Data-informed decision-making (DIDM) refers to the collection and

analysis Analysis (: analyses) is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts in order to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle (38 ...

data Data ( , ) are a collection of discrete or continuous values that convey information, describing the quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted for ...

to guide decisions and improve chances of success.U.S. Department of Education Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development (2009). ''Implementing data-informed decision making in schools: Teacher access, supports and use.'' United States Department of Education (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED504191) Another form of this process is referred to as data-driven decision-making, "which is defined similarly as making decisions based on hard data as opposed to intuition, observation, or guesswork." DIDM is used in

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

communities, where data is used with the goal of helping

student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution, or more generally, a person who takes a special interest in a subject. In the United Kingdom and most The Commonwealth, commonwealth countries, a "student" attends ...

s and improving curricula, among other fields in which data is used to inform decisions. While "data based decision-making" is a more common term, "''data-informed'' decision-making" is the preferred term, since decisions should not be based solely on

quantitative data Quantitative research is a research strategy that focuses on quantifying the collection and analysis of data. It is formed from a deductive approach where emphasis is placed on the testing of theory, shaped by empiricist and positivist philoso ...

. Data-driven decision-making is commonly used in the context of business growth and entrepreneurship. Many

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

s have access to some type of a

data system Data system is an organized collection of symbols and processes that may be used to operate on such symbols. Any organised collection of symbols and symbol-manipulating operations can be considered a data system. Hence, human-speech analysed at the ...

for analyzing their students' data. These data systems present data to educators in an over-the-counter data format (embedding labels, supplemental documentation, and a help system, making key package/display and content decisions) to improve the success of educators' data-informed decision-making. In business, fostering and actively supporting data-driven decision-making in their firm and among their colleagues may be one of the central responsibilities of CIOs (Chief Information Officers) or CDOs (Chief Data Officers). Assessment in higher education is a form of data-driven decision-making aimed at using evidence of what students learn to improve curriculum, student learning, and teaching.{{cite web, last1=Flaherty, first1=Colleen, title=Large-Scale Assessment Without Standardized Tests, url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/02/23/aacu-releases-report-national-large-scale-look-student-learning), website=Inside HigherEd, accessdate=24 February 2017 Standardized tests, grades, and student work scored by rubrics are forms of student learning outcomes assessment.

Formative assessment Formative assessment, formative evaluation, formative feedback, or assessment for learning, including ''diagnostic testing'', is a range of formal and informal assessment procedures conducted by teachers during the learning process in order to mo ...

s, specifically, allow educators to use the data from student performances more immediately in modifying teaching and learning strategies. There are numerous organizations aimed at promoting the assessment of student learning through DIDM including the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment, the Association for the Assessment of Student Learning in Higher Education, and, to an extent, the

Association of American Colleges and Universities The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. It works to improve quality and equity in undergraduate education and advance liberal education. ...

References

Data analysis Standards-based education