What is Evidence-Based Change? A data-collecting and analysing team.
Why is it important? We do not want to guess. We want to hit the mark when we develop support systems for student engagement and success.
How does it help? We support other focus areas in CTL and other South African institutions with data analytics and analysis. The Evidence-Based Change team (EBC) collaborated with academic advisors to research students’ educational journeys. The result was a Journey Mapping report that became the inspiration for the Secure the Grad (#STG) initiative, which supports students’ transition into their senior undergraduate studies. Other examples of our work include:
- SASSE/BUSSE (South African Survey of Student Engagement / Beginning University Survey of Student Engagement) data used in staff orientation and development;
- An algorithm used as a proxy for the National Benchmark Tests (NBTs) to place students into the academic literacy courses;
- An algorithm that identifies and nudges students who are not engaging with Blackboard by capturing their online behaviours; and
- The monitoring and evaluation of large-scale projects within CTL, such as the GPS@UFS project, which aims to equip students with digital skills and career tools; the project also tracks students’ academic performance and supports them in graduating in minimum time.
Data Analytics
The University of the Free State forms part of the Kresge Foundation funded Siyaphumelela project (https://siyaphumelela.org.za/), which focuses on promoting data analytics in South African higher education institutions. Evidence-Based Change plays a central role in developing data analytics to promote student success. Some of these initiatives include conducting learning and predictive analytics, developing an early warning system, coordinating the development of a case management system for advising, and providing data analytics training to capacitate staff.
Contact
Rohan Posthumus
E: posthumusjj@ufs.ac.za
Learning and Teaching Projects
EBC works in close collaboration with the Curriculum Development and Innovation focus group within CTL to promote the use of online assessment, monitor students’ and staff’s engagement with the learning management system and their digital identities, and investigate how blended learning can be optimised at the UFS.
Contact
Anneri Meintjes
E: meintjesa@ufs.ac.za
Internal and National Projects
Internally, EBC works closely with other units in CTL to support an evidence-based approach to developing academic support. EBC also shares information and collaborates with faculties and other support units beyond CTL.
- In 2019-2020 the EBC collaborated with Academic Advising to conduct a Student Journey Mapping project to inform a range of practices to better support students in their academic journeys.
- Nationally, the EBC team contributes to work on student success through collaborations with Universities South Africa (USAf) and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
- In 2020, the EBC unit conducted a national study on behalf of DHET to explore students’ access to and use of learning materials. The study included 24 participating universities and almost 50,000 student responses.