Big Data, Big Expectations A RESEARCH REPORT FROM THE CENTER FOR DIGITAL EDUCATION
THE PROMISE & PRACTICALITY OF BIG DATA FOR EDUCATION
DR. MARC HOIT, VICE CHANCELLOR FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CIO, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
2
BIG DATA IS, IN MANY WAYS, ABOUT SOME VERY SMALL THINGS. Things like how one student
Center for Digital Education
Vice President, Strategic Programs
JOHN HALPIN
your school, district or institution.
hope this Special Report on Big Data will inform and offer suggestions on how to make those decisions for
hardware and professional development to help manage this data so students can reap the rewards. We
make this a reality, institutions need policies and operational plans that allow for investments in software,
data we generate. The challenge will be to convert that data into timely and effective learning actions. To
a role. As we incorporate more digital technology into every aspect of the school infrastructure, the more
management systems, student information systems and all sorts of campus management systems play
have never been more necessary and the tools to enable them have never been more at hand. Learning
possible. This requires a meld-lock between back-office systems and the classroom. Data-driven decisions
we must provide content and instructional methodologies that are as personalized for each student as
requires two things: First, we must enable student access to real-world issues and applications; second,
delivery systems. Making instruction and learning experiences relevant
infused education is becoming more heavily reliant upon big data and data
ONE OF THE MAJOR THEMES in our Special Reports is how technology-
Center for Digital Education
Publisher, Special Reports
LEILANI CAUTHEN
occur. We hope you enjoy this in-depth look at big data in this Special Report.
a big difference when it sheds light on even the smallest of changes that need to
such as financials, grant tracking or other enterprise statistics. But it still makes
and could be at risk of dropping out. Big data isn’t always about the big things,
testing results come back. Or the fact that a college student is missing all his classes for two straight weeks
sure a student is placed in the right reading program now, instead of 12 months later when the high-stakes
the weekend assignments earlier, or grant an extension. Big data can boil down to a small thing like making
Receiving this information in a timely manner can alert a teacher to know she might need to give that student
never turns in weekend assignments on time, but is never late on assignments during the school week.
JERRY SPEIER & THE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOUNDATION HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Linking Systems Together for Big
16 Connecting the Dot
Gathering, Collecting and Capturi Big Data
12 Laying the Foundati
Better Student Outcomes and Ca Readiness
6 The Promise of Big D
4 Big Data Goes to Sch
4
This is not about getting a report, putting it in a file cabinet and never looking at it again. This is a time when people are really trying to use the assessment data in meaningful ways so they can
and learning.” This exciting development comes
as a result of a decade of work and hundreds of
millions of dollars of investment into statewide
longitudinal data systems (SLDS), as well as many
groundbreaking projects in data warehousing and
Source: Center for Digital Education Survey, 2013
DATA GROWTH
79%
Are you experiencing substantial administrative data growth? 79% say yes!
NO GROWTH
12%
9%
emphasis on using data to drive decision-making.
security, the initiative seeks to “transform teaching
NOT SURE
Information Solutions, agrees: “This shift puts an
scientific research and strengthening national
let alone gain access to the full collection.
ever come close to experiencing even this 2 percent,
on display at any given time. Very few people will
importance, less than 2 percent of the collection is
tion. Although these items are of great historical
million items stored in the Smithsonian Institu-
education data stores have been similar to the 137
improving student outcomes. In this way, our vast
previously lacked the means to apply it toward
we’re good at amassing this information, we’ve
discipline records, test scores and so on. But while
rosters, program participation, degree attainment,
the years: course records, student attendance, class
ic research. We’ve collected mountains of data over
of student recruitment, administration and academ-
technologies for data analytics are changing the face
breaking for higher education institutions. New
The impact of big data will be equally ground-
their students.”3
better understand the strength and weaknesses of
Harcourt’s Division for Innovative Assessments and
improving education. In addition to accelerating
1
Tracey Barrett, vice president of product management and marketing at Houghton Mifflin
Development Initiative” that is aimed, in part, at
that everybody now has access to this information.”2
75%
STUDENT TESTING/ INFORMATION ASSESSMENT
84%
Source: Center for Digital Education Survey, 2013
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
What types of data
So what defines big data anyw data sets whose size is beyon analyze.”4 Our sister organizati recent Special Report on Big high-velocity and high-variety i a number of sources that com
Breaking Down Big
data becoming a very powerful mechanism for
that the education community is abuzz about parents, students, principals and administrators, so
teacher dashboards. I see this convergence of big
or read a blog on education lately, then you know
announced a $200-million “Big Data Research and
are the lock, and big data is the
systems, curriculum management systems and
the concept of big data. President Obama recently
educational insights. Simply pu
used to be stand alone, like learning management
of dry facts and creating powerf
going to see a convergence of a lot of systems that
f you’ve attended a conference, watched a webinar
SCHOOL I edge technologies to sift throug
School District (Houston ISD), believes, “You’re
6
map out the tools and technology
needs of our students. Before we
audience polling, just like the w American Idol,” Clark explains.
