U.S. universities, rich in data, struggle to capture its value, study finds
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Re: U.S. universities, rich in data, struggle to capture its value, study finds
#2University data is getting outdated very quickly. Large companies have taken over the role of data curators.
I personally think this is wrong. Big tech companies should build hardware, while government agencies should use that hardware to curate our data. Like how it was near the beginning of the internet. Companies should be as far away from our data as possible.
Re: U.S. universities, rich in data, struggle to capture its value, study finds
#3I can't access the original study however taking data, explicitly naming security cameras for example, to "use it or merge it with data from external parties such as publishers or public or private sector organizations" will surely not seriously degrade student and staff privacy, right?
The rush to "exploit" data reminds me of the dot com hype. It's one thing to use available data to make more informed decisions about things from course content to building occupancy. It's quite another to rush towards total surveillance because of a Fear of Missing Out of "exploitable data".
Re: U.S. universities, rich in data, struggle to capture its value, study finds
#4This is the type of article that makes me wonder: "therefore, what?"
Yes, absolutely, universities are awash in data they do little to anything with outside of hyperfocused laboratories. I wonder if having central data management groups would be an enabler or a bottleneck, however.
Re: U.S. universities, rich in data, struggle to capture its value, study finds
#5This article feels like it took hundreds of words to say nothing at all.
The funniest part was the example of security cameras. What big breakthroughs are universities hoping to achieve with this data?
Re: U.S. universities, rich in data, struggle to capture its value, study finds
#6This article feels like it took hundreds of words to say nothing at all. The funniest part was the example of security cameras. What big breakthroughs are universities hoping to achieve with this data?
some industry players want to normalize facial recognition and location tracking
Re: U.S. universities, rich in data, struggle to capture its value, study finds
#7This article feels like it took hundreds of words to say nothing at all. The funniest part was the example of security cameras. What big breakthroughs are universities hoping to achieve with this data?
some industry players want to normalize facial recognition and location tracking
I had to laugh at one of the authors being Christine L. Borgman. I'm sure all our data will be treated respectfully when fully integrated into their unaccountable profit-driven total surveillance system.
Re: U.S. universities, rich in data, struggle to capture its value, study finds
#8There's a troubling tone behind this article.
It's a prophecy that demands to be fulfilled.
Starting with the premise "Data is useful", it proceeds to pick at all the ways we've failed to make it useful... and we're damned well going to make it useful if it kills us!
Maybe, just maybe (for those that dabble in the sceptical, explanatory game we call science) it might be that "bare data" has little use within certain contexts... say those that by definition are on the cutting edge of knowledge and reality, best steered by imaginative vision of leading experts.
Data driven market cybernetics may be very useful in some industries, such as ones with physical logistics, complex supply chains, rapidly shifting supply sources and demand sinks. But the primacy of "data uber alles" should not be one-size-fits-all.
Re: U.S. universities, rich in data, struggle to capture its value, study finds
#9This is the type of article that makes me wonder: "therefore, what?" Yes, absolutely, universities are awash in data they do little to anything with outside of hyperfocused laboratories. I wonder if having central data management groups would be an enabler or a bottleneck, however.
Therefore they can’t optimize anything.
They have 0 visibility into any of the operations and therefore can’t derive any insights or install controls.
They have no idea if:
Some professors more effective teachers than others.
Which days students buy more food.
Whether taking a given prerequisite leads to better mastery of advanced material.
If additional spend is correlated with better student outcomes.
For people in tech businesses, it’s such a shocking thing to read it’s hard to fathom how any of the leadership at universities find this situation acceptable.
Re: U.S. universities, rich in data, struggle to capture its value, study finds
#10University data is getting outdated very quickly. Large companies have taken over the role of data curators. I personally think this is wrong. Big tech companies should build hardware, while government agencies should use that hardware to curate our data. Like how it was near the beginning of the internet. Companies should be as far away from our data as possible.
I think the exact opposite: government should know as little as is required to provide its services, as should any company. If you imagine a company can do damage with your data, wait til a bad government has it.