The i2i Program is designed for instructors and instructional supporters who want to leverage teaching and learning data to improve courses and student outcomes. Participants receive teaching and learning data support, pedagogical consultation, and governance guidance, all while working on a project that matters to them.
Projects often explore patterns in enrollment, performance, engagement, and student perceptions—leading to data-informed curriculum changes, and ongoing research opportunities.
Applications open on March 11. We urge you to apply and join a community committed to turning insights into impact!
In the meantime, view the application packet, learn more about past projects, and visit our webpage.
Seeing the blocks come together
Dariane Drake, co-runner of the i2i Program and Learning Analytics Architect, shares some wisdom about transforming data into meaningful insights.
What do you gain working with a data architect?
Hi! I’m Dariane (she/her), the Learning Analytics Architect on the Division of Information Technology’s Academic Technology team. In this position, I get to use data to improve teaching and learning every day. I have been working in the analytics field within higher education since 2016 and have worked with a variety of different tools, data, and methods. I believe in using data to empower student development and success and to improve equitable learning environments for all. I have a wide variety of interests including student development and success, equitable and inclusive teaching practices, crisis management, trauma-informed practices, technology and data in education, and the history of higher education. When I am not working, I like to travel and spend time with my family, pet my dogs, and eat good food.
What is teaching and learning data? Why is it important and what are some of the challenges instructors face when working with their data?
Teaching and learning data is basically all the little pieces of data we get from students and instructors’ interactions with a course—things like when and how people do or do not participate, performance on assignments, instructional design choices, and more. When we pay attention to it, we can transform that data into meaningful information which in turn sparks action, that should ultimately make courses clearer, more supportive, and more achievable for everyone. It turns everyday classroom moments into insights we can actually use.
However, T&L data can be tricky because it’s often messy, spread across different systems, and easy to misinterpret without the right context. Since it’s rooted in human behavior and decisions, even careful analysis can still lead you down the wrong path if you’re not thoughtful and intentional. Think of it like a giant LEGO set dumped on the floor: at first it’s just a colorful, chaotic pile of tiny pieces—different shapes, sizes, and colors all mixed together. But as you start sorting and snapping pieces into place, patterns emerge, structures form, and you begin to see what’s possible. The real joy comes from watching all those little bricks come together to tell a bigger, more meaningful story. But keep in mind, you may still have some missing pieces at the end – and that’s okay.
What kinds of projects do you get to work on as a campus level data architect? How do you support and help instructors with their data?
I get to work on a variety of different projects. Some projects are more innovative by exploring questions or addressing challenges, while others are more operational to meet the needs of our users or greater campus. Example projects include using student behavior to understand performance on an assignment or course, examining engagement with course material, analyzing course feedback to improve design, providing data for daily course, student, or administrative management, or piloting or designing tools to understand the dynamics of a class.
What excites you about this work? What are the benefits of working with you closely in the i2i program?
I get most excited when I can help an instructor or instructional designer answer a question or tackle a challenge by understanding what’s happening in their course or with their students. It’s like I’m sitting down beside them working through that Lego set—hearing that satisfying snap of pieces clicking together to get to the bigger picture.
Through this program you get to join a community of like-minded individuals who want to use T&L data effectively, resources to help understand T&L data and how to work with it thoughtfully, access to data, data governance assistance, and access to me and the rest of the i2i planning team (we are absolutely lovely people) who will help guide you every step of the way.