different levels, we can make adjustments seamlessly, so that students don’t even notice what we are doing to maximize their learning. In some cases, we can provide enrichment, and in some cases, we can provide adjustments to help them make up or catch up.”
positively impact every level of education, right down
to the classroom level at the moment of instruction.6
“I think first and foremost, we need to come to that
true realization that our kids are digital natives,”
says Peterson. “They’re used to working with
data as working hand-in-glove with other technology initiatives that have developed over the past few years, including bring
systems in place that can complete assessments,
learning is occurring without them even realizing
it, because they are so comfortable with it.”
CIO Tom Clark sees the trend towards big
are going into classrooms and u
terson. “As we see different students progressing at
administrators make decisions. He believes it can
technology and electronics. By having technology
“We have teachers and tech
tomize some of the learning for students,” says Pe-
Peterson, big data is more than just a tool to help top
the teacher is taking attendanc
during the first five minutes of
problem that was put on the int
if you will, for the correct answ
has implemented the exact opp
the classroom, as many schools
of banning advanced technolog
when they went to the moon,” s
pockets, it is the equivalent to
“We know that not every student learns in the same way, and so better use of data will help us cus-
for the district, and Clark is the district CIO. For Dr.
in the bottom of their backpack
in Scottsdale, Ariz. Dr. Peterson is superintendent
of computer processing power t
“When you stop and think a
in education: How do you provide remedial help or embarrassing them in front of their peers?
connects institutions to the out
entrenched and seemingly unsolvable problems without stigmatizing students, isolating them
networks and advanced networ
it into action at Scottsdale Unified School District
your own device (BYOD), perva
Peterson is taking advantage of students’ technological fluency to attack one of the most
Scottsdale Unified School District believes that big data can be used to positively impact every level of education, right down to the classroom level at the moment of instruction.
the promise of big data, and they are already putting
Dr. David Peterson and Tom Clark are believers in
Student Success in Scottsdale
importantly — students to improve education?
counselors, advisors, support staff and — most
will it do for administrators, instructors,
human terms to which we can relate. What
of big data, we need to put its benefits into
T
he story of big data starts with the
Better Student Outcomes and Career Readiness
THE PROMISE OF BIG DATA:
8
of technology for student educ kindergarten all the way thro school graduation.” The proce
history” of the texts, enabling the scholar to better determine what area of the world the materials originated. Depending on how much we know about a particular manuscript’s history already, this could answer questions about the medieval book trade and the circulation of manuscripts.
in society. What happens in schools becomes
a reflection of that. We are more and more
dependent on technology to do our jobs, and if
you’re using chart paper and Sharpies to analyze
your data, then I don’t think you’re doing justice
for your students. You’re not making your
Retreat,” the infectious disease expert was able
component that we can provide for them.”
goers in disparate fields whose experiences paralleled her own. As Dr. Marc Hoit, vice chancellor for information technology and CIO at NC State, explains, “Now they’re matched
applicability, as evidenced by its implementation
in many disparate fields of academic research.
One such field seems, at first glance, like an
unlikely candidate for big data analysis: medieval
ubiquitous, the veterinarian found retreat-
to underscore the idea that big data is indeed
Big data has diverse and wide-ranging
needed to make sense of the data. And, as if
Uniting Administration, Research
and K-12 in North Carolina
to find the kind of support and technology she
However, at an NC State-hosted “Big Data
veterinarian to discern patterns easily.
