Southern Connecticut State University increases progress of students by means of service of virtualization

On August 16, 2017 the IBM company announced use of IBM Watson Analytics technology for data analysis and development on their basis of the services and initiatives directed to raising achievement and the academic development of students at the University of the Southern Connecticut (SCSU).

Project Tasks

Specialists of the university used IBM Watson Analytics Professional technology for determination of insights on the basis of millions of data on pupils. A task - to develop measures for improvement of coefficient of release (a ratio of number of graduates to the number of the enlisted students).

On the basis of technology the innovation program of training is created. It is aimed at development of the relations of the university with the companies and training of students for possible career in the field of a data science.

The university selected the solution of Watson Analytics for the system development warning the staff of educational institution that the student can leave educational institution. Analyzing data in 10 years, the university of the Southern Connecticut came to a conclusion: everything that happens to the student in the territory of a campus, directly indicates whether it will continue training and will graduate from this institute, will pass into private or other state educational institution, will be transferred to municipal college or at all will refuse receiving the higher education.

These results changed views of administration of the University of the Southern Connecticut of researches in the field of the higher education. Earlier they traditionally were based on the data of student's questionnaires and demographic characteristics, such as belonging to ethnic group, data on income, GPA on examinations of SAT, etc. On their basis specialists of the university created predictive models about that earlier, students will study how successfully.

When we began to use Watson Analytics for a research of student's flows, we came to unexpected conclusions. With their help we could make the decisions based on data, but not on precedents. We were also very much helped by transition from the reports overloaded with information to infographics with the evident charts and schemes prepared thanks to Watson Analytics. Michael Ben-Abijah, the director of the department of quality evaluation of education and planning at the University of the Southern Connecticut, the doctor of science

Project Progress

Taking into account data retrieveds the University of the Southern Connecticut began development of programs for students.

The Center of successful progress is created and functions. It coordinates methodical services, programs for development of skills for effective assimilation of training materials, offers the help of mentors and a technique of the structured training. The center is open in 2015. The number of addresses to mentors grew from 500 to three thousand.

The university of the Southern Connecticut created the program of training on the basis of Watson Analytics.

Project Results

The program started in the spring of 2017. Eight trainees took part in it. They used Watson Analytics at the local enterprises, including Chamber of commerce of Big New Haven and Regional water government of the central and southern Districts of Connecticut. Work of students within this initiative is directed to attempt of performance improvement of the companies by identification of insights from the available data and decision making on the basis of this information.

Students systematize, analyze and interpret data retrieveds by means of Watson Analytics. At the end of the training they present outputs and solutions to the local enterprises.

The program gives advantages to both parties. Trainees earn the academic points, gain experience of use of cognitive analytics in real workflow. Students - project participants are also awarded with a distinction of IBM which can be useful in the future by job search or receipt in a magistracy. In turn, the enterprises not only receive a working resource of trainees, but also the academic support.

The university of the Southern Connecticut is a fine example of educational institution which looks for the innovation methods of use of the advanced analytical developments. The command of the university throughout long time invested in analytical researches. She selected Watson Analytics that using this solution to improve work with statistical data and to increase efficiency of their processing. Mark Altshuller, head of IBM Watson Analytics