5 Institutions Building Data Literacy to Support Student Success

A new cohort of higher education institutions is delving into the use of data to improve retention and completion through the Data Literacy Institute, a program developed by the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) and offered by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) as part of its Powered by Publics initiative. This fall, Bowling Green State University, Illinois State University, Miami University of Ohio, Tennessee State University and the University of Maine will each convene cross-departmental teams of up to 20 participants who will learn and apply data literacy skills to a unique student success challenge at their institution, according to a news announcement.

The Data Literacy Institute launched in 2020 with the goal of helping APLU member campuses better use data to boost student success. During the 12-month program, participants engage in virtual training through a peer-learning community designed to help them become more comfortable using data, feel more confident talking about it, and in turn make data-driven decisions that lead to better student outcomes. Ultimately, AIR aims to develop a program model that will be continued at participating institutions and available for adoption by other colleges and universities across the country, the organization explained.

"Public universities have long recognized the immense value of using data to track and improve student success, especially for students from underserved populations,"commented Denise Nadasen, assistant vice president of institutional data and analytics at APLU, in a prepared statement. "The Data Literacy Institute will work to bolster data literacy not just in Institutional Research offices, but across campus and especially among key decision-makers. A greater and improved use of data can make a real difference in a university's ability to help more students succeed."

"Unlocking the tremendous potential of data to inform better decisions and increase the success of all students requires universities to invest in the knowledge and skills of faculty and staff,"added Christine Keller, AIR's executive director & CEO. "The Data Literacy Institute is an important step in recognizing the importance of institutional-wide data literacy and its role in building stronger connections among data providers and data users to close equity gaps for the benefit of students."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • pattern featuring interconnected lines, nodes, lock icons, and cogwheels

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.5 Expands Automation, Security

    Open source solution provider Red Hat has introduced Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9.5, the latest version of its flagship Linux platform.

  • glowing lines connecting colorful nodes on a deep blue and black gradient background

    Juniper Launches AI-Native Networking and Security Management Platform

    Juniper Networks has introduced a new solution that integrates security and networking management under a unified cloud and artificial intelligence engine.

  • a digital lock symbol is cracked and breaking apart into dollar signs

    Ransomware Costs Schools Nearly $550,000 per Day of Downtime

    New data from cybersecurity research firm Comparitech quantifies the damage caused by ransomware attacks on educational institutions.

  • landscape photo with an AI rubber stamp on top

    California AI Watermarking Bill Garners OpenAI Support

    ChatGPT creator OpenAI is backing a California bill that would require tech companies to label AI-generated content in the form of a digital "watermark." The proposed legislation, known as the "California Digital Content Provenance Standards" (AB 3211), aims to ensure transparency in digital media by identifying content created through artificial intelligence. This requirement would apply to a broad range of AI-generated material, from harmless memes to deepfakes that could be used to spread misinformation about political candidates.