It’s a nice partnership. We’re leveraging
technology that they already have with a
Eventually there was too much data for the
temperature, at regular intervals. Naturally,
allowed students to access the network.
are tracked, the more data is accumulated.
coordinates and environmental data, such as
infrastructure across all of its campuses and
to their own or their parent’s cell phone bill.
sensors on wolves. The collars transmit GPS
necessity, Scottsdale has implemented a wireless
district connection to the Internet, as opposed
study that involved placing collar-mounted
accessible to every participant. To address this
the more wolves tracked and the longer they
of veterinary medicine, was conducting a
networks and ample bandwidth to make them
Clark adds, “This lets them leverage our
Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf, a research professor
benefited from big data is infectious disease.
applications can’t work in isolation. They require
But even the most extensive big data
decisions on the best data that you already have.”
The world of technology used to be a lot less complex than it is today. Whenever a new piece of technology came on the scene, it could be placed into one of three neatly defined categories. Administrative systems, like payroll and accounting applications, ran in the back office to manage the operations of the institution. Instructional technologies were leveraged by instructors while they taught their students. And research computing
Is this administrativ Is it for higher educ
In partnership with the sta Institute’s goal is “to study the
of the vellum would reveal a kind of “genetic
the reality of the changes that we’re undergoing
TECHNOLOGIES
that focuses on technology an
Another field of academic research that has
Friday Institute for Education
from which they were made. A DNA analysis
According to Clark, leveraging data is simply
also contain the DNA information of the animals
Engineering. He and his team
professor and a researcher in t
given the right application of the right tools.7
of Civil, Construction & Envir
secondary education as well.
Middle Ages had more information to offer, He reasoned that the many manuscripts
beneficial relationships betwe
produced in the monastic scriptoriums of the
written on vellum (treated animal skins) might
NC State demonstrates how bi
(NC State), determined that the manuscripts
expected these days. “I think we all have to face
TOM CLARK, CIO, SCOTTSDALE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, ARIZ.
THE WAY YOU VOTE FOR AMERICAN IDOL.”
10
was launched in March 2011 to address this problem. Working with Chambers of Commerce, Hiring our Heroes partners with state and local chapters and others from the public, private and nonprofit sectors to help veterans and their spouses find meaningful employment.
of the state’s Race to the Top grant. NC State
is also participating in what’s called an “early
college high school” — a high school where
students can take university classes, which
Dr. Hoit describes as similar to a “dual degree
program with community colleges.” The Wake
opportunities in high-demand industries, Hiring our Heroes aggregate and analyze data fro municipalities and companies country. And in order to help v the career paths that are right f program will have to construct and link them to specific caree data about the interests, skills required for different careers. perfect example of how big dat the world for service members
and assist them in making decisions about education and employment opportunities. This program utilizes a significant amount of data to map careers by industry to 100 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) that are forecasted to see the largest amount of job creation in the near future. The program also identifies the skills needed for veterans to apply for jobs in these MSAs, provides information on how veterans can use the GI Bill to gain additional education and helps veterans gain credentials to increase their opportunities.9 As a part of the Fast Track program, Hiring
that these types of collaborations, with the
university, Friday Institute and middle school;
and with the university and early-college high
school, offer a wealth of information that can
be utilized for further learning opportunities.
one for the United States military. Many
veterans struggle to fully assimilate back into
society, finding it difficult to become career
ready and find a job. Fortunately, big data has
a place in vocational and job training as well.
skills, many have been in the military since high
While veterans often have specific and useful
This past decade has been a challenging
firm to construct an online “Hiring our Heroes
career readiness for today’s vet
education in myriad ways, incl
conflicts overseas. As such, big
of big data. In order to locate e
show veterans critical paths to employment
mathematics)-related courses. Dr. Hoit notes
our Heroes has partnered with a technology
and implementation of a signifi
Heroes created the “Fast Track” program to
STEM (science, technology, engineering and
Career Readiness to Power Hiring our Heroes
This community will requir
the utilization of data. Recently, Hiring our
education) that are best suited
to identify career paths (includ
and provide assessments that a
will also bring veterans and em
industries in the United States.
opportunities in high-demand
transitioning service members
provide a single website to help
Talent Community.” This com
High School program is focused on offering
This program would not be possible without
to look to find employment. Hiring our Heroes
Centennial Campus. They are key components
NC State University STEM Early College
school or college, and simply do not know where
is tied to the university and located on its
Hiring our Heroes’ “Fast Track” program utilizes a significant amount of data to map high-demand careers by industry, identify the skills needed for veterans to apply for jobs and help veterans gain additional credentials to increase their opportunities.
