching, lesson planning and measurable outcomes also enable educators to create sustainable value for students by delivering a deeper understanding of concepts, purposeful learning centred around students, and increasing knowledge by going beyond unproductive, traditional rote-learning practices. This can transform the way students access and absorb learning.

Equipping students

With an organised overview of structured and semi-structured data, teachers can be in a better place to implement improved lesson strategies that are beneficial and interactive. Teachers can then equip students to connect the dots across different courses and increase student performance by supporting their needs on a timely and consistent basis. Underpinned by an improved and reliable system, teachers can minimise achievement gaps over time, based on social and income backgrounds, leading to increased education equality by creating a fair-playing field for all students. Data-driven decision-making in classrooms and outside in such a manner can support institutions to accomplish important goals as outlined by reforms in the National Education Policy 2020 along with the goals of inclusivity and equitable quality education as aimed by the UNICEF for India.

By investing in expert data management platforms, institutions can exceed competitive standards, record best practices that generate results, and improve governance with easy processing and avoidance of administrative bottlenecks.

High-quality education not only improves the calibre of human capital by instilling the right skills and confidence, and widening the rate of employment, but also contributes to every individual’s personal growth. With advanced data analytics carving the way forward for education in India, educators can successfully leverage a targeted approach to overcome key challenges and bolster the foundation for an innovative tomorrow.

Source | Financial Express | 21 February 2022

 

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Librarian                                                                                                                                  Rizvi Institute of Management