Category: Blog

Interns Get Big Experience with Big Data

Post author By Steve Wightkin
Post date July 19, 2021
No Comments on Interns Get Big Experience with Big Data

We have all been there—immersed in the theoretical while in college but finding it difficult to envision how to transfer those skills to an actual on-the-job setting. You may also feel nervous about whether you will enjoy or be overwhelmed once you do land a new job. This is where internships can help. Students can get a taste for their chosen profession and gain a better understanding for the day-to-day activities of a particular industry. They can also make valuable contributions to the employer and the industry at large.

For us at Datatelligent, our internship program has been tremendously successful. Not only have we had the opportunity to work with highly motivated and talented students, but we have been able to introduce them to the field of data analytics and cultivate tomorrow’s professionals.

Our interns have been critical to our success. Since the start of our company, we have always relied on interns to support both our marketing and sales activities and solution development. We have found that they are quick learners and hard workers who always deliver quality outcomes. The rapid growth of Datatelligent is directly related to the value our interns have provided to us – we would not be where we are without them.

But why hear it just from me. Here is what our current and former interns have to say about their experiences working with Datatelligent in data analytics:

“I am hoping to continue working with Datatelligent throughout my senior year in college. I want to continue this Data Analytics journey and see where it can take me. I have enjoyed every minute of it, and I am looking forward to the future. I would have never imagined being able to turn data alive by creating interactive dashboards to help you better visualize your data. Now I find myself questioning everything I see, ‘Could I build a dashboard for that?’”
Uriel Nunez, Dominican University – Degree program: Computer Science

“I found out about Datatelligent through a professor and had been searching for some time. Next thing you know I am now working at Datatelligent as a Solutions Engineer working with some of the best people you can look for in an internship.”
Mathew Molloy, Dominican University – Degree program: Computer Science

“While working and being a student during a pandemic, I appreciated that I was able to integrate what I was learning into my work and use my internship as an extension of my virtual classroom. My internship was (and continues to be) flexible with my schedule. Data analytics is much more visual and interactive than I previously thought. Our team creates dashboards that have so many colors and ways to explore the data that’s displayed. It makes it much easier to understand and to make decisions based on that data.”
Alyssa Pincuspy, Northern Illinois University – Degree program: Double major in Marketing & Communications and a certificate in Professional Selling

“I plan on helping achieve the goals and tasks of the company. It’s a small team, but I really enjoy working with everyone, and I hope that my work creates an impact. One thing I’ve learned is to hone my communication skills. I’m not shy but learning to communicate constantly with my team and it’s something that I’m improving on.”
Alexis Aquino, Dominican University – Degree program: Computer Science

To learn more about Datatelligent and our work in the data analytics space, or to reach out about future internship opportunities, visit www.datatelligent.ai.

Steve Wightkin, Chief Operating Officer, Datatelligent

Can Community Colleges Survive the Pandemic?

Post author By Larry Blackburn
Post date May 8, 2021
No Comments on Can Community Colleges Survive the Pandemic?

There is no shortage of adjectives to describe 2020 and 2021: catastrophic, heart-wrenching, impossible, irritating, devastating. Whether we are applying it to our own personal experiences or to the broader world around us, no one can dispute that the COVID pandemic has created an environment of change and disruption.

This has been felt profoundly throughout our educational system. Schools have had to reinvent how they operate, and nowhere has this been more disruptive than in the community colleges space. While COVID has created headaches and difficulties throughout the higher education landscape, community colleges have experienced the brunt of the COVID-related fallout.

Why?

Colleges and universities had already been experiencing issues related to the cost of higher education and the student loan crisis. Schools have seen costs explode while revenues decline. In addition to the significant investments schools have made to transition to online learning environments — from training, course development, and technology improvements — they have also had to invest in infrastructure improvements to address other COVID-related issues (more space for in-person education, air filtration systems, etc.).

All this is occurring while many current and prospective students are questioning the value of higher education. Many have opted to delay a return to school until after the pandemic. Some question the cost relative to their online learning experiences. Schools have lost additional revenue as many students have not returned to on-campus living, sporting and other events have been canceled, state and federal funding may not be available, and alumni have not contributed as generously as in the past.

This list does not even touch on the additional COVID fallout — anxiety, vaccine availability, variants, etc.

So why has this hit the community college sector harder?

