Swinburne University Leads Data Modernization in Education
Swinburne University of Technology, a prominent dual-sector university in Australia, has been at the forefront of integrating real-world experience into the education of its over 30,000 students. The university is known for its entrepreneurial mindset and agile decision-making. As technology continues to evolve, Swinburne has adapted its approach to data management and analytics.
The Need for Change
In 2016, Swinburne established a data warehouse using Amazon Redshift and invested in Tableau’s software for data visualization. However, as the institution grew, it became clear that new solutions were needed. “Engagement with our data platforms was relatively low – only about five per cent of the university actively interacted with them,” explains Anthony Perera, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Swinburne. Over time, some reporting dashboards became outdated or unreliable, leading users to export data into Microsoft Excel for further manipulation.
A New Era with Microsoft Power BI
In August 2024, Swinburne began migrating eight years’ worth of data reports and dashboards from Tableau’s platform to Microsoft Power BI. The transition covered crucial datasets, including student enrolments, financial reporting, and workforce insights – collectively representing about 90 per cent of the data used by the university for reporting. Several factors influenced the decision to adopt Power BI, including Swinburne’s existing investment in Microsoft technologies, particularly its recent migration of an extensive application portfolio to Microsoft Azure.
“Power BI offers strong value,” says Perera. “Its AI capabilities and roadmap with tools like Microsoft Copilot have the potential to significantly reduce development time for dashboards.” Additionally, Power BI’s user-friendly design encourages broader adoption, empowering staff members at Swinburne to build their own dashboards and extract insights independently while ensuring official reports remain certified by the university.
Swinburne completed the migration to Power BI in under 60 days, a remarkably swift turnaround. According to Perera, this was made possible by Power BI’s ease of use, strong demand from stakeholders already familiar with the platform, and taking a strategic approach to prioritization.
Enhancing Data Management with Microsoft Fabric
Alongside the Power BI migration, Swinburne worked with Microsoft to transition data from Amazon Redshift to Microsoft Fabric, allowing a more integrated approach to data management. The migration was seamless, with Swinburne continuing to leverage Redshift while gradually incorporating Fabric into its reporting ecosystem.
AI-Powered Innovation
Beyond data modernization, Swinburne is actively exploring AI-driven innovation with Microsoft partners Agile Insights and KPMG. Two AI use cases are currently in development, focused on analyzing student feedback and IT service management. The first initiative leverages generative AI to analyze student feedback from thousands of survey responses. “Swinburne collects over 65,000 free-text survey records every two years,” says Perera. “We are using a large language model to extract key themes and sentiments, making it easier for educators to act on student feedback.” These insights are visualized in Power BI dashboards, helping academic staff refine course delivery and improve the learning experience.
Building a Connected University
Swinburne’s long-term vision is to create a connected university that leverages data and AI to enhance student outcomes and operational effectiveness. A key aspect of this vision is building a centralized data ecosystem that provides a holistic view of each student’s journey. “We have already deployed a machine learning model to better identify students at risk of disengagement,” says Perera. “By intervening early, we can provide targeted support to help them succeed.” Beyond student success, Swinburne aims to further personalize education by harnessing AI to deliver tailored learning experiences.
