Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

Managing data management – can you help?

As part of Efficiency Exchange's mission to help institutions share expertise, Alison Wallis from Royal Holloway, University of London would like to hear your experiences of improving data management.
Hefce cold sports data

Data-driven efficiency: what can higher education learn from consumer businesses?

Open data offers a golden opportunity for institutions to understand their customers and market. Harvey Lewis of Deloitte explains how businesses are using this data to make better decisions.
Adrian Cox

Using equipment.data to make research equipment more discoverable

Adrian Cox, based at the University of Southampton, is project manager for equipment.data, an EPSRC funded project in response to the need to improve visibility and utilisation of UK higher education research equipment. We sat down for a ten minute chat with Adrian to find out exactly what equipment.data is all about and how it’s creating opportunities for efficiencies among institutions UK wide.
Jisc logo

Welcome to the intelligent campus

As 'smart homes' become more and more sophisticated, universities are harnessing technology to improve the campus or classroom experience for students. Now institutions are planning on taking it to the next level, by using data from sensors, tracking and the internet, combined with information from other sources, as Jisc's James Clay describes in this blog.
WonkHE

The need to future proof data on degree value

With data like TEF and LEO, the question of value is at their core and understood largely in terms of students’ expectations and outcomes, particularly those which relate to careers and salaries. But what if the career landscape changes in the future, Adam Wright asks on Wonkhe.

How open data can benefit universities

On Tuesday, Universities UK will be hosting an open data mashup, which will focus on enhancing the student journey. As the event approaches, Efficiency Exchange is focusing on the potential of open data to benefit universities in delivering their mission.

The everyday benefits of open data for students

On Tuesday, universities and developers will be brought together for an open data mashup day, hosted by Universities UK, working in partnership with the Open Data Institute and Jisc. The University of Southampton’s Chris Gutteridge, who opens the event, sets out his vision for a future where organisations will routinely publish their open data.

Student surveys are a waste of everyone’s time

"Students have to answer 25 questionnaires a year and they are sick of it", an academic complains. In a post for the Guardian's Academics Anonymous blog, the unnamed physiology lecturer asks why universities are so obsessed with pointless data.
WonkHE

Have your say on easing the burden of data collection

A seemingly simple request for information can turn out to be a painful experience for providers if data is not well managed within an institution. A consultation has been launched to develop a code of practice for higher education data collectors, which HESA's Andy Youell argues on Wonkhe will influence an approach to the behaviour of data collectors and the assessment of burden.
WonkHE

How clearing is changing

The A-level results are published next week with students entering what has been described as the most competitive admissions market yet. But Dan Benyon writes on Wonkhe that clearing is changing, starting earlier with universities adopting a much more targeted, data driven approach.