Why Machine-Readable Data Is Important in Higher Education

Twenty years ago, the idea of relying solely on computers and other technology to take on a variety of tasks without human initiation was merely a thought. A Dream. Today, artificial intelligence has completely changed the game, acting as a helpful tool for humans by increasing workplace efficiencies across the board.

In the higher education space, machine-readable data is a critical staple in completing many of the important tasks facing admissions staff – such as enrolling and transferring students. Let’s take a closer look at what makes machine-readable data so important in higher education.

It Enhances Enrollment Pathways

While paper transcripts have been useful in the past, utilizing digital tools to read and manage documents can save time for admissions staff and prospective students. Using PDFs in machine-readable data formats can make it easier for high school students to get their transcripts in and for post-secondary students to transfer their credits.

It Connects You With the Right Students

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the total enrollment in degree-granting institutions increased from 13.2 to 16.8 million students between 2000 and 2017. This number is projected to keep growing, and by 2028, it’s expected to reach 17.2 million students. With so many people enrolling in schools, admissions staff need an efficient way to filter through transcripts and applications in an effort to analyze and ultimately select the best-fit students for the semester and beyond. Parchment Analyze enables you to use filtered, machine-readable data so you can connect with the perfect students for your institution.

It Improves Overall Operational & Exchange Efficiencies

The use of machine-readable data is certainly beneficial to the student in the long run, but the short-term advantages can be noticeable for admissions staff in terms of operational efficiencies. With machine-readable data, time and effort are saved. There’s less need to shuffle through stacks of paper to find information that matches credentials. Instead, you can rely on technology to take care of the tiny details that could’ve been overlooked by the human eye. Utilizing machine-readable data allows you to make quicker decisions and get students enrolled in a timely, efficient manner.

Parchment Can Help

Are you working in higher education with a desire to improve efficiencies across your workspace? Recently, Parchment announced its merger with Credentials Solutions, a higher education transcript service provider. With an intention to enhance opportunities through enrollment pathways, this partnership can be beneficial for both admissions staff and students.

“The mandate we are driving towards today is to accelerate the transformation of the transcript into one that contains machine-readable data, based on open standards, learner managed and securely exchanged,” explained Randy Levy, Chief Administrative Officer at Credentials in a press release. “Our team at Credentials is incredibly excited that we will have this opportunity to join Parchment to collectively deliver on this shared mandate.”

Learn more about the merger here, and explore Parchment solutions here.

There’s always more to learn.