Open standards offer a path for higher education to better utilize student data

Colleges and universities find themselves at a critical juncture concerning student data management. While they possess a vast amount of information, utilizing this data effectively for significant changes remains a formidable task. According to a 2022 UCLA-MIT Press study, higher education faces difficulty in capturing and leveraging data effectively. The issue is attributed to a complex network of cultural, organizational, and infrastructural obstacles that render institutions "data-rich but insight-poor."

Suzanne Carbonaro, Vice President of Post-Secondary Education and Workforce Programs at 1EdTech Consortium, discussed these challenges with EdSurge. Carbonaro emphasized the existence of "data silos" where various systems such as learning applications and student information systems operate independently without communicating with each other. This leads to a "poor signal-to-noise ratio," as much of the data is unstructured.

Institutions also struggle with the cost of addressing these issues, as solving them often requires expensive tools or consultants. Cultural barriers, such as mistrust among faculty and privacy concerns, further hinder effective data use.

Carbonaro suggests that the adoption of open standards could help institutions make their data more actionable, drawing an analogy to "plumbing in a home." Interoperability standards like Caliper Analytics allow educational tools to work seamlessly without disruption.

One successful example of improved data management impacting student success is in pharmacy education, where real-time tracking of student performance enabled timely intervention. Comprehensive learner records have also helped students visualize their performance, facilitating better learning strategies.

To tackle these challenges, Carbonaro recommends that institutions "demand open standards" when procuring new tools, utilize pre-built pipelines, focus on real-time data, and ask the right questions upfront.

Despite progress, Carbonaro acknowledges that work remains. Building trust with faculty, providing professional development, ensuring privacy, and scaling solutions are areas that require ongoing attention.

1EdTech is committed to creating an innovative educational technology ecosystem, advocating for open standards to reduce complexity and expand learning opportunities worldwide.