Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the best-selling books “Made to Stick” and “Switch,” once said, “Data are just summaries of thousands of stories.” Indeed, but the summaries are not the stories themselves, particularly when it comes to student retention.
The stories are more complex and nuanced. Analyzing data leads to information–a better understanding of the stories. It also can predict what’s to come in the next chapters and sequels ahead. That’s the missing puzzle piece for many higher education institutions using data to help boost retention rates and student support.
