Dianne, I think you are quite right that the teaching staff are letting others drive the analytics agenda and more needs to be done to balance up the questions asked. I add that timeliness of analysis is response is key to utility. I've seen so many earnestly dissected stats that have about as much use as a pennyfarthing cycle because students, employment prospects, government policies, technologies and syllabi have all moved on by the time anyone gets to even hear of the results, never mind do anything with them.
My comment is not a critique as such, but an observation that many of the criticisms and fears expressed in this thread support the need for a personal and deep understanding of how analytics work and how they might be manipulated to suit the agenda of the analyst(s). Knowledge is power in this regard. I have the same strong approach to statistics and research findings. As an Instructional Designer and Instructor who will always seek feedback to improve my work, I do not wish to simply be fed information without fully understanding its provenance.
I view it as an exceptionally serious responsibility.You can't play a game well, unless you know both the rules and the unspoken subtleties.
Also this, I try to keep the chill off cold hard facts by warming them with a hopeful interpretation of what they truly mean to humans.
I view it as an exceptionally serious responsibility.You can't play a game well, unless you know both the rules and the unspoken subtleties.
Also this, I try to keep the chill off cold hard facts by warming them with a hopeful interpretation of what they truly mean to humans.