【Cheng Shiu University of Science and Technology promotes a new way of thinking for accountability reporting.】
This article primarily introduces the extensive use of big data analytics in the field of Institutional Research (IR) in the past decade. Institutional Research utilizes large databases of institutional data and student learning tracking data to perform data mining and transformation, aiming to discover potential educational issues and engage in discussions on relevant topics, becoming a significant topic in the education sector.
In the context of Institutional Research, the accountability system plays a crucial role in promoting performance self-assessment. It provides evidence-based analysis and insights to examine the current development characteristics and areas for improvement within the school. It assists various internal units in conducting self-assessment and improvement, strengthening school performance evaluation and assessment, and enhancing overall educational effectiveness.
The article mentions that since 2017, this institution has adopted the "Annual Accountability Report" as one of its routine institutional tasks. The report draws on references from the accountability report of the University of California, Base Database of Higher Technological and Vocational Education, and relevant indicators from the Ministry of Education. The report covers nine major aspects, 26 indicators, and 122 statistical items. It has been continuously updated, resulting in five editions of the report, with content expanded to include 11 major aspects, 32 indicators, and 150 statistical items.
Recently, the Ministry of Education proposed the Sustainable Campus Plan and compiled the "Sustainable Development Goals Education Handbook." As a response, this institution has added two major aspects, "Sustainable Campus Environment" and "Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility," since 2021. The institution aligns these aspects with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the accountability report, aiming to ensure the effective implementation of resource strategies within the institution, increase the involvement of faculty and students in university social responsibility, and practice sustainable development.
Additionally, this institution has established databases for "Course Data," "Journal Paper Data," and "Sustainable Development Goals Keywords." Through structured query language (SQL), these databases are used for relational matching to link courses and journal papers with SDGs indicators. It facilitates a comprehensive understanding of how various colleges incorporate SDGs and serves as a reference for future promotion of sustainable-related courses and activities.
Finally, the institution has established a dedicated office to integrate University Social Responsibility (USR) resources, with the objectives of "Sustainable Campus" and "Sustainable Local Communities." By aligning the university's work with the United Nations' 17 SDGs, the institution aims to spread the benefits of SDGs leadership. In the future, the institution will continue to develop more appropriate indicator items, covering input, process, output, and outcome aspects, and employ both quantitative and qualitative methods. The data trajectory will be used to assist in gaining insights into the effectiveness and changes in institutional work, providing stakeholders with a better understanding of the institution's governance of its affairs.
【Excerpt from the issue No. 02, 2022 of TWAEA’s ePaper】
