UniSA's approach to the Student Portal – UniSA s approach to the ...
UniSA's approach to the Student Portal – UniSA s approach to the ...
UniSA's approach to the Student Portal – UniSA s approach to the ...
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<strong>UniSA</strong>’s <strong>approach</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Student</strong> <strong>Portal</strong> <strong>–</strong><br />
my<strong>UniSA</strong> - 2006<br />
AAIR Conference <strong>–</strong> Nov 2006 - Graeme Poole
Overview<br />
What I will cover<br />
About <strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Background <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Student</strong> <strong>Portal</strong> project<br />
What is a portal and why we need one<br />
How we organised it and what our aims were<br />
How we found out if we were succeeding<br />
Where we are at now<br />
Where we would like <strong>to</strong> go
Overview<br />
Who am I ?<br />
About me<br />
Graeme Poole <strong>–</strong> Manager : <strong>Student</strong> Administration<br />
<strong>Student</strong> and Academic Services Unit<br />
•student portal<br />
•student data reporting, information systems and processes<br />
•DEST reporting<br />
•student service centres<br />
•graduations
About <strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Some contextual data - 1<br />
4 metropolitan campuses<br />
2 regional campuses<br />
Offshore programs offered through commercial and university partners<br />
in Hong Kong, Singapore, PR China, Malaysia, Thailand, Switzerland,<br />
Taiwan, Vietnam<br />
Onshore partnerships <strong>–</strong> SAIBT, CELUSA, OUA
About <strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Some contextual data - 2<br />
4 Divisions (faculties)<br />
•Business<br />
•Health Sciences<br />
•Education, Arts and Social Sciences<br />
•Information Technology, Engineering and <strong>the</strong> Environment
About <strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Some contextual data - 3<br />
<strong>Student</strong> Data<br />
Persons<br />
EFTSL/FTE<br />
Total <strong>Student</strong>s 32362 20660.63<br />
Total Staff (permanent) 2287 2161.52<br />
Casual estimate (2005) 2818 347.91<br />
International 9343 5377.49<br />
Offshore 4884 2340.96<br />
Onshore 4459 3036.54<br />
Postgraduate 8306 3893.97<br />
Research Only 999 706.75
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Pre - <strong>Portal</strong><br />
<strong>Student</strong>s accessed information from a wide range of independent<br />
services<br />
Located and linked in different areas of our corporate web<br />
Each requiring a separate login<br />
Sometimes requiring a different login<br />
No consistency between interfaces<br />
Some services were duplicated across <strong>the</strong> systems<br />
Some systems pointed <strong>to</strong> source data, o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>to</strong> data s<strong>to</strong>res that were up <strong>to</strong> 24 hours<br />
old
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
What is a <strong>Portal</strong> ?<br />
What is a student portal ?<br />
Web Service integration<br />
Combines different information in<strong>to</strong> one location<br />
•web sites - databases - applications<br />
Single point of access<br />
•web browser - search technology<br />
Tailored for users<br />
•needs <strong>–</strong> preferences - according <strong>to</strong> access
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
What is a <strong>Portal</strong> ?<br />
What is a student portal ?<br />
“A portal combines <strong>the</strong> different information from <strong>the</strong> web, corporate databases and<br />
applications in<strong>to</strong> a single point of access using web browsers and search technology.<br />
This data can be structured, like application or database data, or unstructured, like web<br />
sites, discussion groups and email messages. The portal can be tailored <strong>to</strong> present<br />
personalised information based on <strong>the</strong> needs of a group of users or individual users via<br />
user preferences and password controlled access.” (Development of a <strong>Student</strong> Web<br />
<strong>Portal</strong> for <strong>the</strong> University of South Australia <strong>–</strong> Web <strong>Portal</strong> Working Group, 2001)
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Why a <strong>Student</strong> <strong>Portal</strong> ?<br />
Why did we want one ?<br />
<strong>UniSA</strong> outlined its strategies in “Towards an Outline Strategy 2005-2015” (2004)<br />
Consistency and accuracy of information required <strong>the</strong>se services <strong>to</strong> be integrated with a<br />
single log on<br />
<strong>Portal</strong> software (MS Sharepoint <strong>Portal</strong>)
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
How we organised it<br />
<strong>Student</strong> portal team<br />
Business case ; received funding for a feasibility study ; 2004<br />
A team was formed with representation from <strong>the</strong> following areas of <strong>the</strong> University :<br />
•<strong>Student</strong> and Academic Services<br />
•Information Strategy and Technology Services<br />
•Flexible Learning Centre<br />
•Marketing and Development Unit<br />
•Research Services<br />
•Library
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
What we aimed for<br />
Major requirements of <strong>the</strong> project<br />
A portal that integrated services and information with a single sign on<br />
<strong>Student</strong> records<br />
<strong>Student</strong> finance<br />
<strong>Student</strong> email<br />
Library resources<br />
Teaching and Learning resources<br />
Enrol online<br />
Graduation online<br />
Result notices<br />
Enrolment confirmation notices<br />
Commonwealth assistance notices<br />
Enrolment summary<br />
Unofficial transcripts<br />
Invoice notices<br />
Online payment facilities<br />
Alumni links any o<strong>the</strong>r services that we could think of !
