Educational data mining in higher education in sub-saharan africa

Abstract

The impact of the coronavirus disease (COVTD-19) will see an increase in data generated by higher education institutions (HEIs) in Sub-Saharan Africa as more institutions introduce online learning. HEIs are storing huge volumes of data since data collection has become an affordable activity in the data economy. This data can be mined to reveal hidden knowledge that can be used for informed decision-making. Educational data mining (EDM) within higher education has been gaining traction in the past two decades. This paper aims to explore and analyse existing research on EDM in institutions of higher learning in Sub-Saharan Africa and to offer recommendations for future EDM research in higher education in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) era. The paper provides a systematic literature review (SLR) on EDM in institutions of higher learning in the Sub-Saharan Africa region that covers a decade (2010--2019). Search terms used in the SLR identified 811 research articles on EDM with a focus on higher education, but only 24 were conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa. These articles were critically reviewed and analysed by applying an SLR approach. Analysis of these research articles reveals that EDM research in higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa is still in its infancy even though a notable increase in research output was observed in the years 2015--2019. The main finding of this paper is that very few Sub-Saharan African countries have embraced EDM to maximise on better educational management and the returns of the increased enrollment rates. The paper proposes a research agenda for HEIs in Sub-Saharan Africa based on current trends in EDM.