… and risks. Starting this article with what we find to be an essential premise: data collection and employment must be done under a framework that puts privacy and confidentiality at the very top. Informed consent, anonymization whenever necessary as well as awareness in terms of potential data bias are the pillars of ethical data collection.

Data has a transformative power. There are clearly no doubts about this.

Within the context of the last 4 years, many sectors found themselves in the “fast-forward-digitalization” train and clearly the Education sector has also been drastically transformed. The dust hasn’t fully settled and the advances in AI are now sending new waves of shock through the education systems and institutions all over the world.

So, let’s bring Education under the limelight, from a digitalization, and implicitly, data point of view. On this ongoing journey, we find institutions who have had quite different starting points but, surely, the whole education industry has been disrupted and experienced a dramatic push into a “new normal”. In this new context full of unknown, having or not having a data strategy in place, one relevant to the size and goals of each education institution, will position them further back or further ahead on the journey towards streamlined processes, content students and staff.

Let's consider a few scenarios within the private education sector and the data-related challenges and opportunities that most commonly arise, in one or several of the below data strategy stages:

Data collection - definition of data points, processes to collect data in an ethical way.

Data health - overall data accuracy and uniformization.

Data integration - the availability and correlation, its readiness to be reported on in a meaningful way.

Data literacy - having the skills & tech to analyze the data, build business intelligence reports and draw substantial insights.

Data employment - the resources to make data-driven decisions, to take action based on these, monitor and keep feeding back “into the system” the results and identify new areas of improvement.

1. Data Challenges & Opportunities Within Education Institutions with a Sales Heart

Private Edu orgs are naturally more business oriented hence also more prone to adopting digital and data practice.

Some of the private education and training institutions have a sales-driven core. They actively and intensely promote their offering with the objective of generating leads, nurturing and gently nudging prospects down the sales funnel. Generally this type of Edu organizations rely on high enrollment volumes to keep their business going. Think of a global language learning organization with multiple programs, diverse target audiences, an online offering as well as brick-and mortar schools all over the world.

In such realities, digitized processes, digital media and online marketing were already well in place way before the pandemic. Implicitly, data collection as well as data reporting were also present. So, where can the data chasm be and what are the opportunities for sales-driven education organizations?

Data uniformization and the single source of truth - a clear challenge

Many data points and many data points of view. Does that sound familiar to some of you? Specific generally to bigger organizations, with data collection that goes well back in time, is the problem of harmonizing, integrating and validating the data guiding decision-making and investments. Many data lakes, a combination of legacy “hard-to drop” systems, a myriad of integrations and data angles and just as many data owners and data perspectives. Most perfect conditions for havoc in data heaven.

Interesting opportunities for alignment and data processing speed

Data Alignment, both in the collection and reporting stage, is essential for a coherent use of data. Bigger organization can find a good opportunity in revising all data points and re-evaluating their relevance for the business. Reaching a common understanding around data is another important step to be made.

Data Processing - still looking at reports from “last month”? Complex reporting requires data crunching, slicing and dicing but before… data uniformization and integration. If the latter takes a lot of time and resources, it is probably a good time to reconsider the tech stack and look for opportunities to consolidate. Data silos are clearly blocking marketing and sales success. It will never look like a good moment to leave behind that tech legacy but, in the long run the effort will most probably be repaid in full. How about a capable CRM solution with native or easy to integrate modules for marketing data, customer care and operations capabilities?

New Data Opportunities - while marketing and recruitment were already driven mostly digitally, the last few years have demanded also for a digital delivery of the classes. Such advances are opening the door to gathering and analyzing educational data, both quantitative and quantitative. Ultimately, combining these new data points enables an in-depth insight into the students strengths and needs, guiding an eventual targeted learning approach to enhance academic success. Of course, we are talking about sensitive data and new regulations need to be designed in order to guide such data practices.

2. Data Gaps & Opportunities within Education Institutions with a Traditional Heart

Traditional schools might have not prioritized their digital strategy but this doesn't mean they do not have data in house.

Imagine a historical, small-capacity, exclusive private boarding school situated in the Swiss Alps. Clearly a different type of business model with elements of marketing, pricing and intake that are poles apart from the category mentioned before. A place where alumni referrals and a schools fair or two are enough to occupy the open seats for the upcoming year. An education institution where the focus is on personal and direct contact throughout the admissions and enrollment process, one where the center of attention is put on the in-school operations and experience. Of course, exclusivity, reflected both in the pricing and the size of the student body, allows for a constant personal touch.

It’s quite easy to imagine where the data gaps lie in this scenario.

Data Availability and Readiness - gaps and bridges must be addressed

While surely data has been collected, is it in a format easy to access, revise and “exploit”? Data fragmentation is a problem that requires quite some effort and hassle to be addressed. If the marketing team, looking to reconnect with the alumni and raise funds for the school, wants to send an email to all school graduates of the last 5 years and inform them about an auction event, would that be doable in a few clicks?

Lots of opportunities to make fast progress without breaking that historical heart

Digitalization and data storage - bringing online all contact, admissions and enrollment processes not only will save time (without the need to lose the human, personal touch) but will also set the stage for a more organized way to collect and store data.

Data integration and accessibility - centralizing data in one, or a few integrated platforms, will simplify and structure access to data so that each department will be able to keep doing their job without chasing data across campus and archives. Additionally, a set-up of this sort will open the door to opportunities for better collaboration and reciprocal understanding.

Data in education is a super power that plays a vital role in how we are to approach instruction in the future.

3. Education supercharged by Data - An Opportunity for All, Institutions and Learners alike

Speaking of big opportunities, let’s wrap this up with data chasms and opportunities that are present across all education organizations, and not only.

Data Literacy

Having in-house a tech stack, one suitable for the size and objectives of each organization, creates huge opportunities to improve the overall data literacy across the organization. No, not everyone has to become some sort of business intelligence analyst. Being able to run reports easily and being exposed to integrated reports and dashboards, improves greatly the trust and involvement of all teams. Such exposure starts building a sense of data awareness and further curiosity around data and its meaning. Moreover, it enhances transparency among the various stakeholders and it enables a better understanding of the overall business.

Data Employment

The final, but forever ongoing step of the data strategy, going beyond the mere analysis of the data - drawing meaningful insights and, ultimately, employing the data, translating it into real life business actions. It is surprising how often this last step is somehow forgotten.

Clearly, data in education is a super power that plays a vital role in how we approach instruction. It comes with multiple benefits among which: improved conversion and enrollment, higher retention, personalized learning approach and clearer understanding of correlations, nuances and complexities, that are to inform and empower decision making within the educational context.

Against this backdrop, it is fair to note though, that trying to make sense out of big amounts of data can become overwhelming pretty fast. At the same time, there can be a lack of agency, within the education environments, regarding the data being gathered from the owners of that data - students/learners and teachers.

The industry overall, including equally public and private education organizations, is in great need of support resources when it comes to collecting, managing and employing data. Recommendations and guidelines coming from the higher levels are needed in order to define and implement transparent, safe and also instrumental data policies, to adopt tools and practices mutually beneficial for those who learn and those who make a business out of teaching.

Data in the Education Industry - A Chasm Filled with Opportunities

Data uniformization and the single source of truth - a clear challenge

Interesting opportunities for alignment and data processing speed

Data Availability and Readiness - gaps and bridges must be addressed

Lots of opportunities to make fast progress without breaking that historical heart

Belonging - in school, in class, to the future