2024 AIRUM Concurrent Sessions Listing
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
1:30 pm - 2:15 - 2:30 pm - 3:15 - 3:30 pm - 4:15
Downloadable PDF version: Sessions Listing
1:30 pm - 2:15
1. Low Cost Dashboards for Visualizing Data and Supporting Decisions
Presenters:
Sally Gerlach, Hamline University
Tracy Williams, Hamline University
Description: While many software options supporting data visualization are available to institutions, budget constraints can make it difficult to fully adopt these tools. To be able to provide data on variables that influence student success in formats that are usable by all faculty, staff, and administrators, Hamline has used Google Looker Studio, a free tool that allows for the easy creation of interactive visualizations to aid in making data-informed decisions. We built dashboards to visualize and analyze disaggregated data on student learning outcome assessment, final grade distribution, and retention and completion rates. The data can be easily tracked at different levels, from individual courses to programs, as well as campus-wide general education requirements, and disaggregated for various student demographic and enrollment characteristics. In this session, presenters will share examples of dashboards created using Google Looker Studio, then lead attendees through a hands-on demonstration of the tool. Ideally, attendees will have a Google account and bring a computer to follow the demonstration and learn the basics of using Google Looker Studio. They will have access to presentation slides for future reference.
2. Perfect is the Enemy of Good: Creating and Using a 'Good Enough' Retention Prediction Index
Presenter: Lauren Feiler, St. Olaf College
Description: This presentation is meant for attendees who do not have the time or resources to create a sophisticated system for predicting retention. It will show how an index built around student engagement has been working to predict and help prevent attrition for First-Years and Sophomores, despite being developed with educated guesses rather than a statistical model.
3. Switching the Lens for Another: Rescoring Persistence & Completion Data for Student Responses to Race/Ethnicity
Presenters:
Nancy Floyd, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Tabatha Ries-Miller, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Description: Expanding on our 2022 presentation "Changing the Lens," we will summarize a year's worth of system enrollment and persistence and completion data by unique categories representing student responses to the two-format race/ethnicity data collection format, dispensing altogether with any of the required IPEDS rollup of that data. In other words, not only will all American Indian/Alaska Native students be represented, so will Asian students, Black/African American students, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific islander students, irrespective of their citizenship/residency statuses or their response to the question about Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. We will also talk about appropriate denominators, how that actually preserves individual student privacy even in small cells, and recalculate equity gaps to more accurately reflect the way students navigate their classes and campuses.
4. Who's Your Neighbor? Using Nearest-Neighbor Matching to Evaluate Intervention Effectiveness
Presenter: Michelle Borckardt, Gateway Technical College
Description: This presentation will dive into the use of nearest-neighbor matching in evaluating the effectiveness of our college's tutoring program. Before we discovered this methodology, we did not have a consistent, reliable way to assess the outcomes of students who use a voluntary intervention such as tutoring. We could not compare students using tutoring with those who did not use tutoring due to confounding variables. When we discovered nearest-neighbor matching, this provided the solution we were looking for! Nearest-neighbor matching provides a suitable comparison group that allows valid comparisons between treatment and control groups, meeting standards for a quasi-experimental design. This has revolutionized how our institution assesses program outcomes across the college and has also driven greater college-wide interest in outcomes assessment. This also provides rigorous data that can be used on grant applications to seek sustained funding for student support programs.
This presentation will provide an overview of the theory behind nearest-neighbor matching and describe how we used this technique to assess the benefits of tutoring on student retention, graduation, and course outcomes. It will also discuss the positive impact this has had on the assessment culture at our institution. Finally, it will demonstrate how to conduct nearest-neighbor matching in SPSS
2:30 pm - 3:15
5. The Storyteller's Toolkit: Unleashing the Power of Data
Presenter: Kristina Church, College of St. Scholastica
Description: In this interactive session, we'll explore how data storytelling is a vital skill for professionals aiming to unlock their data's potential and make a lasting impact. We'll begin by discussing the concept of data storytelling, examining its evolution from ancient hieroglyphics and oral traditions to modern digital visualization tools. Understanding this history helps us appreciate how storytelling and data have always been interconnected. Next, we'll delve into the importance of knowing your audience. Tailoring the message to meet the audience's needs can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your data presentation. We'll consider different audience types and discuss strategies for engaging them.
