Data analytics is the science of analyzing raw data in order to make conclusions about the information.

The advent of data analytics in education is revolutionizing the remote learning era. The technology has opened up a world of novel smart approaches that have radically transformed the model of traditional teaching and learning. It is giving a better bond between teachers and students that helps the instructor to focus on where the student lacks.

Data analytics is the science of analyzing raw data in order to make conclusions about the information. Many of the techniques and process of data analytics have been automated into mechanical processes and algorithms that work over raw data for human consumption. Schools and colleges have been shut for a very long time. The Covid-19 scenario doesn't hint on things going back to normal any time soon. With the second and third wave of coronavirus cases breaking out in many countries, the second lockdown is the only handy solution governments initiate. Ultimately, the disruption of technology in the learning system has left no stone unturned. With the right data analytics solution, schools and colleges can get a holistic snapshot of student and operational outcomes, allowing them to identify pain points and strategically act on it. Even though when big data is helping on a different level in business and government functionalities, it is making a considerate impact in the education industry as well.

Education and analytics go hand in hand with each other because of the need to teach hundreds of millions of both children and adults. From preschool to doctoral programs, everyone on the planet is receiving some sort of technological help in their education today.

Data Analytics in education before the pandemic outbreak

Data analytics has made its mark in the education sector for a very long time. It has now seeped in the nerves of the education system attaining groundbreaking and tremendous results. This has lead to an increase in the creative skills of the students as well as their enthusiasm towards studies through the revolutionary reforms in the infrastructure and system of the once traditional methodology of education. Some of the potential use cases of data analytics in the education sector include,

Intervention: Schools have been tracking student dropouts all the time. It is stored in the form of big data in the resource bank. Data analytics is performed in the big data, dragging results on why students opt-out from schools. If possible, schools are trying to address the simple reasons like financial help or counselling.

Career Path: Choosing the right career is a big decision. The education sector has been seeking the help of technology to clear students from the stressing job. Students can be tracked using multiple datasets and questionnaires to determine what career paths match their interests and what courses they should be taking. With the help of data analytics, the answers are analyzed to get a clear view of where students should focus on.

Forecasting: Forecasting the data analytics result of students in the recent exams gives a view on how they perform at school. This helps both parents and teachers find where they lack. Ultimately, they can focus on the exact area and improve their performance.

Data Analytics in remote learning

Remote learning is where the student and the educator are not physically present in the traditional classroom environment but are virtually connected. The information relies upon through technology, such as discussion boards, video conferencing and online assessment. These platforms allow free flow of information and are equipped with all kinds of features like screen sharing, system control sharing, whiteboards, annotations, etc.

Education institutions have collected enough information about students in the form of big data. This helped them switch to remote learning more comfortably. With the help of data analytics, teachers can keep a tab on the performance of students. Data analytics has leveraged a customized approach by teachers towards students. The education system has been handled with automated elements. These trials gave education institutions a good view on what might and might not work.

Data analytics ensures that the adoption of the system is done easily and also the students stay engaged. A lot of applications have been developed with simple and understandable user interface keeping in mind the demographic of the audience. It also enables encryption to student's information. Data analytics is being of great help during crisis times.

For example, Miami University, the public education institution located in Oxford, Ohio shifted all its teaching process to digital mode within a matter of three hours. The University has never engaged in remote learning. The university used Tableau to report collected data to the provost and coordinators for each division. To monitor how students handled the changes, Miami University launched the data collecting initiative. A number of staff collected information about 20,000 students and their views on how the situation is affecting them individually. This helped the education institution address the student's need when they are far from physical reach.