Closing the data gap to drive student engagement
At the Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD), we’ve been focused on tackling a pressing challenge in Higher Education: how to improve the engagement of researchers in professional development and training programmes. It’s a concern that many universities share, and we’ve seen firsthand how outdated systems can hinder access to essential opportunities.
Postgraduate researchers and staff often struggle with navigating these systems, leading to reduced engagement. Without the right data and insights, it’s difficult to fully understand where engagement falls short or how to effectively address gaps in provision. This was exactly the situation we faced at DCAD.
Our previous system for managing researcher training wasn’t fit for purpose. It was difficult for users to search for and find relevant development opportunities, creating barriers for engagement. For our team, it added an administrative burden, and the limited data we could extract left us unable to plan or improve our offering effectively.
To address these issues, we partnered with Inkpath, a professional development platform, and took a phased approach to implementing the new system. We started with a focus on researchers and researcher training, identifying two key metrics for the first phase: how many users were signing up for training and how easily they could navigate the platform.
The results were striking. Within just eight weeks, we rolled out the new system, and in the first three months, sign-ups jumped from 600 to 1,000. This immediate increase made it clear how much more accessible development opportunities had become.
One of the standout features of Inkpath was its simplicity and user-friendliness. For the first time, students and staff could log in and quickly find the information they needed. From an administrative perspective, it saved us significant time and eliminated unnecessary complexity.
But what truly set it apart was the data. For the first time, we were able to collect detailed insights from students through post-workshop evaluations. Previously, our evaluation response rate was a mere 4.2%. After implementing Inkpath, that figure soared to 84.6%. The feedback we gathered provided a wealth of actionable insights.
Using this data, we were able to make informed decisions about how to structure our programmes. For example, we released a coordinated training programme at the start of the academic year, giving students and staff the ability to plan their professional development journeys more effectively.
We’ve shown that with the right tools and a commitment to using data-driven insights, we can significantly improve engagement. By leveraging this technology, we’ve made our training programmes more accessible and effective. The new data we’ve gathered allows us to continuously refine and evolve our offerings based on real-time feedback.
Looking ahead to phase two of the project, our focus is on improving attendance, increasing conversion rates, and broadening our programme to include more workshops. We’re also developing a data dashboard for senior management, which will enable even more strategic, long-term planning based on robust insights.
This experience has taught me that closing the engagement gap is possible, but it requires a willingness to rethink how we approach training and development. By putting data at the heart of our strategy, we’ve been able to achieve meaningful results.
As we expand this approach across the University, including for undergraduate and postgraduate taught students, I’m confident that we’ll see even greater improvements in engagement and student satisfaction.
Read More Data & Decision Making
