In early 2021, amid the social isolation caused by the pandemic, Utah State University’s student affairs staff was internally discussing updating its decade-old student portal to increase opportunities for social connection. Around the same time, the university’s then-student body president started a parallel conversation on campus about how some kind of digital platform could help Utah State students build community online and offline. I did.
Something like a mission statement (technically, a request for proposals from potential vendors) in which the two stakeholders, student affairs and student government, work together to outline the essentials for these and other portals. has been drafted.
A few months later (and a deal with campus portal provider Pathify), Utah State launched myUSU 2.0. Many of the portal’s features will be familiar. Students can search for and join clubs, much like a Facebook group, for example. You can view a comprehensive and personalized list of campus events, access Student Services, the university’s Instagram account, and even his Canvas, his LMS. But myUSU is designed to be a one-stop shop for all things social and academic, which sets it apart from many other campus apps and student websites.
“When you go to the myUSU homepage, it’s like Google for Utah State University,” says Carter Ottley, communications director for the USU Student Association and a journalism and communications student.
Ottley’s favorite thing about myUSU is the calendar feature, which automatically tracks events for all the groups he’s subscribed to. He is “very involved” in campus life, and says, “It’s great to have a place where I can get event information for all the organizations I’m a part of.”
How technology can foster participation
Ottley’s praise for a centralized, customizable calendar is not surprising, given that there is so much going on on any given campus in any given week, and that social media is now so pervasive. That’s it. That is, a student cannot expect all activities to be promoted on her one platform.
Ottley’s comments also make sense in light of the latest Student Voice survey. Inside higher education At College Pulse, many respondents say they miss out on opportunities because they don’t know about college.
For example, when asked how technology can help them feel more connected to campus, many write-in comment respondents cited the need for a reliable campus events calendar.
Some examples:
“Half of the events that happen on campus are either poorly advertised or you end up losing track of when they’re happening, so having a digital calendar that lets you see what events you can attend is helpful when you’re out and about. ” and meeting new people. ” —Students at public universities in Idaho
“My biggest complaint is that I never seem to know about the activities the various groups are planning. The only time I see the posters is when I get to class early or when someone tells me about it. We need to promote it more!” —Student at a public university in Nevada
What students want from campus apps
By way of background, the summer Student Voice survey surveyed 3,000 two- and four-year college students from 170 institutions to find out more about their experiences outside the classroom, including how technology can increase engagement on campus. I asked questions about university life.
What do students expect from a campus app, whether or not their institution has one? Campus events calendar is #1 choice out of 15 choices, 6 out of 10 of students choose this. On a related note, the second most popular feature is notifications and reminders about campus events, used by more than 4 in 10 students.
30-40% of students want the following features in a campus app, and our survey shows these options are more popular among fourth-year students (n=2,400) than second-year students (n=600). Personal schedule management; appointment scheduling for advice, financial aid, mental health care, and more. Live chat option for student services. Notifications regarding emergency or safety-related situations. Connections to access to free food on campus. Dining Dollars or Dining Points Tracker.
For example, the availability of free food on campus appeals to 35 percent of students at four-year colleges versus 21 percent of students at two-year colleges. This ability, related to basic needs issues, was 34 percent and 23 percent higher among students receiving financial aid (n=2,181) than students without financial aid (n=734), respectively. Popular by percent. She is also more popular among LGBTQIA+ students (n = 2,071) than students who identify as straight (n = 908), 38 percent vs. 30 percent.
Less popular app options overall include transportation shuttle tracking, health and wellness tracking, mental health crisis assistance, and settings to limit phone use for study or other reasons.
How technology can increase campus engagement
When asked what technology helps increase participation in campus events such as talks, sporting events, and workshops, half of respondents cited the ability to participate virtually. This option was especially popular among older students in the survey, with about five in ten 19-23 year olds (n=1,834) compared to 30-39 year olds (n=98). Nearly 7 out of 10 people chose this option.
Approximately 4 in 10 students overall said the ability to receive notifications about events from a campus app would increase participation, and this option was slightly more popular among younger students in the survey.
Additionally, just over 4 in 10 students say they would be more likely to participate in a campus event if they received credit or incentives, such as earning a LinkedIn badge for attending. This option seems to be the most popular among her 30-39 year old respondents, with nearly 6 in 10 choosing this option. This age group is the most likely to be working full time among those surveyed, with over half (52%) working full time.
What technological features help make campus events more fun? Almost half of students say they choose spectator games, but this option is much more popular among fourth-year students than second-year students. Popular (50 percent and 30 percent, respectively). 4 out of 10 student girlfriends said they were using viewer polls, and 3 out of 10 said they were using her QR code to interact with her.
Such exchanges are already taking place on some campuses. For example, Alabama A&M University uses a platform called Presence to allow students to check in to events that are eligible for a drawing and rate aspects of the experience.
Less than a quarter of Student Voice respondents said they would be interested in virtual reality elements of campus events, and even fewer said they would enjoy wearable technology or live translation. This is consistent across all major racial groups in studies that did not filter by disability status.
Jenay Robert, senior research fellow at Educause and co-author of a recent report on the total student experience, says the role of technology in student engagement outside the classroom (not just in-class engagement) This is an area of ​​increasing interest. Because remote modalities are proliferating and people are starting to realize that these modalities can be useful in other ways than just changing the modality of the class. ”
Roberts urges leaders considering these issues in the context of their institutions to keep in mind that “students in different situations in their lives have different preferences for participation.” I recommend that you put it on. For example, students who live on campus have different preferences than students who live off campus, so knowing your students and disaggregating relevant data can help It’s really important in thinking about how to engage them in services.”
Kate Peltier, director of EduCourse’s teaching learning program and co-author of the recent report, says educators are expanding their sense of what it looks like to have engaged students in the classroom. Similarly, he added that campus leaders need to recognize the different types of meaningful students. Campus engagement. After all, students need “a variety of opportunities to participate in ways that fit their needs, not just traditional clubs and sports.”
Pelletier and Robert also encourage leaders to reconsider policies that may limit opportunities for student engagement through new methods.
In the Student Voice survey, many students wrote that they wanted technology to facilitate more peer-to-peer connections, and in some cases described a theoretical platform similar to myUSU that is available as a web and app.
example:
“If we had more and better designed outreach systems outside of social media, we would be able to connect more with the campus thanks to technology. I don’t use Instagram, so most events and outreach programs I wish there was a better, more comprehensive university app that included a complete list of events and club meetings, and further facilitated connections with the student body.” —Michigan Public University student
“The ability for students to connect and better interact with people using the university’s official app will not only help the overall community grow, but will also help students who are passionate about the same subject matter without physical access. You can quickly find groups.” If you search for such students, you may not find them all. ” — Student at a private university in Illinois
“Technology plays an important role in helping students feel more connected to campus by providing a variety of tools and platforms to enhance communication, engagement, and accessibility. Online communities help students connect with colleagues, share experiences, and ask questions. These platforms foster real-time communication and help students build a sense of belonging.” —Public University of New York student of
Utah State does not have exact data on how myUSU 2.0 has increased campus engagement because it is difficult to measure. However, engagement on the platform is strong. Last year’s active users were around 83,000, more than 60% of his target participants (including current as well as recent students). Each post received an average of 485 views and 220 groups were formed. Participation in the group increased by 42%. Since August alone, the platform has added 1.7 million user sessions and 359 events.