12
well-established, documented, procedures and business rules f
place for a while and have been collecting data for a long time, these problems can be magnified.
analytics applications. It’s also about the
the data going in. There can be a lot of time lost there. You have to have the processes in place so that the quality of the data in the system is
Schad. When you are pulling data from many
different systems, sometimes IT staff need to
implement “work-arounds” or process changes that
LENNY SCHAD, CIO, HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, TEXAS
DATA QUALITY IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS YOU STRUGGLE WITH, BECAUSE THERE’S SO MUCH VARIATION ON HOW PEOPLE DO THINGS, PARTICULARLY AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL.”
“
right, rather than spending the energy on fixing
information, research and even social media.
include digital content, assessments, transactional
and institutions. But it goes way beyond that to
collected electronically by 84 percent of districts
single data source, student information, which is
large quantities. This starts with the largest
range of types of information in increasingly
are increasingly responsible for cataloging a wide
part of the picture, since districts and institutions
administrative data growth. And that’s only one
their organization was experiencing substantial
of respondents to the CDE survey told us that
are expected to master. Seventy-nine percent
in the amount of data that education institutions
Contributing to this problem is the rapid increase
being corrected as it goes in,” explains Schad.
spending a lot of time justifying that the tool’s
STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (SIS)
73%
CLASS/ COURSE SCHEDULING
68%
Source: Center for Digital Education Survey, 201
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Where are you stori
chain leading to high-level anal
is reading it incorrectly.” This poses major risks
management systems (LMS) and the like.12
at the campus level,” explains Houston ISD’s CIO
and consider them a vital link i
first assumption is that the tool is bad, or the tool
as student information systems (SIS), learning
variation on how people do things, particularly
must manage our source syste
bad data coming in and you’re reporting on it, the
right from the source systems themselves, such
down before they are even started. “You end up
omission of data.”13 To get big d
“Because what tends to happen is, when there is
highlighting the importance of getting information
for big data initiatives, which can be easily shut
information in [source] systems
about data quality in dashboards,” says Schad.
groups like the Data Quality Campaign have been
“Data quality is probably one of the biggest
rules for data entry can lead to
never more relevant than when we’re talking
the early days of the education data movement,
areas you struggle with, because there’s so much
validation. Lacking clearly defi
“The analogy of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ is
that help to get us there in the first place. Since
hard work, systems, processes and data governance
Campaign, “Best-practice distri
functionality. When source systems have been in
data process: data visualization and direct
According to research by the
hurt data integrity but are necessary for system
ig data isn’t just about the final stages of the
B
Gathering, Collecting and Capturing Big Data
FOUNDATION:
THE INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
THE EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE
“Our shift is going towards predictive analytics in particular. There is so much big data out there. We are looking at different ways of asking questions, or perhaps to help our customers ask questions that they didn’t even know they needed to ask. Predictive analytics opens up so many avenues that can contribute to student success.” CARRIE HANDLEY, DESIRE2LEARN
ROBERT CURTIN, MICROSOFT CORPORATION
“Would like to have a system to extract data in a timely manner for greater use and benefit to our districts.”
“Line speed capability in our smaller offices around the state, which would enable us to make our data collection through interactive trainings more robust.”
“Big data is less about the volume of data or new technologies; it’s more about new usage patterns that inform action at the point of delivery, such as better student advising or personalized learning pathways. Our customers realize they do not need expensive new tools to get started — they are already doing big things with just a little SQL.”
“We are still using monolithic database and data warehouse systems to process the data to get business analytics. We need to invest in newer processing platforms such as Hadoop (NoSQL) or NewSQL. Current data sets are too large to process quickly with our traditional methods.”
responding to the big data trend and in what ways they are seeing the market shift.
CRAIG POWELL, CONNECTEDU
“Big data is education’s secu scalable and cost-effective a to driving student success by unlocking the power of adapt learning plans for all student
MIKE MAXWELL, SYMANTEC
“With the abundance of data, stored in multiple locations, s should consider an eDiscover solution to identify and locate important information.”
“Integration — tracking a stude data from kindergarten all the way through college.”
“Seamless student information system (SIS) and learning management system (LMS) integration, as well as integratio into sensible workflows — mea ways to do something with the
16
tion of business-partner expertise. More than
requires that data becomes mobile. It needs
system for tracking students’ c career readiness by leveraging house capabilities, student-lev gregation and customized, real
to successfully initiate a critical phase of our performance management system. [The upstream information] is essential in helping us reach our research and evaluation goals.”
