Dive Brief:
- A new report available to Eduventures subscribers, titled "Deep Dive: Analytics Market Overview," explores the increasingly complicated higher ed analytics market.
- According to Campus Technology, the report categorizes several dozen solutions — the approaches of which vary from a simple focus on single "student lifecycle" areas to broad enterprise suites such as CRMs or ERPs — into learning analytics or operational analytics tools.
- The report is meant to give institutions a greater sense of what to look for when evaluating their needs, whether they pull data from multiple or limited sources, or come "bundled" or "standalone," and it evaluates strengths and weaknesses of several offerings.
Dive Insight:
As colleges and universities face increasing pressure from lawmakers and other stakeholders to demonstrate their value, big data has become big business for higher ed. With some states tying higher ed funding to performance (a move that arguably perpetuates the sector's funding and performance inequities), institutions have become more dependent on tools that provide tangible data to back up metrics including graduation and retention rates.
But navigating an increasingly crowded market for the best fit can prove challenging. If you already have a system in place that does well providing data in a few areas but want to expand, you might find yourself considering a broader platform that replaces what already works well in a few areas and feels comfortable. Or you might have to consider adding even more platforms alongside the existing one if you feel it's the absolute best fit for what it does. Resources like the Eduventures report can prove invaluable in navigating such a difficult (and potentially costly) decision.