Data & Evaluation

Data & Evaluation encompasses the entire system model, and should continually inform the planning, implementation, and continuation of new initiatives. This focus area helps provide the “evidence” for evidence-based change and is critical to the success and sustainability of change efforts. Effectively using ongoing data collections, analyses, and reporting inform decisions and allow programs to monitor progress by identifying what aspects of their program are working to support student success and broadening participation efforts, and what can be improved. Data & Evaluation are necessary to guide strategic planning and to determine which efforts are effective. Data should be used to ensure that all students are receiving support and comprehensive benefits from participating in a degree program.

Continue on to learn more about specific, actionable strategies, by expanding each strategy for additional information.

Having access to data about your program is foundational to successfully meeting key student outcomes, such as retention, persistence, and timely graduation. Creating a data plan that includes collecting and analyzing program data allows you to identify problem areas, document successes, or decide that a new approach is needed. Data can be leveraged to establish the legitimacy of your work, educate campus stakeholders about the necessity of department efforts, and obtain funding.

Tracking recruiting and program entry data enables you to understand which recruiting efforts are working, where you are losing students along the path into your program, and whether you should modify your approach in the future.

Programs often participate in numerous activities intended to attract a wide range of potential students, but that effort is wasted if the initiatives aren’t effective. Data to track includes counts of how many potential students are reached per recruiting event or program, using flash surveys or informal interviews to gauge an event’s appeal to students, and systematically surveying students in introductory courses to ask what influenced them to enroll in the course or program.

Whether students enter directly into your program or apply later in their college career, tracking information of students who apply, are accepted, and go on to enroll in the program can help you determine where to focus your efforts. Even though your program may be subject to institutionally mandated policies, procedures, and admissions decisions, understanding where problems exist will help you identify the areas that you can influence.

A program that isn’t welcoming will affect students’ ability to succeed, and ultimately persist, in the program. Learn more about assessing student experience.

Tracking student retention and outcomes, including year-to-year persistence and graduation rates, will show whether students are making timely progress and help identify points in the curriculum where students tend to struggle or leave the program. Examining course-level data such as DFW rates (where students receive a grade of “D” or “F” or Withdraw from the course) and course evaluations may indicate that certain courses require departmental intervention. Also, examining outcomes in relation to moderating factors like course sequencing can help identify and remove pain points that overburden students.

Most computing programs have numerous activities, interventions, and programs, including those for outreach and recruiting, supporting student success and well-being, improving teaching and curriculum, and so on. Regularly tracking and evaluating these efforts enables you to focus on successful initiatives and avoid wasting time and resources on ineffective ones. Evaluation doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated – valuable information can be obtained simply by keeping good records on what intervention or activity occurred and tracking short- and mid-term outcomes (e.g., number of people reached by the intervention, changes in interest or knowledge of computing as a result, behavioral changes such as a student taking the next computing course or an instructor implementing a new student-centered teaching practice). Although it may be challenging to link a specific activity or program to long-term outcomes, monitoring long-term outcomes allows you to see whether your overall approach is having the desired effect.

Learn more about evidence-based strategies for other focus areas of the NCWIT Undergraduate System Model or find relevant resources by selecting the appropriate focus area in the curated resources collection section.