Data-Informed Tactics to Reach Students
Timely support has become paramount to help students navigate the myriad academic challenges they face today. The journey of a student through a semester is marked by various stages, each presenting unique opportunities for support. Recognizing the pivotal moments of truth throughout the academic term is key to providing effective guidance and intervention. From the initial weeks to the culmination of the term, the LMS Trends Report illuminates critical touchpoints where intervention can make a significant impact.
When to intervene?
The true power of the LMS Trends Report lies in its ability to transform raw data into meaningful interventions. By leveraging real-time data on students’ academic engagement and performance from Blackboard® Learn in Anthology® Reach, advisors can intervene promptly, addressing issues before they escalate. Whether it's a gentle nudge or a targeted all-hands-on-deck intervention, the report serves as a compass for advisors at every step through the term.
These are just a few ways in which student advisors can leverage the LMS Trends Report for effective interventions at each key moment throughout the term:
- 1 - 2 weeks: When an instructor has reported a student as a no show, quickly confirm if the student's absenteeism is specific to that course or if they are not showing up for any courses.
- 3 - 4 weeks: Proactively check on your at-risk students to see which ones are engaged, which ones are falling behind, and prioritize outreach accordingly. It's also a great time to send positive acknowledgements to students who are very engaged!
- Midterm: As there are more graded assignments being submitted, check to see which students have low projected final grades and use the engagement elements on the report to guide dialogue with those students about how to improve.
- 10 - 12 weeks: Follow up with students you spoke to earlier in the term. If their engagement has improved, send them a positive acknowledgement. If not, reach out to see what additional support they need.
- End of term: Academic probation and dismissal conversations are often emotionally charged. Using the LMS Trends Report can bring objectivity to the conversation and help students understand how their engagement impacted their course performance.
From insights to action with Anthology Reach
We enhance advisors’ ability to effectively intervene by combining the LMS Trends Report with other features seamlessly available in Anthology Reach, our purpose-built CRM and lifecycle engagement solution for higher education developed on top of Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Let’s say an instructor submits a Campus Survey, and the feedback reveals a student is not turning in their coursework. What does the LMS Trends Report reveal about the student’s time dedicated to coursework? Any differences with engagement or performance based on the types of courses? Do these observations suggest the need for additional resources or conversations? Equipped with answers to all these questions, advisors can devise a comprehensive, personalized support strategy.
What happens when a Student Alert is received from an instructor with concerns about a student in their course? Based on information in the LMS Trends Report, advisors can determine whether this an isolated issue or if their engagement or performance is low in other courses as well.
At a regular Advising Appointment, a student says everything this term is “fine” and doesn’t say much more. Based on the LMS Trends Report, you can see they are failing two courses and not actively engaged in several. With this information, the advisor can dive deeper into the conversation. Does the student need tutoring support or other resources to help them get back on track?
Integrating the LMS Trends Report into student support strategies throughout the term and across campus can empower advisors to deliver timely, personalized guidance to help students overcome challenges.
PS: What if you could simplify some of your work using AI? Check out a few ways in which Microsoft Copilot—seamlessly available in Anthology Reach—reduces manual work and saves time in everyday CRM tasks.
Connect with an Anthologist today to learn more about how Anthology’s data-driven experiences can help achieve student and institutional outcomes.
Juan Lopez
Juan López is a passionate product marketer who enjoys engaging in techie conversations with product teams and takes every opportunity to interact with clients to understand their needs. Most days, you will find him trying to come up with ways to create and demonstrate value for the global higher education community through his support for Anthology’s lifecycle engagement and analytics solutions.
Juan has a bachelor's degree in economics and international business administration and a master's degree in IT management, with almost a decade of experience acting as a product marketing manager for global startups and mature IT companies serving many industries, including higher education, utilities, telecommunications, and procurement management.