Data-driven university management: strategies for intelligent decision-making in higher education institutions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63688/j8e4y006Keywords:
university management, data analytics, decision makingAbstract
Digital transformation significantly altered how higher education institutions organized their academic, administrative, and financial processes, generating vast amounts of information on student performance, retention, faculty management, resource utilization, and the quality of educational services. This research aimed to analyze data-driven university management strategies and their contribution to informed decision-making by identifying their main tools, applications, benefits, and challenges. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, which allowed for the rigorous selection, organization, and synthesis of available scientific evidence. The final corpus consisted of 27 articles related to academic analytics, information systems, business intelligence, predictive models, and data governance. The results showed that data-driven management facilitated the early identification of academic risks, curriculum planning, administrative efficiency, and resource optimization. It was concluded that its implementation strengthened institutional decision-making. However, it required reliable information, trained personnel, technological infrastructure, and policies that guaranteed the privacy, security, and ethical use of university data.
References
Akçapınar, G., Altun, A., & Aşkar, P. (2019). Using learning analytics to develop early-warning system for at-risk students. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), Article 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0172-z
Alenezi, M. (2021). Deep dive into digital transformation in higher education institutions. Education Sciences, 11(12), Article 770. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120770
Alyahyan, E., & Düştegör, D. (2020). Predicting academic success in higher education: Literature review and best practices. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17(1), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-020-0177-7
Bond, M., Marín, V. I., Dolch, C., Bedenlier, S., & Zawacki-Richter, O. (2018). Digital transformation in German higher education: Student and teacher perceptions and usage of digital media. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15(1), Article 48. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-018-0130-1
Carvalho, A., Alves, H., & Leitão, J. (2022). What research tells us about leadership styles, digital transformation and performance in state higher education? International Journal of Educational Management, 36(2), 218–232. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-08-2020-0378
Castro Benavides, L. M., Tamayo Arias, J. A., Arango Serna, M. D., Branch Bedoya, J. W., & Burgos, D. (2020). Digital transformation in higher education institutions: A systematic literature review. Sensors, 20(11), Article 3291. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20113291
Cisneros Zumba, N. B., Valladares Cisneros, M. G., Venegas Quintana, O., & Chala Jaramillo, F. J. (2025). Uso de inteligencia artificial en la gestión académica y administrativa para el fortalecimiento institucional en la educación superior: Evolución e innovación digital. Revista Social Fronteriza, 5(2), e-691. https://doi.org/10.59814/resofro.2025.5(2)691
Cisternas Irarrázabal, C., & Bustos-Velásquez, F. (2024). La investigación sobre la gestión en educación superior: Un mapa científico de las publicaciones 2011–2020. Actualidades Investigativas en Educación, 24(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.15517/aie.v24i1.55536
Falloon, G. (2020). From digital literacy to digital competence: The teacher digital competency (TDC) framework. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(5), 2449–2472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09767-4
Fernández, A., Gómez, B., Binjaku, K., & Meçe, E. K. (2023). Digital transformation initiatives in higher education institutions: A multivocal literature review. Education and Information Technologies, 28(10), 12351–12382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11544-0
Guzmán-Valenzuela, C., Gómez-González, C., Rojas-Murphy Tagle, A., & Lorca-Vyhmeister, A. (2021). Learning analytics in higher education: A preponderance of analytics but very little learning? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1), Article 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00258-x
Ifenthaler, D., & Egloffstein, M. (2020). Development and implementation of a maturity model of digital transformation. TechTrends, 64(2), 302–309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-019-00457-4
Ifenthaler, D., & Schumacher, C. (2016). Student perceptions of privacy principles for learning analytics. Educational Technology Research and Development, 64(5), 923–938. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9477-y
Ifenthaler, D., & Yau, J. Y.-K. (2020). Utilising learning analytics to support study success in higher education: A systematic review. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(4), 1961–1990. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09788-z
Jones, K. M. L. (2019). Learning analytics and higher education: A proposed model for establishing informed consent mechanisms to promote student privacy and autonomy. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), Article 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0155-0
Kaliisa, R., Jivet, I., & Prinsloo, P. (2023). A checklist to guide the planning, designing, implementation, and evaluation of learning analytics dashboards. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), Article 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00394-6
Larrabee Sønderlund, A., Hughes, E., & Smith, J. (2019). The efficacy of learning analytics interventions in higher education: A systematic review. British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(5), 2594–2618. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12720
Manatos, M. J., Sarrico, C. S., & Rosa, M. J. (2017). The integration of quality management in higher education institutions: A systematic literature review. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 28(1–2), 159–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2015.1050180
Nunn, S., Avella, J. T., Kanai, T., & Kebritchi, M. (2016). Learning analytics methods, benefits, and challenges in higher education: A systematic literature review. Online Learning, 20(2), 13–29. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v20i2.790
Pettersson, F. (2018). On the issues of digital competence in educational contexts: A review of literature. Education and Information Technologies, 23(3), 1005–1021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-017-9649-3
Pucciarelli, F., & Kaplan, A. (2016). Competition and strategy in higher education: Managing complexity and uncertainty. Business Horizons, 59(3), 311–320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2016.01.003
Roberts, L. D., Howell, J. A., Seaman, K., & Gibson, D. C. (2016). Student attitudes toward learning analytics in higher education: “The Fitbit version of the learning world.” Frontiers in Psychology, 7, Article 1959. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01959
Rubel, A., & Jones, K. M. L. (2016). Student privacy in learning analytics: An information ethics perspective. The Information Society, 32(2), 143–159. https://doi.org/10.1080/01972243.2016.1130502
Viberg, O., Hatakka, M., Bälter, O., & Mavroudi, A. (2018). The current landscape of learning analytics in higher education. Computers in Human Behavior, 89, 98–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.07.027
West, D., Huijser, H., & Heath, D. (2016). Putting an ethical lens on learning analytics. Educational Technology Research and Development, 64(5), 903–922. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9464-3
Williamson, B. (2018). The hidden architecture of higher education: Building a big data infrastructure for the “smarter university.” International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15(1), Article 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-018-0094-1
Willis, J. E., III, Slade, S., & Prinsloo, P. (2016). Ethical oversight of student data in learning analytics: A typology derived from a cross-continental, cross-institutional perspective. Educational Technology Research and Development, 64(5), 881–901. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9463-4
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Diego Esteban Bravo Juela, Maria Elena Carrillo Valverde, Mitridates Felix Octavio Feijoo Parra, Daniel Alejandro Rodríguez Estrella (Autor/a)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
El artículo se distribuye bajo la Licencia Creative Commons Atribución 4.0 . Salvo que se indique lo contrario, el material publicado asociado se distribuye bajo la misma licencia.
