From the President

I am quite used to getting blank looks when I mention institutional research to people outside of tertiary education; however, I was somewhat taken aback that long-serving professional staff didn’t know about the important and core work we do to support our institutions. I thought a refresher on what institutional research entails, its significance in higher education, and the key functions it serves, might be helpful to cover in this blog post.

In the complex landscape of higher education, institutions face numerous challenges, ranging from enrolment management to strategic planning. To navigate these challenges effectively universities rely on data-driven decision-making processes. This is where institutional research plays a vital role.

Defining Institutional Research

Institutional research can be defined as a systematic and evidence-based approach to collecting, analysing, and interpreting data to inform decision-making within higher education institutions. It involves gathering data from various sources, organizing it into meaningful formats, and utilising analytical techniques to derive insights and support informed decision-making processes.

Conclusion

Institutional research serves as a backbone for data-driven decision making in higher education. Through data collection, analysis, and reporting, it helps institutions understand their performance, identify areas for improvement, and plan for the future. By leveraging evidence-based insights, colleges and universities can adapt to changing educational landscapes, enhance student success, and achieve their strategic goals.

If you have managed to read this far you have just been reading an article about institutional research completely written by Chat Openai. Except for the first paragraph, and from this point on, no human thought was included in the construction of this blog (except for a light edit). Like it or not, the floodgates have opened with technology that is now able to produce human-like—and frequently accurate—responses to a vast range of questions. After being launched, ChatGPT became the fastest-growing app of all time, reaching 100 million users in only two months. The fact that it can also generate essays, poetry, and articles (such as the text above) adds to both its appeal and controversy in education. I know my own institution’s teachers are seeing text generated from AI appearing in learner assignments, and disturbingly AI has been used by academic and teaching staff to develop reflective narratives for quality assurance self-review reports on the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

As institutional researchers, we have a key role as guardians of our institutional narratives to be at the forefront of environmental and technological developments and challenges. AI is moving rapidly, and we could try to resist; however, as an institutional researcher, I see as early adopters that we are at the vanguard of change. So, let’s learn, adapt, and grow our practice by embracing new ways of working.