2025 CONFERENCE AT UEA
The University of East Anglia (UEA) were proud to host the UK & Ireland Higher Education Institutional Research (HEIR) Network 2025 Annual Conference on 4 and 5 September.
The HEIR Network annual conference is an opportunity for HE institutional research enthusiasts and practitioners to come together as a community to exchange knowledge, information and ideas. The focus is on current challenges and opportunities, to enhance the use of institutional research, data analysis and evaluation, in supporting efficient and effective decision-making, planning and policy formation in HE.
For the programme ‘at a glance’, click the attached link: https://www.heirnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/08/HEIR-2025-Conference-Programme-2.pdf
For the detailed programme which includes the abstracts, click the attached link: https://www.heirnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/08/HEIR-2025-Conference-Programme-and-Abstracts-1.pdf
In Partnership with evasys.
Student Access, Retention and Outcomes: harnessing the evidence
This theme for HEIR 2025 will be articulated across four key tracks:
- Widening Access: exploring effective ways to boost participation of underrepresented groups and widen equality, diversity and inclusion in HE.
- Supporting Retention: investigating what provision and interventions allow HEIs to support all students throughout the student lifecycle.
- Improving Outcomes: tackling the link between learning and attainment, student experience and employability, within and beyond national policy frameworks.
- Informing Policy: harnessing research and evaluation and promoting collaborations to bridge institutional practice and HE policy.
OUR KEYNOTES:
We will host two insightful keynotes:
Bart Rienties Professor in Learning Analytics at the Institute of Educational Technology, Open University, UK
The role of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Assistance in Student Inclusion, Retention and Outcomes
Bart Rienties is Professor of Learning Analytics and programme lead of the learning analytics and learning design research programme at the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University UK. He leads a group of academics who provide university-wide learning analytics and learning design solutions and conduct evidence-based research of how students and professionals learn. As educational psychologist, he conducts multi-disciplinary research on work-based and collaborative learning environments and focuses on the role of social interaction in learning, which is published in leading academic journals and books. His primary research interests are focussed on Learning Analytics, Learning Design, and the role of motivation in learning.
Valerie Harvey Head of Performance Evaluation, Higher Education Authority, Ireland
Graduate Outcomes in Irish higher education: enhancing the evidence base
Valerie Harvey is Head of Performance Evaluation with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), and is responsible for the development of institutional and system performance data reporting for the Irish higher education system. Valerie oversees two national surveys in Irish higher education, as managed by the HEA: StudentSurvey.ie, the national survey of student engagement and the Graduate Outcomes Survey. Over the last 10 years, Valerie has expanded the national evidence base for higher education by developing data linking infrastructure between the HEA and other data holders within higher education. Valerie’s academic background is in mathematics, statistics, computing and public policy.
OUR EXPERT PANEL
A plenary session will also feature a panel of expert speakers, discussing issues on HE access retention and outcomes through the experience of different countries:
Sunday Blake – Education and Parliamentary Engagement Policy Manager at GuildHE, England
Rhona McCormack – Director of Student Affairs, University of Limerick, Ireland
Ann Cotterill – Membership Network Lead and Quality Manager, Quality Assurance Agency
ONLINE EVENT JUNE 2025 – Measuring Educational Gains in TEF 2023: how students succeed throughout their journey
Presentation recording can be found here: https://youtu.be/HXofJPba1pE?feature=shared
ONLINE EVENT MAY 2025 – Graduate Outcomes Surveys and data use in UK and Ireland: revealing Graduate Success
The case studies focused on the sharing of good practice, making use of the survey data and how they work across their universities to turn data into insights, into actions and stories, revealing the successes of our graduates.
Presentation recording can be found here: https://youtu.be/5SE5zkRZ7uQ?feature=shared
ONLINE EVENT MARCH 2025 – Developing new Access & Participation Plans (APPs) in English HEIs: data and evaluation
This session focused on the new approach being taken by the English Higher Education Regulator, the Office for Students (Ofs) on regulating equality of opportunity and what that means for HEIs in England submitting new Access and Participation Plans (APPs) in 2024.
Presenters included colleagues from institutions that submitted and gained approval for their new APPs in Wave 1, and of course there was a focus on how IR, data analysis and evaluation can support the development and enhancement of the new Plans.
Presentation recording can be found here: https://youtu.be/u819mEWegU4?feature=shared
ONLINE EVENT NOVEMBER 2024 – Leveraging AI at the University of Westminster to drive data-driven decision making
This presentation explored the university of Westminster’s implementation of AI software for qualitative analysis, and its implications for institutional research. Kirsty and Matthew outlined the use of Explorance’s MLY during the analysis of major internal and external surveys, as well as institutional research project. The presentation included a case study of a research project and how AI enhanced findings to inform programme change management to improve the student experience.
Presentation recording can be found here: https://youtu.be/ayJjAD8L8c4?feature=shared
