Stonehill College is working to develop the institutions next strategic plan. As part of that process, several groups were formed to delve into specific areas of the plan. Recently, I've been participating in the Student Experience Group - the group looking at engagement on-campus, engagement off-campus, keeping students connected to the community, student retention, and the transformative nature of a Stonehill education. The group is considering which software might be effective in these efforts. How do we plan a student's experience and make sure they are exposed to ideas like internships, community service, and study abroad? How do we communicate as a community when we notice a student in trouble, either academically or physically? How do we quickly identify students who are academically at risk?
Naturally, one of the solutions we're studying is Blackboard Analytics for Learn. Stonehill recently converted to Blackboard 9 since our previous CMS was end-of-lifed. Included in the contract was Blackboard Analytics for Learn, a powerful analytics reporting tool which allows insight into class behavior. For instance - how often are students logging in? How does the behavior of 'A' students compare with that of 'B' students overall? One of the exciting aspects of this reporting is that, with enough participation by faculty, you could do away with the old mid-term grade process. If faculty are using Blackboard to track quizzes, tests, participation, etc. and using it for grading - Blackboard Analytics would let you see which students are in trouble. Not only that, analytics lets you see trends - so which student is struggling in a single class vs. which student is struggling in all of their classes? Since the analysis is based on real-time data, you could see a student who suddenly stops participating 2/3 of the way into a semester and direct resources to them. The mid-semester grade process is point-in-time, what are the students grades on October 15, for example. But what happens if the student has a personal crisis on October 18? Analytics gives you the flexibility to spot the trouble and try to remedy the situation.
However, there is some unexpected resistance. People, particularly faculty, are concerned with the idea that 'Big Brother' is watching. If you can use the tool to see student participation, it's not difficult to imagine looking to see which faculty are behind on grading, or don't give students adequate feedback. While we've always used the reporting tools we have responsibly and ethically - I can understand their concern. There is also the perception that education is becoming too business like. Some educators find the idea of processing data too impersonal or corporate.
In IT, my job is not just to install software, but to calm and educate our users. I truly believe these tools can transform our environment and provide a automatic safety net for students in trouble. My job is to convince people that while their concerns are valid, we are ethical custodians of the data. I need to show them that the benefits to faculty, to College planning, and especially to our students are worth the risk.