STUDENTS
60,000
WHICH IS MORE THAN
OF STATES PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM
OF NAF STUDENTS GO ON TO COLLEGE OR OTHER POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
OR MORE OF NAF GRADUATES EARN BACHELOR’S DEGREES IN FOUR YEARS
80% 52%
levels driving the analysis). Thi NAF to measure student achie progress, drive targeted interv conclusions about key compon and curricula that drive succes
how its students were performing and be able to compare them with other groups of public school students. This would allow NAF to back up its success with empirical analysis, test the effectiveness of the curriculum and
more credits and earn higher g NAF students in the same distr more than four out of five NAF college or other post-secondar more than 52 percent of NAF g bachelor’s degrees in four year 32 percent nationally. Data ana NAF better serve its students e
from thousands of NAF students and public school students around the country. The firm gathered academic and demographic data, as well as data on socioeconomic status, attendance rates, GPA and SAT/ACT scores from a variety of sources. This comprehensive data gathering would allow NAF to drive analysis
academies attend school more
success. The data showed that
a technology firm to gather and collect data
To solve this problem, NAF partnered with
the educational needs of NAF students.
In addition, this system has
levels in real time (with admin
It wanted to be able to see, in real time, exactly
implement consistent changes to better serve
at the student, school, district,
Today, NAF can analyze stu
reporting. The results were stu
and achievement of students in NAF academies.
measurement system to evaluate the progress
Last year, NAF began building a performance
tools. They also developed a re
provided us with the intelligence necessary
NAF is an organization of college and career-prep
Once they had the data, the
to JD Hoye, president of NAF, “[The new system]
worked to build college- and ca
information from upstream sources. According
components when comparing s
allow the organizations to cont
excellent example of how this concept can work.
National Academy Foundation Facts
78%
NAF recently implemented a new electronic data initiative that was able to incorporate
based on a number of key comp
JD HOYE, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ACADEMY FOUNDAT
initiative in “connecting the dots” provides an
The National Academy Foundation’s (NAF)
integrated into a coherent, unified picture.
60,000 students participate across 39 states.
curricula, work-based learning and the utiliza-
it won’t be useful if it stays there. Big data
to be extracted from source systems, amassed and
academies that prides itself on industry-focused
he source systems have the information, but
T
Linking Systems Together for Big Data
THE DOTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.”
18
see longitudinal data about their students, along with the homework and the lesson plans for the day.” Schad envisions visualization tools for students as well, which will work together with the teacher resources for common outcomes.
and intuitive for the decision-makers who will
actually use the information to improve education.
According to our research, education institutions
are increasingly aware of the benefits of big data,
to really use data that’s relevant single day.” Houston ISD doesn’ with a successful data warehou project. The district’s vision goe and towards an integrated learn “Then there’s more of the just-i trending, forecasting analysis,” Ultimately, he sees these initiati full scope of predictive and pres
can use the data longitudinally, so that they can now tie their student data together to see, historically, how their students have done on various tests or where they have struggled. That helps them formulate what needs to be done, especially when they’re receiving new students.” Moving forward, Schad wants to improve accessibility and utilization by making a wide range of information available in dashboards that are customized for each user.
earlier, aims to transform his district with
powerful new performance dashboards. “We’re
in the process of rolling out a data warehouse,”
explains Schad. “We have our principal dashboard
done, we have our teacher dashboard done
and now we are starting on the business side.”
Houston ISD’s challenge is not only to make the
data available, but to also spend enough time with
Source: Center for Digital Education Survey, 2013
STRONGLY DISAGREE
DISAGREE
NEUTRAL
AGREE
STRONGLY AGREE
For my institution, big data ... HAS IMPROVED ADMINISTRATION
6% 35% 45% 11% 3%
HAS IMPROVED STUDENT OUTCOMES
7% 43% 40% 7% 3%
14% 49% 29% 5% 4%
REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY FOR US
probably one of the best mecha
the current system: “Your teachers and principals
Lenny Schad, Houston ISD’s CIO we noted
teaching, facilitation and admin
start to see more individualizati
And that means not just for stud
create individualized experienc
it can do and what it is starting t
doing what people want it to do,
for a user experience. If you rea
ultimate goal of big data is true i
tools goes well beyond the class
thinks the value of data present
closely tied to improving studen
Innovation Network at Pearson,
Dr. Jeff Borden, who leads th
students that are adaptive to th
and personalized instructional
think, from a daily perspective,
Visualizing Student Performance in Dashboards
data accessible to people,” says
Schad explains that teachers and administrators
“There are so many ways tha
Houston ISD’s teachers and administrators use dashboards to gauge student performance historically, and ultimately to improve student outcomes.
are already effectively utilizing information under
and are making its implementation a priority.
