Data is the new gold. This may be an old saying but in the context of the education industry, its relevance is undisputed. As an industry, data is the bedrock of the success of our innovations and ideas. And when it comes to schools, more often than not, the kind of data you can collect, and the kind of information you can draw out of it can make a world of difference to the simplest of your initiatives.
Over the course of Schoolpad’s teams’ many interactions with school management in various contexts, if there is one thing that keeps making its presence felt over and over again, it is the power of data. In our experience, a data-driven approach is a key factor that can make a massive difference in the kind of impact any school’s initiatives have on the ground.
What is a Data-Driven Approach?
A data-driven approach, quite simply, is a way where initiatives are designed basis the data that is collected and analyzed. This data may be related to the need for certain initiatives, their target group, the willingness of the said target group, and the impact that can be expected. This data is then used to design the initiative in a way that is focused, targeted at the right audience in the right way, and calibrated for the expected outcomes.
In our experience, the best way to do this is by effectively using your ERP to collect data at the click of a button. It’s a simple and effective way with zero frills or inconveniences for the parents or the students.
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For example, one of the schools we have been talking to wanted to start a mobile app development course for their students. They wanted to get someone renowned from Bangalore who was charging a hefty fee. Instead of starting a course randomly, and figuring out whether or not students wanted to enroll, the school used its ERP platform to run a quick poll. The poll contained details about the course and the fee and sought the interest of the parents regarding the enrolment of their child. With this data in hand, the school was able to get a clear-cut picture of whether or not their students and their parents were interested in the course in the first place instead of blindly investing in it.
What is the Scope of this Approach?
With good ERPs and technology products, the scope of this approach can be extremely wide and diverse. The used cases and scope of application of this approach extend to almost every facet of a child’s learning journey. They can be used across different areas and initiatives are taken up as part of it.
An interesting example of the varied application of this data-driven approach was demonstrated by one of our partner schools. This particular school was very focused on hygiene. To that end, they had all sorts of initiatives within the school. But they also needed to make parents understand the importance of what they were teaching and ensure that they cooperated in inculcating these healthy habits at home. Because unless the parents’ approach at home was aligned with the school’s initiatives, they were not going to have the desired impact. So they ran a small poll on their software platform that had simple pointed questions like how many times do you cut your child’s nails or how many glasses of water they drink every day?
Instead of a detailed survey that would need to be filled out and sent, this was a quick poll that parents could answer on the go. They had to just tap on the notification, choose an option and it was done.
Also Read: The Only Secret You Need To Know To Ensure An Exceptional Parent Experience In Your School
The questions were designed to seek data as well as subtly inform parents about the importance of hygiene. The data that they were able to collect made their initiative a lot more informed and effective. Instead of working on guesses and generalizations, they were able to pinpoint the exact problem areas and address them. The poll also gave them a sense of what age groups were facing what concerns, and directed their initiatives accordingly.
A data-driven approach allows the schools to spend their time and effort in the direction where it is needed immediately, and in a way, that data suggests it should be done. This leads to an approach that is highly optimized and result oriented and delivers optimal outcomes. What is important to remember is that data is power only when you use it wisely and effectively.
Want to understand how Schoolpad can help you use your school management systems for spearheading your data-driven approach? Want to know how we can help fuel your school’s growth story? Please feel free to get in touch with us at connect@schoolpad.in . You can also click on the request a demo link and one of our coaches will get in touch with you.
