uO Connect, solves the problem with student engagement at the University of Ottawa because it streamlines and simplifies information coming from endless web pages, applications, and platforms into one easy to use mobile app. uO Connect is a one-stop-shop for students to learn about events, services, and more, while also being of use to manage one's timetable and navigate through the campus, the app allows students to be aware of everything that’s going on and what is available, whether academic or for leisure. A student that’s aware of all the amazing events happening on campus and services available to help them succeed will feel more satisfied with their experience at uOttawa. Rather than bridging this knowledge gap by scrolling endlessly through uOzone; clicking tirelessly through the school website to find important deadlines; browsing through the student union’s neverending (and outdated) Club’s list; searching through the Facebook Events page for a reasonably-priced event for students; or even resorting to using a general, wide-reaching search engine, uO Connect brings this information to students with a few clicks, or via a push notification. The idea of a single mobile app for all students’ needs isn’t one that the university has implemented, despite similar applications being available in many other universities across Canada.

​

uO Connect is especially innovative because it includes features that were not found while researching the applications of other universities, such being able to synchronize events, personal course schedules, and to-do list with a personal calendar app using the iCal technology; the ability to receive notifications of new events by a favourite club, organization, or service on campus; as well as the implementation of a live chatbot that can answer (almost) any question that a student may have in regards to the university (either using AI, or dedicated uOttawa employees).  Personalized features such as those that are proposed to be developed through uO Connect are very important for student success; one study suggests that personalized messages through university applications improved student retention rates by 10% compared to other apps that did not have personalized features. Furthermore, while interactive campus maps are not an unusual feature found in university applications, our research found no apps that offered students the ability to filter study spots by plugs, noise-level, and computer labs available. Improving access to this kind of personalized, geo-location information is a very important feature to allow students the opportunity to increase their awareness of what is going on around them on campus, improving student engagement. Additionally, the ability to schedule all kinds of appointments across different uOttawa services in one place is not something that’s been implemented previously. uO Connect essentially takes on popular features found in other similar apps and adds additional, forward-thinking features adapted with our Gee-Gees in mind.

 

We also propose engaging students directly in this initiative, by posing the development of the app as a MakerSpace initiative at the University of Ottawa.  This challenge would not only make uOttawa unique in the development of the app itself but also will allow for the university to fund the app through a direct campaign initiative for donors looking to put their dollars toward the student experience. More information regarding the funding structure of the app can be found here.

​

​