The session's primary focus will be best practices in data visualization. We'll examine various visualization types, including tables, bar graphs, line charts, and scatterplots. Through practical examples, we'll highlight common pitfalls and demonstrate techniques for creating clear, compelling visual narratives. Throughout the presentation, we'll engage in interactive, quick exercises and discussions to reinforce key concepts. By the end, the audience will have a toolkit of techniques to transform data into powerful stories that inform and inspire action.
7. What has Minnesota been doing? Updates on the Direct Admission program, the 2024-2025 FAFSA rollout, Credentials of Value, and the Impact They May Have on Students and Border States
Presenters:
Aaron Salasek, MN Office of Higher Education
Nicole Whelan, MN Office of Higher Education
Steve Rogness, MN Office of Higher Education
Description: The Minnesota Office of Higher Education will present updates on: Direct Admissions, Minnesota's proactive admissions program for HS seniors, uses existing K-12 data to review each student's academic performance and aligns it to admissions criteria. Students receive a letter in early fall indicating which colleges will admit them so they can reserve their spot. Direct Admissions seeks to increase college-going by jump starting the process and removing self-selection bias.
OHE will provide an update of the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) rollout, FAFSA completion rates, and the impact on state financial aid.
In 2023 the Credentials of Value workgroup of the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership proposed a framework of quality and value criteria that can be applied across degree and non-degree credentials. In addition, the Minnesota legislature expanded the state's educational attainment goal to include industry-recognized credentials. OHE will update attendees on efforts to expand the scope of credential data and outcomes analysis.
Attendees will gain a greater understanding of several Minnesota programs and initiatives, the effects on targeted or effected student population, and be able to ask questions to gauge how each program may impact enrollment at their institution.
8. Putting the End User First: Enhancing Efficiency and User Experience in the IR/IE Office
Presenters:
Trent Brager, University of St. Thomas
Bryan Helminiak, University of St. Thomas
Description: In the fast-paced environment of IR/IE offices, where the demands of data management and reporting take precedence, the crucial element of user experience can be relegated to the background. Amidst our competing priorities and demands, the end user experience can inadvertently be overlooked. However, at the University of St. Thomas, we recognized the significance of prioritizing the end user's needs and experience in all facets of our operations.
In this session, we will examine our journey of revitalizing our IR/IE office's digital infrastructure, including our website and ticketing system, through a comprehensive approach centered on the end user. Through data collection and analysis, we identified pain points, preferences, and opportunities for improvement. Armed with these insights, we executed a strategic overhaul, streamlining processes and implementing a user-focused design.
The initial outcomes indicate that our efforts have been well received. By placing emphasis on the end user, we are beginning to experience enhanced efficiency of our operations and have established a more intuitive and user-friendly experience across our platforms. Join us as we share our strategies, challenges, and successes in aligning IR/IE practices with the needs of our stakeholders, ultimately increasing our efficiency and user satisfaction.