Schad. “Your teachers will be able to go in and
and present the data in a way that is visual
together so they become one platform,” says
practitioners need to demystify the
endpoint technologies that make big data real,
these [dashboards] are going to start converging
time to finish the job. To do that,
In order to achieve this, data must be integrated and visualized in one centralized location. “All of
nce we have connected the dots, it’s
O
Visualizing, Analyzing and Leveraging Big Data
20
had getting their campuses wir net. Today, it goes without sayi
making many more “reads” and “writes” than ever before. And your users will want the results fast.
tire data warehouses — often need to be moved from
one physical location to another. And powerful analyt-
Having more data, and using it effectively,
INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING SYSTEMS
63% 45%
ANALYTICS DASHBOARDS
55%
Source: Center for Digital Education Survey, 2013
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
STORAGE
28% 10% SOCIAL RESEARCH/ NETWORKS SCIENCE APPLICATIONS
18%
OTHER
5%
the solution. Implementing thes
quently, hard dollars.
IT professionals say that they need to make
What are your investment priorities?
they are looking to gigabit Ethe
merely storing it. This saves disk space and conse-
University of Chicago is doing s
work in several neighborhoods
request for proposal (RFP) to d
in conjunction with Seattle, iss
The University of Washingto
ties and their surrounding com
spread of these networks to oth
next-generation networks and t
seven member universities are
develop and test these gigabit n
versities are logical and cost-eff
the executive director of Gig.U,
Former FCC Administrator Blai
point for more extensive broadb
ity to universities and communi
to bring ultra-high-speed Inter
For instance, the national Gi
partnerships but also over the l
broader community, sometimes
conjunction with the university
not reach out into the communi
age systems are capable of compressing data, not
tions already have great connec
a research university. Many of t
fessionals and 47 percent of higher education
Data compression techniques. Many new stor-
Users should be informed about any changes.
enterprises. In fact, 55 percent of K-12 IT pro-
changes the storage requirements of our IT
No institution requires netw
ties emerge. Call it the circle of
so we need a smart plan for keeping what we need.
isn’t practical. We can’t keep everything forever,
Storage, Storage and More Storage
pacity is brought online, applica
Save everything forever. The problem is that this
movement: storage, networks and computing power.
bandwidth, and they need it no
to questions of backup frequency and archiving:
This reality creates key challenges in the big data
higher education institutions n
cess that Scottsdale and other d
Once a big data application is in place, you will be
served, huge volumes of information — sometimes en-
Archiving and backup. There is a simple answer
In an earlier section, we cov
ogies are allowing greater in-memory processing)?
ics demand even more powerful processing hardware.
Networks and Bandwidth are C
even stored on a hard disk at all (some new technol-
available for a long time. In order to be pre-
public Internet (more on securi
be valuable, much of this data needs to remain
Data access speed. How quickly can you get data onto the disk and off of it? Or is your operation data
ig data isn’t a once-and-done proposition. To
B
Storage, Bandwidth and Computing Power
22
▸ Servers and processing hardware ▸ Storage area networks (SAN) and networkattached storage (NAS) ▸ New technologies for faster access and retrieval ▸ Network upgrades and bandwidth considerations, i.e., next-generation networks for big data ▸ Archiving and disaster recovery
There are many parts to a successful big data infrastructure. Here are some of the most important ones:
Decoding the Technology
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER:
data from the human genome to try to find a cure for cancer.
The sharing of so much data op
important security concerns — adequately addressed here. But our CDE research drives this p is at the top of the list of everyo it comes to big data.
10,000 markers across the genome. Today, it looks at more than 3 billion markers and it counts each of those markers 30 times to determine what’s happening. As you can imagine, this requires some serious firepower from TGen’s hardware and generates a lot of data to store and transport.
their communities will be at a disadvantage.
When companies consider where to locate, they
look for three things: “A good supply of work-
ers (in which case they look for universities
that produce the kind of graduates they want to
hire); a good living environment, which includes
to comply with the Family Edu Privacy Act (FERPA), of course go beyond the specifics of rules to leverage new strategies for a
result was a 12-fold increase in computing power. The new architecture allows for high-speed access to data and parallel file access. TGen is also able to store larger amounts of data, specifically three times the number of cores, in the same physical space. With all of that computing power, TGen predicts that it will be able to get the right drug to patients much faster. This, TGen says, would have been completely impossible with its legacy systems.
