Using technology to help students during trying times can help streamline communications and improve engagement.
Revolutionizing Student Engagement: Tech-Driven Solutions for Seamless Academic Journeys
In the realm of contemporary education, fostering student engagement is paramount. As technology becomes ubiquitous in the academic landscape, higher education institutions are exploring inventive solutions to enhance student participation. At the 2023 THE Campus Live UK&IE event, Adam Smith, the business development manager at Ready Education, and Chris Sherwood, the user experience lead at Swansea University, shared insights into leveraging technology to address challenges students encounter throughout their academic journey.
Ready Education’s bespoke campus solution, the myday app, empowers institutions to construct a customized web and mobile platform via a secure portal. With various integrations compatible with existing software like Blackboard or Moodle, the app ensures a fully centralized system. Furthermore, it offers multiple authentication methods, including Google, Facebook, and AzureAD.
Swansea University utilized myday to create the MySwansea app, catering to student needs. Sherwood highlighted the app’s development, underscoring the significance of adopting a product mindset focused on continuous improvement. The app integrates features such as event promotions, an arrivals area, and various integrations, streamlining the transition for first-year students.
Striking the Right Balance: Enhancing Student Engagement Through Thoughtful App Development
Sherwood elaborated on the rationale behind this feature, stating, “The idea was that we could link to lots of useful resources to make them feel good about coming to the university because a lot of user research found that issues such as social isolation and the cost of living were a big worry.” The Unibuddy Community, integrated into the myday platform used by Swansea University, functions as a buddy network. It connects students, alleviating feelings of isolation by facilitating meetups to cultivate connections.
However, the panel acknowledged the need to strike a balance to prevent students from being overwhelmed with notifications. Sherwood emphasized, “You don’t want to give them another channel to deal with, and then they just turn off from it.” He underscored the importance of regular user engagement testing to ensure both staff and students derive the maximum benefit from the app. “Don’t just assume that it’s working – test it, validate it. It won’t take very long to do, and you’ll know if your message is going to make an impact.” Smith pointed out that while the initial implementation of this technology within an institution may fall under the purview of the IT department, sustained success and engagement hinge on adopting a holistic approach. “It’s very much a university-wide platform,” he emphasized. Involving different teams, such as marketing and student support, rather than maintaining a siloed system, ensures that academic data drives students to check the app, while integrating student support services keeps them using it.
