Improving Our Academic Dashboard

Project Background

Why, even after years of experience using it, did the university course planning process still feel like such a pain?

Despite being in our third year and having used it for some time, the entire process felt even more esoteric and stressful as it did from the start, a sentiment mirrored by our peers and even by the professors themselves.

The lacklustre registration process seemed to be giving the university a lot of headaches...

Decreased course satisfaction

Students were more likely to end up in classes they didn't want to take in the first place. This results in lower student satisfaction and decreased academic performance.

Overloaded administration

Student Advising is often swamped come registration high season. The confusing process also means the Registrar has to take more time making corrections to incorrect course registrations.

Flow programme confusion

This year, the university began piloting a more flexible approach to course planning for students. However, the difficult registration process means students have a hard time appreciating the value of this new system.

Project Research

When we translated our user interviews into a journey map, I realised that the biggest chunk of frustration stemmed from trying to answer the question, "am I eligible for this course?"

The journey map was based off of testimonials of how our peers approach course planning and registration, along with any pain points they frequently experience.

With the journey map, I identified three key issues with the course registration system, and how it failed to deliver important information to the user.

Insight 1

It didn’t indicate eligibility for any of the suggested courses on the main My Progress dashboard.

The My Progress dashboard gave students a list of courses that could fulfil a given category, but no indication of which they were eligible to take. This meant that the student had to click through each and every one to check, which was a tedious and time-consuming process.

“I just let student advising tell me what courses I needed to take this year, and what electives I have available to me. I find it way too tedious otherwise.”

— Student commentary

Insight 2

Nor does it indicate eligibility when browsing for courses in the course catalogue.

Each course in the course catalogue did show its requirements, but with no indication of eligibility, it was entirely up to the student to cross-check themselves their student record manually. This further added to the time and tedium of verifying eligibility for courses.

“I find myself having a million tabs and windows open when I register for courses. It's a lot to juggle”

— Student commentary

Insight 3

The system could check for eligibility…but only after the student had finished planning everything out.

The system would only check eligibility when the student attempted to register for all their planned courses. However, by this point the student was likely to have spent an entire day building their schedule. Only now would they be told, right at the end, that they didn’t meet certain requirements.

“Last year when I tried to register for my courses, the system told me I was not eligible! Why didn't it say so earlier when I was still planning them?!”

— Student commentary

What that meant was students would often spend hours, sometimes days planning their course schedule, only to be told they missed a course requirement right when they thought they were done!

I captured the frustration of this experience in a service map, but it was clear there was a mismatch between when & where the student needed the information the most, and when the system would deliver that information to the user.

Solution Concept

Since this problem involved the backend of the system, I adjusted the service blueprint to see what it would look like if the course eligibility check was done earlier.

This new system would take whatever process it used to check for eligibility when the student registered, and move it earlier in the journey. This way, the student could be informed of ineligibilities before they made any commitments to a given course plan.

Frontend Concept

The changes would result in a better front-end experience for the student, as eligibility information is displayed front-and-centre as they build their course schedule.

Course option eligibility

The new My Progress dashboard landing page can now show which course options are eligible or not. Right off the bat, the student has a better idea of what is available to them.

Catalogue eligibility

When browsing the course catalogue, the student can see which prerequisites have been fulfilled, which have yet to be completed, and what other issues they may have taking this course for credit. This will enable the student to browse courses and quickly understand which options are open to them in the coming semester.

Expected benefits

Boosted student satisfaction

Fewer students scrambling to fill last-minute course requirements means more students in classes they want to take, and higher overall student satisfaction. Greater confidence in planning will also mean students can take more time thoroughly weighing all their options.

Possible kpi measures

Increased student satisfaction ratings in course surveys.
Increased rate of class planning before registration date.
Increased rate of registered classes matching planned classes by term start.
Reduced rate of dropped classes before term break.

Accurate analytics

Students will be less likely to employ workarounds during course planning, such as over-registering for classes. Course attendance and registration rates would more accurately reflect student academic preferences, granting the university more confidence when making organisational decisions.

Possible kpi measures

Increased student satisfaction ratings in course surveys.
Increased rate of registered classes matching planned classes by term start.
Reduced rate of dropped classes within first two weeks of semester.

Greater administrative efficiency

A clearer registration process means fewer students consulting with Student Advising for routine course planning, and fewer mistakes that need corrections by the Registrar. This frees up resources and time in those departments during peak registration periods.

Possible kpi measures

Reduced rate of advising requests during peak registration periods.
Reduced appointment waiting time around and after peak registration periods.

alignment with Flow

As the new Flow system was about offering flexibility to students, the new service model would be more suited by better arming students with the information needed to navigate the new programme structure.

Possible kpi measures

Increased student satisfaction ratings in programme surveys.
Decreased rate of students conforming to sample course plan.

Feedback

“I wish this was a thing now. It makes so much more sense.”

— Student feedback

“I like how the dashboard is now, like, actually useful to me. I wish you had a prototype so I could try it.”

— Student feedback

“I've emailed the Chair of the Industrial Design Programme to see if the university would be interested in this project.”

— Professor feedback