Students: Colleges Are Tracking You Online. It Can Help You Graduate - ERIC WESTERVELT, National Public Radio

So why aren't the best minds in higher education doing more to tap all that information to improve teaching and learning? Now, some of them are. Schools such as Valencia College in Orlando, Fla., are wading into the data streams of what's being called "predictive and learning analytics." Basically it means big data goes to college. How engaged is a student with online course material? With discussion forums? What could schools do with information on his or her academic background? The goal is, of course, to use all that data to boost graduation rates. Teachers and counselors can identify students who need help, and intervene quickly: a compelling nudge, a note from a counselor, a meeting with an adviser. http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/12/21/504735080/students-colleges-are-tracking-you-online-it-can-help-you-graduate