Just How Important is Computing Power
to Big Data?
As we noted earlier, the applications for big
data run the gamut from teaching numbers and
letters in kindergarten to the heady realms of
academic research in higher education. The
Translational Genomics Research Institute, or
TGen, is at the far end of this range in terms
of both complexity and importance. TGen is a
new architecture system boasts interconnectivity among systems — all with fewer administra-
disease simply by looking under a microscope.
To find a solution, TGen had to dig deeper.
the trial and helps TGen to better more lives.18
more scientists and fewer computers, and its
tists can’t separate out the different types of
an individual patient’s tumor by comparing
smaller hardware footprint allows TGen to house
to treat. It isn’t a single disease, and scien-
efficiency, which allows for more patients to be in
to make any significant impact. In addition, the
cancers in children, and is particularly hard
new servers use less power and improve cost-
too long to get the results back to the patients
Neuroblastoma is one of the most common
ized medicine. It starts with the analysis of
limits. TGen could analyze the data, but it took
ing neuroblastoma in four-year-old children.
running a clinical trial by utilizing personal-
new systems, time-sensitive problems were off
find a cure for cancer. Its specific target is cur-
tors and no additional space. Finally, TGen’s
data analysis challenges. Prior to installing the
using data from the human genome to try to
TGen’s research methodology involves
Moreover, TGen is now able to target new
nonprofit genomics research institute that is
SECURITY CONCERNS
58%
ANALYTICS
48%
SU MAIN
Source: Center for Digital Education Survey, 2013
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
What are some of yo
and privacy initiatives work in
to acquire new servers on a new architecture. The
modern business without it,” says Dr. Hoit. 17
port, TGen partnered with a technology company
and achievable if education inst the bedrock principles that hav
To decrease data processing time, increase the
However, real information s
with big data and it
amount of data storage and allow for easier trans-
Internet connectivity, because you can’t run a
good schools for their children; and high-speed
W
trial progresses. When TGen started, it looked at
And it’s only becoming more complicated as the
important consider
e all know that secu
Cities that don’t implement these programs in
The process of sequencing an entire genome is lengthy, and generates tremendous amounts of data.
24
The Institute for Advanced Analytics, a professional master’s program at NC State, is dedicated to producing data scientists and prepares 80 students each year for this specialized workforce, says Dr. Hoit of NC State.
MAKING IT REAL
BRYAN REGAN
into teams of four or five stude director assigns each team a pr that problem will come from go such as the Department of Just for example, want help sorting sense of large amounts of data. might come from private indust a business may need help proce generated by its machinery, or i tracking production-line flaws
we need, the “data scientists” who will make big data a reality for our organizations? Fortunately, Dr. Hoit has an answer for this as well. Working with SAS, Dr. Michael Rappa created the Institute for Advanced Analytics at NC State, the nation’s first professional master’s program in data analytics. One year, a single company offered to hire the program’s entire cohort of 40 students. According to Dr. Hoit,
Analytics about five years ago. It is a
the creation of the Institute for Advanced
with this “good next-door neighbor” led to
explains that the university’s partnership
with headquarters near NC State. Dr. Hoit
influential data analysis companies, SAS,
become one of the world’s largest and most
some graduate students founded what has
In the late 1970s, a faculty member and
decades of accomplishments in data analysis.
leadership is the well-deserved result of
NC State, whose reputation for big data
This program was a natural move for
similar programs of their own.
following NC State’s lead and developing
Other higher education institutions are
of possible candidates and hire them.”
and know that they can find a large cohort
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
28%
FUNDING
26%
Source: Center for Digital Education Survey, 2013
0
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
What would help you
departments and beyond. Each
skilled people. Where will we get the people
“Employers want to come to one place
students are heavily involved w
perhaps most glaring barrier, is a lack of
in size and now prepares 80 stu for a workforce in need of data
project risks and the barriers to
Since its inception, the prog
with planning and effective diligence,
adoption can be overcome. The first, and
S
the program has been very succ
imply put, big data is hard work. But
end of their salary range — are
its graduates’ multiple job offe
26
The potential of big data in education is huge. It allows campuses to anticipate the needs of their students, and empowers instructors to do what they do best: educate the next generation of leaders.
