Data: turning insights into action at Teesside University

This blog was kindly authored by Professor Mark Simpson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Teesside University.

Data is everywhere, but how do we turn it into insights that actually change outcomes for students and graduates?

At Teesside University, this question underpins strategies that have helped us achieve sector-leading recognition: TEF Gold for teaching excellence, Ofsted Outstanding, and Times Higher Education University of the Year 2025.

Did the predictions hold true?

In earlier blogs, we anticipated major shifts: the rise of AI in learning and assessment, deeper collaboration between institutions, and the growing importance of data-driven decision-making. So, did they happen?

AI adoption: far from being banned, AI is now embedded in teaching and assessment strategies, guided by ethic-focussed user principles.

Collaboration: regional partnerships have strengthened, particularly around employability and mental health, though mergers remain rare.

Data-driven action: the sector has moved beyond dashboards to interventions that improve student success, though capability gaps in data literacy persist.

These trends confirm what we argued – universities that embrace innovation and ethical data use are better positioned to deliver outcomes that matter: graduate success, employer confidence, and sector-leading recognition.

This blog moves the conversation from trends to action: the principles and practices that turn data into decisions, and decisions into impact for students, graduates, and employers.

Why actionable insights matter

Data tells us what happened. Insight explains why it happened and what to do next. In a sector where TEF narratives, OfS outcomes, and B3 metrics are under constant scrutiny, insight must be decision-ready: clear, timely, and connected to actions that improve student success.

One example from Teesside University: analysis of engagement and wellbeing data revealed predictable spikes in anxiety before assessments. That’s an insight, but the real value lies in what changes next: assessment tweaks, targeted comms, coaching, or extended mental health support. Without action, insight is just noise.

Principles for turning data into action

Insights only create impact when they lead to meaningful change. These five principles, proven in practice, help ensure your data works for you:

1) Clarity of purpose

Start with a precise aim: Which outcome will we improve, by how much, and by when? Clear goals turn data into a roadmap rather than a report.

2) Integration, not isolation

Data should flow across curriculum design, student support, careers, and employer partnerships into one coherent picture. Bringing in the student perspective ensures this integration is authentic, connecting learning experiences to aspirations, not just administrative targets.

3) Student voice driving decision-making

Students should shape decisions about data use. Co-design privacy, transparency, and wellbeing safeguards with them. Explain the why, what, and how in clear language, and make opting in meaningful by showing how their input drives change.

4) Timely intervention

Move beyond annual reviews to real-time decisions that matter most: before assessments, during placements, and at key transition points. Use student feedback to set the rhythm for dashboards, reviews, and action cycles so insight lands when it counts.

5) Collaboration and ownership

Insight should be co-owned across academics, student services, and employers – with students as equal partners. Involve them in approval panels, curriculum reviews, and evaluation loops. Their lived experience transforms data into stories that resonate and drive action.

Teesside University in practice

Teesside’s approach offers a concrete model for turning principles into practice.

Future Facing Learning (FFL) embeds digital empowerment, global citizenship, and entrepreneurial thinking – making employability part of the learning experience, not an add-on.

Learning & Teaching Framework (LTF)ensures course-first design, authentic assessment, and industry engagement, supported by staff CPD.

Laser-focused strategy & KPIs link performance to TEF and B3, with regular reviews and targeted improvement plans.

Breaking down silos brings employers onto panels and integrates meaningful student voice – feedback that leads to visible change.

Pragmatic AI strategy encourages innovation and future skills, adapting quickly to a world where 65% of today’s primary school children will work in jobs that don’t yet exist.

The challenge ahead (and how to navigate it)

We all face familiar constraints: full curricula and professional body frameworks, budget and time pressures, and capability gaps in data literacy and change management. Progress depends on:

• Course-first trade-offs: deciding what comes out when new skills go in; aligning assessments with employability outcomes.
• Authentic assessment: using live briefs, micro-placements, and employer co-designed tasks.
• Partnership by default: involve employers in approval events and reviews; move beyond advisory boards to co-production of learning.
• Data fluency for staff: providing CPD focussed on interpreting and acting on data.
• Targeted pilots: start small where the impact is highest (e.g. first-year transition), measure rigorously, and scale.

Turning data into action isn’t about having more dashboards, it’s about better decisions, made faster, with students and employers at the centre.

Teesside University’s experience shows that when strategy, frameworks, and student voice align, employability becomes a lived experience in the curriculum, not a promise on a prospectus.

Professor Mark Simpson is speaking at Kortext LIVE on 11 February 2026 in London. Join Mark at this free event as he dives deep into the strategic impact of data alongside Dr Rachel Maxwell. Find out more and secure your seat here.