Initiative Lead
Letterkenny Institute of Technology

Primary Contact
Dr. Deirdre McClay
deirdre.mcclay@lyit.ie

€53,000

Student Success

UNLOCK is a continuation of LYIT’s existing National Forum SATLE 2019 funded initiative.  The initiative focuses on improving teaching and learning and student engagement through learning analytics, partnership and co-designed interventions. To date, StudentSurvey.ie has been the data source utilised most effectively in this initiative and this will continue in phase 2.

The UNLOCK teaching and learning initiative aims to continue to harness the potential of learning analytics in LYIT to support student success using student engagement. The initiative will build on strategies, processes and relationships developed from the initial phase. Learning from the initial phase will enhance analysis in phase 2 towards more emphasis also on diversity of student responses.

The initiative will focus on four key elements:

• Supporting academic units in identifying key areas for enhancing student success based on analysis of relevant learning analytics such as StudentSurvey.ie and PGR StudentSurvey.ie.
• Structured engagement with students to capture views on potential enhancement initiatives at module, programme and institutional level.
• Analysis of student responses within and across academic units based on consultation with students and academic units to establish priorities. This analysis will take account of diversity of responses in phase 2. Recurrent and key themes chosen in partnership from relevant learning analytics, such as StudentSurvey.ie and PGR StudentSurvey.ie, will form the basis of staff-student co-designed UNLOCK initiatives supporting student success. Other data may inform design and analysis, for example, Blackboard data and student progress and retention data.
• Implementing and evaluating further UNLOCK initiatives.