Seminar 10A - Using CMS Activity of Good Students to Raise Awareness of Underperforming Peers

Increasingly, many institutions are using IT in a way known as "academic analytics." Typically associated with business, analytics is now being used in higher education to identify students who may be at risk by studying academic preparation, demographic, and performance data. The problem this workshop will explore—and illustrate with examples from Purdue University and UMBC—is how to apply academic analytics to form interventions that motivate underperforming students to seek or accept help, without raising concerns about their privacy or "profiling." Even if our data models are highly predictive, how do we convey insight in a way that underperforming students will not dismiss or misunderstand? How can the data be provided to students, faculty, and help resources in a meaningful and actionable way? Participants will explore issues and opportunities in developing their own analytics initiatives and effective practices leveraging any learning management system.