Building Capacity in Institutional Research and Decision Support in Higher Education

Abstract

Data visualizationsData visualization, consisting of the tools, techniques, and methodologies to display, explore, and communicate quantitative information in a visual format is a rapidly expanding field in Institutional Research. Several institutions are moving away from the production of static fact books, and utilizing current technologies to provide high quality, interactive and easily- explorable data visualizations for their consumers. The increased ability to easily produce high quality interactive data visualizations allows institutional research offices to better provide decision supportDecision supportservices for their consumers. The interactive nature of the available new tools allows end users to explore sets of data in a structured environment without the intervention of an analyst, allowing institutional research offices to devote resources to more in-depth analytics. However, as with all tools, the key to driving high quality visualizations is a thoughtful institutional research analyst understanding their underlying data and making reasoned choices for their visualization. This chapter provides some tips on producing quality visualizations, as well as some examples of how modern tools allow for institutional research offices to provide greater interaction with their data.