Home / Case Studies / British Council Data-Driven Approach to Learning and Assessment
A data-driven approach to success in learning and assessment
Setting the Scene
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. One element of its work is engaging with millions of prospective international students globally each year through its network of education agencies and school counsellors.
Powered by eNetEnterprise, the British Council partnered with eCom Learning Solutions to create the UK Agent and Counsellor Training and Engagement Hub. This digital platform provides accessible training and regular updates to foster continuous engagement with education agents and counsellors worldwide. By equipping them with the knowledge and information required to effectively counsel UK-bound students, the Hub aims to strengthen the UK’s international student mobility ecosystem.
The Hub is part of the UK’s Agent Quality Framework (AQF) which sets out the principles for ethical practice in international student recruitment. The framework was developed by the British Universities’ International Liaison Association (BUILA), the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), and Universities UK International (UUKi).
The Challenge
Demonstrating their success requires the British Council to show that two key objectives are being met:
- Equip agents and counsellors with a deeper understanding of the AQF, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and the UK as a study destination.
- Ensure ongoing engagement with the Hub to maintain high-quality, consistent support for students.
As a government-funded initiative, the British Council need robust data to demonstrate the Hub’s impact, with insights into registrations, certification completions, sustained engagement, and the Hub’s influence on agents’ practices. British Council asked eCom for support in gathering and presenting this data.
The Solution
To meet this challenge, eCom harnessed two powerful features of eNetEnterprise:
- iD: Intelligent Dashboards for Smarter Decisions
The dashboards provide real-time insights into registrations, certifications, ongoing engagement, and post-certification actions. This visibility allows the British Council to monitor and measure the Hub’s performance effectively. - iF: Flexible Forms for Smarter Learning
Using these forms, the British Council are able to gather critical data on agents’ motivations, such as gaining credibility through certification, staying informed about the UK as a study destination, and meeting employer or university requirements. The forms also enable the British Council to collect feedback on the learning content and assessments, helping to refine the experience.
Together, these tools enable continuous improvement of the Hub while delivering clear evidence of success.
The Benefits
The Agent and Counsellor Training and Engagement Hub has had a transformative impact, engaging over 30,000 users from 130 countries so far, with user numbers increasing each month. Insights gathered through iD (Intelligent Dashboards) and iF (Flexible Forms) indicate that certification has significantly boosted agents’ credibility with students, parents, and UK institutions, positioning them as valuable partners in international student recruitment. By providing the British Council with these powerful tools, eCom has helped unlock ongoing success and drive continuous innovation in this area.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants praising the training’s relevance, level of challenge, and reasonable time commitment. These insights have provided the British Council with clear evidence that the training is meeting its objectives and engaging agents effectively.
What our clients have to say
eCom truly understands our important mission to ensure transparent and ethical practices in the international student recruitment ecosystem.
Jacqui Jenkins, Global Programme Lead-International Student Mobility at the British Council.
This ‘empowers students to make informed choices in identifying well-qualified agents to support them on their pathway to study in the UK.'
Charley Robinson, Head of Global Mobility Policy, Universities UK International
These resources help set the standard for all institutions recruiting international students.
Emma Meredith, Director of Global Engagement, Interim Director of Skills Policy Association of Colleges
