Case Study: Nottingham Trent University improves student engagement with OpenText Knowledge Discovery

Sophisticated data analytics from OpenText help enhance programs to reduce student dropout rates

Nottingham Trent University, one of the UK’s largest universities, wanted a better way to understand student engagement and spot signs of disengagement earlier. Using data from smart cards, printers, libraries, and learning systems, the university found its 600TB of mixed structured and unstructured data was too fragmented for traditional BI tools, so it worked with OpenText and partner DTP Solutionpath on an analytics solution powered by OpenText Knowledge Discovery.

OpenText Knowledge Discovery helped NTU build an engagement model and simple student dashboard, allowing tutors to compare individual engagement against course averages. In pilots, the system identified disengagement one to two months earlier than staff typically could, and more than 90% of early interventions led to an immediate rise in engagement. The success of the pilot accelerated rollout across the university and improved student-tutor relationships while helping reduce dropout risk.

Nottingham Trent University

Mike Day

Director of Information Systems