3:30 pm - 4:15
9. Using Data Visualizations to Evaluate Data Aggregation Models and Refine Clinical Graduation Requirements
Presenters:
Christopher Petrie, Northwestern Health Sciences University
Christopher Smoley, Northwestern Health Sciences University
Description: Assessment and curriculum committees for one the institution's clinical programs recently undertook the task of reviewing the assessment data aggregation methodology and the qualitative and quantitative graduation clinical requirements. To aid the process of evaluating the data aggregation model in use, anonymized assessment data from the existing assessment system used to collect competency ratings covering accreditor competency outcomes were aggregated using several different aggregation models. Resulting aggregated competency ratings were plotted over time and by sequenced rating order along with the latest score entry. Aggregation models were reviewed combined across all students and randomly selected individualized data within a specific MCO. Differences in aggregated ratings were compared against the most recent score along with examining the length of time covered by contributing scores in each model. To aid review the program's clinical requirements for graduation, data visualizations were created plotting competency scores (min, max, and average) compared to quantity performed. In addition, to reviewing the effect of changing the number required, the effect of changing the required minimum competency score for completion was also examined. In both cases, the data visualizations facilitated a greater understanding of the need for a change along with helping identify what changes to make.
10. RISE 2027- Elevating the Role of IR/IE in Strategic Planning at Viterbo University
Presenters:
Timothy Schorr, Viterbo University
Naomi Stennes-Spidahl, Viterbo University
Description: In July 2021, Viterbo University launched a new Division of Institutional Effectiveness by aligning the offices for assessment, institutional research, instructional support services, and the library under a unified vision and structure. The model was designed to: (1) assure and advance the university's mission through systematic review and continuous improvement of educational programs, support services, and administrative functions; (2) utilize systems of evaluation for data-informed decision making; and (3) expand institutional capacity for effective strategic planning. Upon his appointment as 10th President of Viterbo in 2022, Dr. Richard Trietley charged IR/IE to develop, implement, monitor, and champion Strategic Plan 2027 RISE. This elevated role included building collaborative relationships with members of Cabinet, creating a leadership framework, grounding the work in best practices, and fostering an institutional culture of adaptive, integrated, and data-informed planning. IR/IE also led the development of a communication plan, strategic KPIs and priority success metrics, and a RISE dashboard. This presentation will highlight the challenges, opportunities, success, and missteps that Viterbo's Director of IR and Assistant Vice President for IE encountered as lead architects of RISE, co-chairs of the Steering Committee, and the faces of institutional strategic planning.
11. Filling the Gaps With SLEDS
Presenter: Erin Osborn, Century College
Description: Minnesota's Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) matches student data from pre-kindergarten through K12, post-secondary, and into the workforce. Colleges/universities can access these data for their students using SLEDS secure reports: deidentified student-level data files, which can be used to answer various research questions.
Although these data cannot be directly matched to institutional student records, there are many ways SLEDS can be used to augment existing institutional data. For example, most colleges conduct graduate follow-up surveys which provide a snapshot of employment at a single point in time post-graduation. SLEDS provides annual employment data out to 10 years post-graduation, which gives colleges the opportunity to analyze long-term employment outcomes in addition to the data collected from follow-up surveys.
SLEDS also connects students to their K12 records, which contain various demographic information that may be incomplete or not collected at a college. For example, SLEDS can be used to identify whether students had an IEP (individualized education program) or received special education services in K12: this can supplement data that may be collected by a college's accessibility office/center.
This presentation will highlight examples (such as those listed above) of how SLEDS has been used to fill the gaps in IR reporting.
12. Shared Vision, Shared Success: Collaborative Survey Efforts in Technical Colleges
Presenters:
Kira Guetschow, Western Technical College
Chris Feit, Northcentral Technical College
Description: Building on the 'mini survey' initiatives explored at AIRUM, a pilot group of four colleges within the Wisconsin Technical College System embarked on a collaborative effort to benchmark student experiences. Recognizing the power of shared insights and data, these institutions united to conduct short, focused surveys. This initiative aimed to identify strengths, areas for improvement, and best practices across the participating colleges.
In this presentation, we will delve into the survey process, highlighting the implementation strategies that facilitated effective data collection and analysis. By pooling resources and expertise, the colleges have used the data for future planning. Key findings from these surveys will be shared to illustrate how we benchmarked the data for future tracking, continuous improvement, and shared learning across the system. This session will inspire other institutions to consider implementing similar collaborative approaches to benchmarking and data-driven improvement (or even to join this one!).
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