Data conference puts the spotlight on student experience

David Boyle will draw on his experience of using analytics in presidential campaigns, the music industry as well as in the luxury retail store.

He will speak at the Jisc-supported Data Matters education conference in London, 16 January 2019.

Delegates will also experience a range of workshops showing how data can be turned into useful insights for university staff.

The event is the second Data Matters conference and the latest collaboration by the M5 group, comprising Jisc, the Quality Assurance Agency for higher education (QAA), and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Paul Hazell, evaluation and analytics manager at QAA, said:

“The higher education sector is not alone in using data to improve performance and provide insight. We can and should learn from other sectors: that’s where innovation happens.

“We should be able to translate some of that innovation into improvements for our students.” 

Delegates will also hear from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and find out about QAA’s latest research into whether social media reviews could have a role to play in determining quality.

The workshops include:

• Learning analytics – tales from the front line
• Weaving narrative and numbers to create a pattern of student success
• Data futures – the benefits it will bring
• Data-informed enhancement of student wellbeing
• The intelligent campus

Jisc’s head of higher education and student experience, Sarah Davies, said:

“I’m really excited that this year’s conference is focused on the use of data to support the student experience.

“One of the great strengths of this event is to bring together staff from a wide range of different roles in HE to explore how we can make most effective use of data for the benefit of students.

“There are plenty of workshop sessions for both data beginners and experts, and which allow delegates to discuss experiences and take new perspectives back to their institution.”

 Find out more about the event and book your place on the QAA website.