Our Challenge
Our group challenge focused on the student engagement problem at the University of Ottawa. Student engagement refers to the level at which students at any educational institution feel connected to what they are learning, with their teachers or professors, as well as with extracurricular activities. Student engagement is important for many reasons. Students who are engaged will take a higher interest in what they are learning and become more involved in teachings and lectures; but apart from the academic side of school, engaged students will likely have a more memorable school experience, get more involved in extracurricular activities and may even feel proud that they are a student of the educational institution they go to. This, essentially, is what is lacking at the University of Ottawa.
The University of Ottawa prides itself on being the largest bilingual university in the world, thus it attracts a lot of international students. However, for a school with many young students who come from many culturally diverse backgrounds, it seems that it does not know how to connect the student body, one that is uniquely diverse, and make every student feel connected to the many great aspects of university life.
Thus, our challenge is looking at how we can improve student engagement levels at the University of Ottawa. But furthermore, how to connect students to their academics and to each other, so students will graduate feeling confident that they made the right choice by studying at the University of Ottawa.
Re-framing the problem
As stated previously, the problem we are tackling is student engagement, or rather, lack thereof. Although the problem lies with student engagement, to fully understand how to approach the problem, we must re-evaluate where the problem truly stems from. Because the students are at the centre of the issue, many would be quick to believe that the obvious origin of the problem stems from a simple lack of interest from the students themselves. However, we believe the university’s technology infrastructure is at the source of student engagement problem. Currently, the University of Ottawa does not have an effective, streamlined way to disperse all information to, and connect with, the students. Students are not able to access information about clubs, health services, events, and all other school related matters in a convenient way that is innovative, user-friendly, and in one spot. In an age where information of any kind is easily accessible online through one’s phone, having an information system that is not up-to-date, mobile-responsive and user friendly inhibits students’ curiosity of what is out there and does not empower students to be, or stay, engaged.
When we asked students what they think is the biggest challenge to student engagement, "lack of awareness" was the most common answer. Additionally, when we asked students how they believe student engagement could be improved, "awareness and accessibility of information" was the most frequent response. Furthermore, we believe the lack of accessibility to information has created a lack of synergy between the school administration (i.e. those who run the school) and the students. Trying to get students involved when they feel like their most basic needs are not being met by administration is next to impossible. Students need to feel like their university experience is the school`s priority, and a good place to start is by creating a way for students to truly connect easily and naturally.
existing solutions
In our research, it has been discovered that other schools have created an app to incentivise and encourage student engagement and reduce frustration with their university’s administration. Schools have found it more innovative to use apps, as it keeps the student body up-to-date on promotions and every day communications. In this way, students have access to information on services, resources, events, and school catalogues. The digital world is rising, and more people are being connected through mobile devices. Universities have realized that using digital networks are an effective way to increase students participation from classrooms to on-campus activities. Universities such as McGill, Carleton, Concordia and Cape Breton all make use of robust mobile applications. The apps from these schools contain key features such as student club listings, where students can find information on the clubs and be updated on any upcoming events. The Carleton University app, for instance, allows students to browse and save events and can be filtered by category, organization, and location. Additionally, Carleton students can be access useful information about services and emergency contact information, for example. These existing solutions prove how apps can positively influence student awareness on campus.
EFFECTIVENESS OF EXISTING SOLUTIONS
The University of Ottawa does not have an existing mobile app aimed at improving student engagement. Students only have access to information on the school’s website and uOZone student account. Although most students gain information of student clubs and events through various social media pages owned and maintained by the clubs themselves, rather than interacting with the university calendar. The university has a lot to gain by implementing an app and would lead to more collaboration with student clubs, academic resources, and other campus student services by amalgamating them into a mobile app. Consequently, students will be able to find all information in one place, thus, increasing student engagement as many students are currently unaware, and not engaging with the current technology the university employs. An app is an accessible way to connect students, educators, and services.
FAILINGS OF EXISTING SOLUTIONS
One of the main issues with the university's existing information infrastructure is accessibility. The information on the uOttawa web pages is too spread out, and there are no links available between the pages. For example, the section for microwaves on campus is on a separate page than the campus map. Information should be easily viewed on one page instead of scrolling to an entirely different section of the website by using a search engine such as Google. Additionally, maps are not useful in find specific information on school campus space such as study rooms, classes, services, etc. In the same way, the school website is not mobile friendly, making it inconvenient to view information on a cell phone or tablet. Therefore, students have to access the website on a computer or laptop. Another issue is connecting with school representatives. Websites are only able to contain contact lists like an email or phone number. There is no calendar to show the availability of any academic representatives; most appointments are booked through back and forth emails or by calling them and being on hold for an indeterminate amount of time. It is important to help blend in these different assets and create a solution that will make combine these disparate tidbits of information.