Amazon.com and other commerce websites often suggest additional items for purchase based on a customer’s past purchases, search histories, and other data points. According to a recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, colleges and universities are increasingly using similar techniques, known as analytics, for a wide variety of purposes, including in-class uses, course and major selection, and even enrollment decisions. For instance, programs can project a student’s expected grade in the class early in the semester, allowing the professor to identify students who need additional help.
Analytics also uses outcome data from former students to inform current students’ decision-making. For example, programs can recommend courses or majors for a student based on outcome data from former students with similar profiles. For students whose major is a bad fit, analytics can suggest viable alternatives.
At the admissions stage, programs uses dozens of data points from high school students in an attempt to match them with schools and programs that provide the best fit. They do the reverse for colleges and universities, helping them to identify promising applicants.