Unlike other economic downturns where community colleges have seen their enrollment numbers climb, the COVID pandemic has produced the opposite result. Community colleges have seen enrollment and retention numbers take a significant hit compared to other higher education institutions, especially for first-year students, where they see a nearly 20% drop.

Students at community colleges have also reported greater barriers to enroll and stay in school:

Job uncertainty — Many students rely on income from full- or part-time jobs that either disappeared or were severely hampered during the pandemic.
Family demands — This was especially difficult during the stay-at-home order when students found it disruptive to take online classes while also balancing family/childcare responsibilities.
Technology hurdles — Many students reported limited or no access to the technology required to complete online learning. Reliable broadband technology, as well as access to a computer or tablet, was a significant barrier to the new normal.
Limited emotional connection — Community colleges have historically had a more difficult time creating a sense of camaraderie and engagement compared to other colleges and universities. The transition to online learning has only exacerbated this sense of disconnect.

Will they be able to recover? Yes.

The answer is data. Community colleges are sitting on a patchwork of information that can be harnessed to help them answer key questions and pivot to meet challenges more effectively. Whether it be diving into enrollment metrics to help them improve existing programs or identify new opportunities; working with faculty and students to proactively seek out students that are struggling and develop programs to improve retention; or better forecasting for budget needs, especially when revenue targets and funding sources are shifting — this can all be addressed

by collecting and mining the data within these colleges.

And that is what we at Datatelligent can help with. We have partnered with colleges and universities throughout the country to develop data solutions to help them use their data to navigate these difficult times.

To learn more about our work with community colleges, visit: datatelligent.ai

by Steve Wightkin, Chief Operating Officer, Datatelligent

Blog Data Maturity Other

What Does It Mean to Be Data-Driven?

Post author By Larry Blackburn
Post date May 4, 2021
No Comments on What Does It Mean to Be Data-Driven?

Using data to drive decisions, being data-savvy, harnessing the power of your data…all of these buzz words get bandied about during meetings, at conferences, in the trades, and online, but what does it really mean? How do you even know if you are a data-driven organization?

At Datatelligent, and throughout my extensive career in data analytics, I see becoming a data-driven organization as an iterative process. Think of it as a continuum. While it might seem overwhelming to assess and implement the organizational changes required to be in the data-driven zone, it’s more realistic and manageable to break the evolution into steps.

Step 1: Data Aware

You first need to recognize that your organization has disconnected information — nearly every entity does. For those companies just beginning their journey, these pieces of data may be tracked using manual, non-standard reports. And decisions rarely are made using the available data.

Step 2: Data Proficient

Your organization is tracking and collecting data using standardized reporting tools or reporting platforms, but the information may not be shared collectively. The data may not be well utilized for decision-making or planning.

Step 3: Data Savvy

You’re getting there. Your company tracks and uses data to make some business decisions, but the information may be trapped in silos between groups/departments, and the methodology to collect and report data may be inconsistent.

Step 4: Data-Driven

You’ve arrived at the pinnacle! Your organization uses data-first thinking from the start. All people and processes are in sync for data collection, tracking, and utilization. And data analysis is embedded into your decision-making practices.

So How Do You Get There?

It’s essential to look at the big, broad picture for your organization first — try to establish a high-level plan that is connected to your institution’s mission. This will help ensure that the data you mine is connected to achieving the results that matter to your stakeholders. What data will help you reach your business goals? Do an honest assessment of where your organization is in its analytics maturity (as per the steps above). Do you need to make any changes/adjustments to get started?

Next, invest what you can and adopt an iterative approach. This is more cost-effective than tackling an enterprise-wide solution, and it allows you to focus on projects that bring immediate value and smaller wins. Snowball this and add on as you build confidence and support throughout the organization.

Lastly, it’s essential to establish a unified approach. Develop a unified data platform to be rolled out across all parts of the organization. Bring together stakeholders to set the tone of collaboration and resist the temptation to silo information. And empower staff to access the data and tools in order to make decision-making a data-driven exercise. Invest in consistency, connection, and training.

To learn more about how Datatelligent has helped companies large and small, as well as colleges and universities, become data-driven, visit datatelligent.ai.

By Larry Blackburn, Chief Solutions Officer, Datatelligent

Why?

So why has this hit the community college sector harder?

Will they be able to recover? Yes.

Step 3: Data Savvy

Step 4: Data-Driven

So How Do You Get There?

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