Institutional data use
September 2024
Higher education providers collect a wide range of data about their students such as demographics, class attendance, interaction with virtual learning environments, and attainment. This data can be used to evaluate the success of these interventions but these evaluations are often limited in scope due to issues with fragmented data infrastructures and data inconsistencies.
We have launched a report and several tools to help providers use their institutional data to better evaluate the success of their interventions. These interventions aim to support student success and reduce equality gaps, and include activities such as transition support, mentoring and academic skills support.
Institutional data use: resources
To help the sector generate evidence about what works to support student success we worked with four providers – University of Huddersfield, Lancaster University, Nottingham Trent University and University of East Anglia – who provided institutional data, including student engagement with specific support interventions, for evaluation.
A team from Staffordshire University has independently evaluated this work.
We have published the following resources:
- Report: Facilitating analysis of institutional data: practical steps for providers (PDF)
- Data infrastructure guide (GitHub interactive resource)
- Post-entry Mapping Outcomes and Activities Tool (MOAT)
University of Huddersfield: Score As I Learn (SAIL)
- Enhanced Theory of Change (PDF)
- Trial protocol (PDF)
- Impact evaluation (PDF)
- Implementation and process evaluation (PDF)
Lancaster University: Lancaster Success Programme
- Enhanced Theory of Change (PDF)
- Trial protocol (PDF)
- Impact evaluation (PDF)
- Implementation and process evaluation (PDF)
Nottingham Trent University: Black Leadership Programme
- Enhanced Theory of Change (PDF)
- Trial protocol (PDF)
- Impact evaluation (PDF)
- Implementation and process evaluation (PDF)