The tremendous expansion of social media and other Web 2.0 technologies is unprecedented. As users create content, post images, select to 'like' or engage in a game, social media technology has become an integral element of daily life. Social media now influences how people communicate, share information, broadcast events, update people, and create community.

"Nowhere is the use of social media more evident than in the practice of higher education. Facebook got its start at Harvard University to connect students and its use has expanded steadily since its inception in 2004. What started at one university for one group of students has now stretched to other platforms and extended to include virtually all communities throughout the world"[i]

The pervasiveness of social media is nowhere more evident than at universities, where the technology is redefining how students connect, collaborate, and study. Our students socialise, learn, work, build professional identities, and participate in professional networks and diverse interest groups in this networked world.  

Two weeks ago we looked at data on overall happiness and satisfaction from the live data from this year’s Student Barometer. This week I want to focus on aspects of the learning and living experience as students have now had a few weeks back on campus and we can review their reflections from data from 18th November which has data from over 10,000 students from institutions across over 10 countries (including the UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, China and Singapore). The survey is live from September to mid-December each year and we expect more than 50,000 students to have responded by the close.

Benchmarking has long been considered by strategic leaders in education to be a vital tool for data-driven decision-making. Particularly in times of sector restructure or funding cuts, benchmarking data is used by individual institutions to mitigate risks and stabilise or strengthen their financial position by modelling operations on similar, leaner universities. 

How ILPs create naturally occurring evidence for Ofsted 

In 2019 Ofsted launched their new Education Inspection Framework(EIF),representing a significant shift in focus from qualification achievement rates as a key indicator of quality to giving learners  "...the knowledge and skills for future learning and employment" and “…the cultural capital they need to succeed in life."
(Source: Intent, Education inspection framework, Updated 23 July 2021)

Over the last few months, we’ve been filled with hope as institutions have begun to open their doors to students from around the world. Inevitably, countries have taken differing approaches with some more cautious than others, but what remains clear is a desire at all levels to get back to some form of normalcy and with a return to our campuses we can begin to re-create those vibrant communities of learning.

If you want to know how students are really feeling we, at Tribal i-graduate, are uniquely positioned to give insights in real time on the global views of international students. Our bi-annual student barometer process is now live (since early October) and we already have responses from over 7,000 students. Each participating institution gets a ‘live’ dashboard of their own key results and we can aggregate the data to give everyone a global view. The data we have highlighted here is from 8th November 2021, so as up to date as you could possibly wish!

ILPs, or individual learning plans, first began as a way to help learners understand how to succeed. Although they are often now pinned to academic outcomes like specific grades or qualifications, they can and do still help learners at every level take their next steps.  

How can universities keep up with student expectations for support services? - Panel discussion at the Higher Education Conference 2021

The past year has proved the importance of university mental health services in uncertain times. A recent report from the digital charity Mental Health Innovations revealed that the university experience had been far from rosy for many students, who have had to navigate the usual stressors and anxieties now compounded in the landscape of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We have been working in the Singapore private sector for the last 6 years providing benchmarking of the student experience using the Student Barometer. This has contributed towards enhancing quality and providing key benchmarking data which institutions have used for their external audits from CPE as well as contributing to EduTrust status.

For all of us, the last 18 months have been some of the most challenging of our professional and personal lives. We maintained at Tribal i-graduate that it was vital that institutions continued to listen to students to ensure they were still meeting their needs.
 

What makes an international student decide on an institution? And what makes them recommend that institution to prospective international students? Just two questions that universities across the globe are asking themselves. Two questions the International Student Barometer (ISB) helps answer, specifically for that institution and within a national, regional, global or bespoke benchmark to understand the comparison to other higher education institutions.  

What does ILP mean in education?

ILP stands for individual learning plan or individualised learning plan. ILPs define a learner’s academic, personal, and employment goals. They separate these goals into individual targets, accompanied by reviews – the educational equivalent of professional appraisals.