A year ago, generative AI like ChatGPT was barely on our radar. Today, the technology has moved into the mainstream. Universities are now trying to deal with the developments in terms of how it will impact workflows, job roles and education itself. 

Drawing on insight from a new Wonkhe/Solutionpath project, Rachel Maxwell and Debbie McVitty explore how universities are approaching the wicked problem of reimagining academic support.

Citing main reason is to improve student support by identifying students who might not necessarily seek help themselves.

A national survey has found that 80% of undergraduate students support the use of learning engagement analytics at higher education institutions, while almost three quarters (71%) of students agree that engagement data should be used to help universities understand what additional academic support individuals might need.

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) had a visit from the BBC and the Princess of Wales to showcase their great initiatives for student mental health and wellbeing support, including their use of learning analytics and their StREAM student engagement dashboard!

Digitisation is helping to shape the future of higher education, with many forward-thinking institutions implementing a range of technologies to support student engagement. However, the next step for many universities is to understand how their students are responding and leverage the data that is produced across this landscape to take positive action that impacts students’ success.

We must consider the targeted use of data and how it can support the provision of personal tutoring to aid conversations and improve student wellbeing.

Moving from student attendance as the sole measure of student engagement will allow universities to support those at risk of early withdrawal, says Richard Stock, Academic Registrar at the University of Essex

How ethical is it to utilise student data to help support their engagement?

Rachel Maxwell sets out the things to consider before setting up a system that tracks students’ attendance at scheduled teaching time.

Higher education institutions can utilise the data at their disposal to improve student retention and outcomes – but doing so in real time is key.