With 170 Types of Rapid Reports to Help Improve the Learning Process UoB Launches an Information Analysis Platform for the Benefit of Students, Professors and Decision Makers

24 May 2022
Sakhir – University of Bahrain
The Director of the E-Learning Center, Dr. Sheikha Fai bint Abdullah Al Khalifa, announced the launch of an information analysis platform/tool from the Blackboard Analytics for Learn e-learning management system, which analyzes all comprehensive data from the e-learning management system, with the student’s features in the Student Information Management System (SIS), to create comprehensive reports and dashboards for students, instructors, staff, and leaders alike.
Dr. Fai Al Khalifa described the launch of this platform at the University of Bahrain (UoB) as a new start to the educational process, as it will provide a large amount of data to all parties, making them more capable and accurate in making appropriate decisions, regarding any of the topics involved in this process.
The Director of the Center said, “The student – as the focus of the learning process – can benefit from this platform by finding optimal solutions to education problems, and improving his performance by determining his performance in relation to his colleagues.”
While instructors benefit from this tool by having the possibility to learn about students’ behavior patterns and their development, and to discover the obstacles that prevent the completion of the requirements to pass the courses, by combining the data of the virtual learning environment and the SIS, in addition to the fact that the tool will serve the instructors in collecting data immediately, as well as comparing their courses with other courses taught in the same department, using the same method.
Also, Dr. Fai Al Khalifa explained that the academic advisor – who is considered one of the pillars of university education – can benefit from it in identifying students who are at risk of having academic probation or expulsion from the University, and therefore he can meet with them before that happens, to develop remedial plans for this situation.
As for deans and heads of academic departments, they can use the platform designed specifically for decision makers in a number of important matters, such as reviewing academic programs in each department, evaluating academic staff members, and identifying the most active and innovative professors.
Also, course designers can use the same platform to assess the use of tools, and to give an institutional overview of how the courses work, which is in the interest of the continuous development of courses according to the results coming from the general performance of students.
Furthermore, the Director of the E-Learning Center added that the capabilities of this platform greatly benefit leaders and decision-makers in educational institutions, as it provides reports that compare the performance of colleges and academic centers, facilitates work on reviewing institutional performance, and highlights weaknesses and strengths in all educational processes. This is to identify the points that need to be addressed, and to enhance the strengths of each program, which facilitates decision-making, and makes it based on the most accurate scientific details that the platform comes out with, and through which plans for future strategies can be drawn.
Also, the information analysis platform can prepare 170 types of rapid reports, in addition to a large number of accurate reports, including valuable information, including interactive analyzes, instructor activity, course design and activities. Also, it is possible to prepare detailed reports on students’ performance, such as the number of entry, the number of submissions, students’ grades and interaction, the time a student spends in the course, the average student activity per week and in general, and extracting the average comparison between courses taught in the same method in the same department, for example, the method of integrated or in-attendance learning, as well as the date of the last access to the platform, and the date of the last submission of an assignment or exam.
Dr. Fai Al Khalifa drew attention to the academic departments and quality assurance offices which make a great effort to track this information, as it takes a long time, and the generation of periodic reports may not be available in many cases due to the frequency of work and the large number of obligations, which causes an incomplete picture of all parties, starting with the student, and ending with the decision maker.
In addition, she confirmed that the E-Learning Center will launch a series of training workshops for all parties involved in the educational process, in order to make full use of this platform and tool.

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