OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
The UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE) calls for applications from qualified candidates to: (1) compile a collection of open-access educational datasets and (2) produce an analytical report with guidelines for educators and administrators on applying educational data to enhance teaching and learning in online and blended environments within the higher education context.
Background and context
The consultancy is carried out within the project ‘Promoting ICT Capacity Building and Open Education in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies’ aimed to foster digital transformation of education for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 and implemented jointly by UNESCO IITE and Shanghai Open University.
The widespread adoption of educational technologies and data systems generates vast amounts of data, offering opportunities to enhance student learning, improve teaching effectiveness and optimize institutional performance through informed decision-making. Well-structured educational data, leveraged with digital technologies like AI and machine learning, can reveal valuable insights, uncover patterns, identify disparities and support meaningful transformation in teaching and learning. Promoting organized data collection, strengthening data literacy of educators and administrators and fostering evidence-based decision-making could better unlock the potential of data-driven strategies and practices in higher education.
Work assignment
Under the direct supervision of UNESCO IITE, the individual consultant shall perform the following tasks:
- Conduct desk research on the use of educational data to enhance teaching and learning in online and blended environments within the higher education context.
- Compile a collection of open-access educational datasets that can be used for learning analytics and educational data mining purposes, including data interpretation and visualization activities.
- Summarize research findings and produce a detailed report that would include a description and analysis of the educational datasets and practical guidelines for educators and administrators on applying educational data to enhance teaching and learning in online and blended environments within the higher education context.
The consultancy is home based.
Deliverables
The individual consultant shall submit the following deliverables:
- Links to and description of at least six good-quality open-access educational datasets that can be used for learning analytics and educational data mining purposes, including data interpretation and visualization activities. The educational data should relate to the activities and processes involved in online teaching and learning within the higher education context and community-based learning. The datasets should be in machine-readable formats (e.g., CSV, Excel), verified, anonymized, compliant with privacy regulations and based on representative sampling to ensure research validity.
- An analytical report that presents an analysis of the educational datasets and provides practical guidelines for educators and administrators on applying educational data to enhance teaching and learning in online and blended environments within the higher education context.
The language of all deliverables is English.
COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)
For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education
- Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in data science, data analytics, education technology, pedagogics, computer science or a related discipline. PhD is advantageous.
Work experience
- At least five years of relevant experience in learning analytics, educational data mining or related fields, with a proven track record in conducting research and developing reports.
Skills and competencies
- Proven expertise in end-to-end data workflow management, including data collection, cleaning, processing, storage, analysis, visualization and interpretation in educational contexts. Demonstrated capability to assess the quality and relevance of datasets
- Advanced knowledge of educational data systems (e.g., SIS, LMS, MOOCs, ITS and other online educational environments and learning apps)
- Proficiency in data tools and programming languages (Excel, Python/R, SQL, etc.) and data visualization software (Power BI/Tableau, etc.)
- Strong knowledge of ethical data governance, including privacy regulations, data anonymization and responsible data-sharing practices
- Excellent research and analytical skills
- Demonstrated ability to write clear and detailed reports
- Capacity to work independently and in a timely manner
Languages
- Excellent written and spoken English language skills
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested candidates should complete the online application and submit as a single PDF document in the “Employment History Form” section the following documents:
- Candidate’s latest Curriculum Vitae.
- A technical proposal comprising 1) Statement indicating how the candidate’s qualifications and experience make them suitable for the consultancy 2) Approach (methodology and detailed workplan, including timeframes) the candidate would adopt to carry out the consultancy (maximum 4 pages).
- A financial proposal indicating the amount to be charged for the consultancy, which should be quoted in USD.
Qualified individuals are invited to submit their applications on the UNESCO website no later than 27 May 2025
Applications submitted without the requested documents will not be considered. Please note that only successful candidates will be contacted.