Moving Campus Data Literacy Forward: Redesigning UAccess Analytics Training
What Campus Needed
Campus got its first glimpse of the new UAccess Analytics Certification with the release of the first two training modules in 2023. This marked a shift in how UAIR approached training members of campus to use UAccess Analytics and discover their own data insights. Compared to previous in-person trainings held a few times a year, this new format is available in EDGE, making it accessible to everyone at anytime.
Why change? With over 4,000 provisioned UAccess Analytics users, any new solution had to scale to meet potential demand and accommodate learners’ busy schedules. The existing materials—hundreds of pages of PDFs and hours of videos—were thoroughly evaluated and updated to reflect the current state of UAccess Analytics and the latest instructional design trends. Simplification, clean design, and a dynamic mix of text, video, and interactive content informed the new approach. These modules were developed in constant collaboration with the UAIR staff, ensuring they lived up to the UAccess Analytics dashboards and campus’s needs.
Obstacles
There were still challenges to be solved. Due to security concerns, users only have access to institutional data related to their role, making it impossible to design examples accessible by everyone. Certain concepts are taught within interactive modules that simulate UAccess Analytics, allowing learners to practice key skills without worrying about security. The hands-on experience is much more engaging than images or video and equips learners with experience they can immediately replicate in UAccess Analytics proper.
One of the interactive segments under development in Articulate Storyline.
The UAccess Analytics Certification features five mandatory modules. Learners start with the basics—where institutional data comes from, how to navigate UAccess Analytics, exploring available dashboards, creating reports, and building their own dashboards. They cap off these essential skills with advanced techniques that let them leverage UAccess Analytics like a pro. To finish the certifications, learners choose a sixth module specializing their most relevant data pillar: student, employee, financial, or research. With a standardized core and domain-specific training, the UAccess Analytics training is flexible and relevant to learners across campus.
The release of additional modules along the way wasn’t a one and done process. Feedback from post-training evaluations and input from learners informed edits, additional content, and entirely rebuilt interactive components to enhance accessibility.
What's Next?
We’ll keep refining the Certification based on your feedback and are developing new training content to make institutional data more accessible. If you’re looking for more or have some feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to UAIR’s Customer Experience & Support Team.