Episode 24: Establishing Standards for Data Integration in Higher Ed feat. Linda Feng, Principal Software Architect, Unicon Inc.
In a 2018 book entitled The Analytics Revolution in Higher Education, Jonathan S. Gagliardi addresses data integration:
Decision-makers want access to insight in near-real-time, which means that the steps of acquiring, processing, and analyzing data need to happen quickly. A major barrier to delivering accurate, timely, and relevant insight has been a lack of integration. The difficulties in sewing together data from disparate sources originate from a host of challenges, including differences in storage, definition, structure (or lack thereof), and intended use (Gagliardi & Wellman, 2015). At a time when unstructured data, which can be incredibly rich, account for 90% of enterprise data, determining ways to extract value often hinges on connecting it with other data sources (Vijayan, 2015). This makes effective integration an even more important step toward creating dynamic data and insight.
Gagliardi identifies data integration as one of four procedures necessary for effective analysis and actionable insight, along with timeliness, relevancy, and security. Given his cited sources, data analytics has been a challenge in higher education for years.
Linda Feng, Principal Software Developer at Unicon, is actively working to address this challenge. Throughout her career, Linda has worked in the edtech community, from IMS Standards to Educause, EdFi, and Project Unicon Technical Advisory. Her work at IMS Global focuses on bringing enterprise interoperability standards to market. Linda also co-chairs several IMS initiatives related to education data exchange, from Learning Information Services (LIS) to EduAPI.
In this episode of Illuminate Higher Education, Linda joins podcast host Kiran Kodithala to discuss why data integration is more important now than ever. Read a few brief highlights from their conversation below, then listen to the full podcast for a better view into the future of data in higher ed.
Q: We frequently discuss technology challenges in higher education. In your opinion, what are some other significant challenges?
The challenge with the biggest potential impact is not technological. It is about teachers. In my culture, education is highly valued,and teachers are revered and honored. Confucius is an example. He was a teacher, and a core part of Chinese culture is rooted in Confucian philosophy.
Even as technologies continue to advance, forward progress ultimately comes down to how well we can support teachers. Whether in-person or online, how can we support teachers in creating emotional bonds and making it safe for students to learn? Emotional safety is a critical piece of the education puzzle. It empowers students to feel confident about the learning process and encourages students to ask questions and engage.
Q: Why is systems integration so difficult in the higher education space?
We try to encourage innovation, so companies will always have a new way to present content to learners, interact with them, or assess them. They are trying to design the learning experience of the future. Most of the time, they focus on innovation without considering what other types of systems or data students may need to access as part of the greater educational experience. Interoperability concerns may not be a top concern for some edtech companies.
Over time, universities and school systems implement various systems to meet specific needs. These choices are often arbitrary and siloed within a particular function in the organization (e.g. the admissions and development departments using two different CRMs). These systems may or may not integrate, so school administrators and IT teams are tasked with piecing it all together to create a more seamless experience.
Q: What predictions can you make about the future of higher education? What trends should we watch for?
You cannot force a learning environment. Learning is a unique experience, and everyone has individual preferences for partaking in learning. Our traditional models for higher education do not work for everyone. The straightforward path from high school through college to the workplace is inaccessible for many, and working adults need more flexibility.
To reach a more diverse audience, we must make educational resources accessible and manageable. We want learners to be able to learn while working, traveling, or caring for family. They need choice. To make choice possible, we must create immersive content that keeps students engaged while meeting individual learner needs. Data governance and integration standards like EduAPI can support this transformation, as better learner data can feed more personalized, connected learning experiences.
Listen to the full podcast episode for more details.
Connect with Linda Feng on LinkedIn and Twitter @LindaFeng.
Learn more about Unicon, Inc. by visiting Unicon.net, following on Twitter @Unicon, or subscribing to UNICONnet on YouTube.
EDU-API is a standard model for the integration of core education enterprise data, one of IMS Global’s key initiatives. Watch a video overview of EDU-API. Product managers and senior developers can gain a high-level technical understanding of EDU-API here.
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This episode is brought to you by N2N’s Illuminate App, the iPaaS for Higher Education.
About N2N Services
Founded in 2010, N2N is committed to serving educational institutions and helping them figure out how to serve their students, faculty, and staff using the most innovative technologies and solutions available in the marketplace. Over the last decade, N2N has served over 300 academic institutions and enabled their student success journeys.
N2N Services Inc. is a leader in enterprise application integration and strategic advisory services for higher education, At N2N, we are committed to providing the highest quality solutions and collaboratively building student-centric solutions.
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