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
What we aimed for<br />
Major requirements of <strong>the</strong> project<br />
A portal that targeted specific student cohort groups<br />
1 st release 3 rd release<br />
Domestic<br />
International<br />
Transnational<br />
separated in<strong>to</strong> undergrad / postgrad<br />
separated in<strong>to</strong> undergrad / postgrad<br />
separated in<strong>to</strong> undergrad / postgrad<br />
Transnational Research<br />
Research<br />
First year experience
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
How we got feedback<br />
<strong>Student</strong> feedback (pre-release)<br />
Small cohort of transnational students with an online survey<br />
On campus testing in student pools<br />
Outcomes<br />
Positive reaction <strong>to</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> ‘one s<strong>to</strong>p shop’ concept<br />
single sign on<br />
Negative reaction <strong>to</strong><br />
need <strong>to</strong> log out of all browsers<br />
speed across dial up access<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>misation (using student name greeting)
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
How we got feedback<br />
<strong>Student</strong> feedback pre-release (cont)<br />
Fur<strong>the</strong>r suggestions (from very first focus groups):<br />
•Display information differently <strong>to</strong> make it more accessible<br />
•Provide additional features and services<br />
•Provide more campus news and reminders eg census dates, assignment due dates<br />
•Requests for personal document s<strong>to</strong>rage space<br />
•Many requests for school and program specific resources and messages that would require more<br />
•Many requests for school and program specific resources and messages that would require more<br />
specific audience targeting.
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
How we got feedback<br />
<strong>Student</strong> feedback post-release (cont)<br />
From questionnaire (1300 responses) :<br />
•Most using it once or more per day<br />
•Majority overwhelmingly pleased with <strong>the</strong> portal<br />
•Most visited pages are ‘myStudies’, ‘Welcome (announcements)’ and ‘myEmail’<br />
•Most find it easy <strong>to</strong> navigate and it provides useful information<br />
•Main issues : inadequate search engine; difficult <strong>to</strong> access course specific info ; slow access using dial<br />
up<br />
•Access after graduation <strong>to</strong> include library, post grad course info, announcements about jobs and<br />
seminars
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
How we got feedback<br />
<strong>Student</strong> feedback<br />
For all our releases <strong>–</strong> so far we have had 3 major release stages:<br />
•Prior <strong>to</strong> each release we get a group of students <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r <strong>to</strong> test our pro<strong>to</strong>types<br />
•They also get involved in <strong>the</strong> UAT of <strong>the</strong> final design<br />
•We have a feedback link on all pages of <strong>the</strong> portal<br />
•We talk account of <strong>the</strong> calls we get through our IT helpdesk <strong>–</strong> highlighting problems<br />
•We will occasionally survey students ei<strong>the</strong>r direct through <strong>the</strong> portal or indirectly through o<strong>the</strong>r survey<br />
•We will occasionally survey students, ei<strong>the</strong>r direct through <strong>the</strong> portal or indirectly through o<strong>the</strong>r survey<br />
instruments with one or two questions about <strong>the</strong> portal
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Some statistics<br />
Usage stats<br />
The troughs represent<br />
weekends, with <strong>the</strong><br />
largest peak<br />
associated with <strong>the</strong><br />
students returning from<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir holidays.<br />
9,445,967 page hits in July 2005
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Some statistics<br />
Usage stats<br />
The sharp spikes<br />
represent when <strong>the</strong><br />
search content is<br />
updated (1:00am), and<br />
<strong>the</strong> audiences are<br />
populated from Active<br />
Direc<strong>to</strong>ry (6:00am).<br />
.
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Where are we now ?<br />
Where are we now ?<br />
Stage 1 <strong>–</strong> January 2005<br />
Stage 2 <strong>–</strong> December 2005<br />
Stage 3 <strong>–</strong> December 2 nd 2006<br />
Now leaving <strong>the</strong> ‘project’ stage of portal development, governance is moving from a project model<br />
with steering committee, project teams, reference groups etc <strong>to</strong> a normal governance with University<br />
wide representation, but led by a sponsor (<strong>Student</strong> and Academic Services Unit). Future upgrades<br />
and enhancements will become part of <strong>the</strong> overall system competing for IT and money resources.<br />
Demonstration ti www.unisa.edu.au
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Where are we going ?<br />
Where are we going g ?<br />
Future enhancements already identified :<br />
•Change of technology platform<br />
•Better use of announcements<br />
•Fur<strong>the</strong>r integration with o<strong>the</strong>r services (eg Careers services, Alumni)<br />
•Fur<strong>the</strong>r research in<strong>to</strong> using calendar for upcoming events and important dates<br />
•myResearch pillar and possible o<strong>the</strong>r identification of cohort groups<br />
•Incorporation of more payment facilities for services o<strong>the</strong>r than just tuition fees<br />
•Site map for each audience group (currently only a generic one for all)<br />
•Specific information about timetable changes (maybe)
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Questions<br />
Any Questions ?
my<strong>UniSA</strong><br />
Fur<strong>the</strong>r contact information<br />
Contact me<br />
Graeme Poole<br />
• Email graeme.poole@unisa.edu.au<br />
• Phone : 08 8302 2742<br />
• Mobile : 0423 024 499<br />
Thank You
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