irreparable happens.
the most dangerous position that we, as leaders,
be reality.
obvious. Imagine tools that let instructors apply
This isn’t a dream. With some elbow grease and the right big data tools, it could very much
after the problems have become full blown and
academic trouble starts, instead of many months
do best: educate the next generation of leaders.
meets them — before the student even asks. And
While the challenges loom large, the potential
where instructors are empowered to do what they
campus anticipates the needs of the student and
the data and preparing them for access to that data.�
conversation with a student just as his or her
in real time for actionable insights. Where the
expectations are, what we want people to do with
benefits are larger still. Imagine having a
for posterity in a dusty mainframe, but mined
leadership perspective, needs to focus on what our
Imagine a campus where data isn’t just collected
down — and can act on them before anything
can take. I think the big data conversation, from a
trends in their school’s performance — up or
administrators who are aware of the potential
thinking will need to change to make that
jump down into the weeds, and I think that is
to the students who need them. Imagine
But he also expects that current modes of
potential a reality. “Big data conversations typically
L
the best, most research-proven interventions
enny Schad sees a great future for big data.
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eachers and administrators today rely on data to provide critical feedback on student progress and drive curriculum corrections. They look to technology to provide this data on demand and in an easy-to-consume format. Student achievement relies on real-time data being in the hands of the people who need it, when they need it.
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In today’s technologically advanced world, educational institutions are confronting droves of data, so much so that it is being dubbed “big data.� Although this can be daunting, it also has the capability to transform education. To maximize the potential of big data, institutions need secure, real-time connectivity to support: 7 +50'*# +53&#.# !!#// As students, educators and staff become more mobile and learning evolves beyond the confines of the traditional classroom, schools must be able to provide fast, secure connectivity wherever and whenever it is needed. 7 +!.# /'+% 1/# ,$ 0#!&+,),%5 Students and faculty are bringing in their own devices, and oftentimes more than just one, to access educational resources. Additionally, they are using these devices to access digital content that can vary from interactive e-textbooks to streaming video. To accommodate this, districts and systems are seeking more bandwidth and network convergence solutions. 7 ,)) ,. 0',+ Whether it’s schools within a district or research organizations across the country, institutions are finding that sharing data and improving collaboration can have a significant impact on learning outcomes. It is therefore critical to centralize data where it can be securely and easily accessed.
Ensuring Access in a Big Data World
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BIG DATA
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Fortunately, new solutions can help education institutions properly govern Big Data during the eDiscovery process, helping them avoid potential fines and saving significant amounts of staff time.
“Discovering” a Better Solution
area of eDiscovery — the process by which organizations are mandated to identify, analyze and produce electronically stored information (ESI) in response to certain requests. The more data an organization stores, the more difficult — and expensive — it becomes to manage. Education institutions are no strangers to Big Data, and like all governmental organizations, they must adhere to federal regulations that mandate systems be in place for them to retrieve ESI when necessary. The increase in lawsuits filed against schools has brought eDiscovery solutions higher up on the priority list for many IT and legal departments. Reactionary measures are no longer acceptable — developing a proactive plan is critical to reduce time and money spent during the eDiscovery process.
The bigger data gets, the more problems it can cause in the
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Acknowledgements: JOHN MIRI, Senior Fellow at the Center for Digital Education, is a nationally recognized expert on Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence who is frequently called upon to address the impact of Big Data on education at the federal, state, and local levels. Miri developed a district-wide longitudinal Data
THE CENTER FOR DIGITAL EDUCATION
Warehouse and Teacher Dashboard solution for a large urban school
is a national research and advisory institute
district serving more than 90,000 students and he has advised a state
specializing in K-12 and higher education
education agency on the technical architecture, enterprise governance,
technology trends, policy, and funding. CDE
and project management for a Big Data initiative that will ultimately serve
advises the industry, conducts relevant research,
more than 500,000 teachers and administrators. Prior to his work in
issues white papers, and produces premier annual
government and education, Miri designed and deployed Data Warehouse
surveys and awards programs. CDE also hosts
and Business Intelligence solutions to leading companies in the private
events for the education community. CDE’s media
sector. Miri is the principal inventor on U.S. Patent #7,571,138 — an
platform includes the Center for Digital Education
advanced data management software tool for financial risk management.
Special Reports, an online resource site, email
Miri graduated from Harvard University with an honors degree in Physics.
newsletters, and custom publications.