Ten Tips for Using Data Visualization and Analytics E?ectively in Education A compilation of best practices from education institutions using SAS? solutions By Georgia Mariani, SAS Global Industry Marketing Manager for Education Forward-looking education leaders are adopting data visualization and analytics. What’s driving this upward trend? And what does it mean for your organization? Innovators in education have one thing in common: They understand that when people have timely access to the right data and reports, they can generate trusted knowledge and insights that help transform programs, curriculums, student outcomes and more – and in ways that deliver desired results faster. For example, they can empower decision makers to conduct what-if scenarios that help them anticipate the full impact of the decisions that they make today. Consider, for example, the ability to assess students’ progress during the semes- ter, which then allows advisers to intervene promptly with outreach to students who are underperforming. Using data mining, statistical analysis, forecasting, text analytics, and optimization and simulation, there are no limits on the insights users can gain. And when they give end users access to interactive, self-service analytic visualizations and ad hoc visual data discovery and exploration, they put fast insights within everyone’s reach – even those who lack analytic skills. ? Data management: The ?rst step in any analytics initiative is to access, integrate, cleanse, validate and manage data as a valued asset so it can be used to drive strategic decision making. With a comprehensive management solution that supports analytics and decision management, organizations can fully exploit and govern information assets, uncover hidden insights that improve student success and enhance operational e?ectiveness. ? Data visualization: Intuitive, interactive dashboards empower users to visually interact with data; answer questions quickly; make more acc