Using Institutional Data to Inform Course and Curriculum Planning

Abstract

Faculty often ask what they can learn about their students before the semester

begins so that they can plan instruction that will better engage students in

learning. While most individual-level data are protected, Mason makes available

a great deal of information through student-level data, statistical profiles, the

Common Data Set, student surveys, and learning outcomes assessment reports.

We will guide participants through a brief case study and discuss the implications,

limitations, and inferences that can be reasonably drawn from institutional data.