Revealed: Durham modules ranked by student attainment in 2021-2022 - Palatinate

This article highlights the transformative power of open data by demonstrating how Freedom of Information requests can unlock granular academic performance metrics. By revealing detailed statistics on undergraduate module attainment, the piece illustrates that transparency allows stakeholders to scrutinize educational outcomes beyond simple institutional rankings. This accessibility empowers students and educators to identify high-performing courses and those needing improvement, fostering a more informed and accountable academic environment. The data reveals significant disparities in student success across different disciplines, with Physics and English leading in attainment while foundational year modules lag considerably behind. Such variability suggests that structural factors, including module type and student cohort characteristics, heavily influence results. These insights are crucial for understanding the nuanced realities of university education, proving that aggregated averages often obscure important trends at the departmental and module levels. Relevance to open data lies in its ability to democratize information, shifting power from opaque administrative silos to the public sphere. When institutions release raw data, it enables independent analysis that can drive meaningful policy changes and resource allocation. This case study serves as a practical example of how data transparency promotes equity and quality assurance in higher education, encouraging other organizations to adopt similar practices for greater societal benefit.

Source: palatinate.org.uk
Published on 2025-12-06

Revealed: Durham modules ranked by student attainment in 2021-2022 - Palatinate

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