navigating educational pathways report: the bearpaths solution · card sort and second survey for...

The Bearpaths Solution

DES 337/437/537

Janelle Hallod, Kaiqiao Chen, Michael Parillas, Deanna BainsMAY 27, 2014

Navigating Educational Pathways Report:

2JKMD N a v i g a t i n g E d u c a t i o n a l Pa t h w a y s : T h e B e a r p a t h s S o l u t i o n

Navigating Educational Pathways is a project dedicated to providing

students at the University of Alberta with a framework for finding success

in their lives. The class of DES 337/437/537 were given the opportunity

to build a tool that would assist students during their university years.

The tool would have to be accessible and efficient for all students

from different backgrounds and facilities. The students are the primary

audience for the tool, and advisors are also able to access the tool as

secondary users. The design is meant to address that students need a

platform to stay on track of their academic careers and have access to

available services.

This project is based on a new program at the University of Alberta called

Success on Alternative Routes (SoAR). The guiding principles of SoAR

are to ensure that it strives to build the students abilities; encourage

academic standards; acknowledge the various challenges; to be student-

driven; and the process to be fair, approachable, and valuable. The

current SoAR program focuses on struggling students, but Jason Cobb

provided us with details about how SoAR wanted to expand the scope of

their program to include all students and involve advisors. Expanding the

program to be a tool for all students introduced many complex variables

that we considered in both our research and our solution. Designing a

tool and investigating ways of implementing it helped us push the final

product to be as simple and effective as possible. In order to provide a

sufficient scope of answers to address diverse problems, it is necessary

to understand the complexity of each student’s situation. With a clear

understanding of SoAR’s initiative, the overall goal was to ensure that

students are well-equipped to succeed in their academic path.

Introduction & Problem Statement


Before we could begin developing a solution, we had to do preliminary

research to explore the needs of our user group. We began our exploration

with design sprints which developed into further primary and secondary

research. We then moved into rapid prototyping and wireframing as our

initial testing phase, using quick sketches. From there we developed a

card sorting exercise to further test our solution and did initial primary

research through a second survey.

Design Sprints

The first exercises we used to explore the project were done as a class,

and we used a technique called Design Sprints. This technique consists of

many short, timed brainstorming and exploration exercises facilitated by

our professors. In these exercises we developed a deep understanding of

the complex problems that the project would required us to solve. We also

initiated hundreds of different potential solutions and approaches to the

problems at hand. As a class we clearly defined the target user groups for

the project and delved into user-scenarios in order to help us understand

the mindset of students and advisors. This allowed us to figure out their

needs and ultimately, find a solution that would meet them. As individual

designers we created storyboards and user scenarios to help us each

understand the experience of our users and identify our personal goals

for this project. These individual exercises broadened our understanding

of the project as we shared them with the class and help address the

complexity of the problems that we would need to solve.

Research & Data Collection


Primary Research (Survey and Service Analysis)

In order to understand the services that were already available to

students, we reviewed the list of services from both the Dean of Students

Office and the Student’s Union. Once we looked at all of the available

services we analyzed them in order to determine which services would

be useful for students to find success through our tool. We categorized

these services under simple, direct headings to help students easily find

the services that they needed. Once we finished analyzing the available

services, we created a survey for students so we could see which services

they actually used in their University experience, and if there were any

useful services that did not exist. The survey helped us understand which

services students accessed the most, and if there were any gaps in the

University Services that we could address.

Prototyping

Initially, we spent a lot of time developing ideas for the tool we wanted

to build, but we were not able to commit to a cohesive solution. It was

through Rapid Prototyping exercises that we were able to make decisive

choices about what our tool should be, and what features it should have.

This technique forced us to make choices about which ideas were our

main priorities and which ones were not important enough to include.


With our first rough prototypes, we tested our ideas on other students

to see if the concept was effective and if there were any aspects of the

idea, language and organization that were confusing. This process of

quickly refining, critiquing and revising allowed us to begin our plans for

the final tool. We chose to make our prototypes for a website because it

is interactive, familiar to most students, and all students have web access

either through personal or university computers.

Card Sort and Second Survey

For our more refined testing stage, we chose to use an IDEO exercise

called Card Sorting. Our setup gave students three main pages, and a

variety of different tools to help students resolve their plans for success.

We asked the students to organize the cards in the way that they found

most helpful. This allowed us to see what students would expect in the

organization of the tool, and which potential features were the most

important to them. We also asked our test students to fill out a short

survey including friendly type choices, colors, as well as any comments or

concerns they had about our design.


Our mockup was derived from our sketches and initial planning, and

it includes wireframe pages made quickly to show the concept and

organization of our tool. From this initial mockup we were able to get

crucial feedback that helped us develop our final product. We created a

tool that is capable of encouraging students to become successful, and

that provides advisors with an effective platform to assist students.

Mockups

BEARPATHS First NamePLANAHEAD

STAY ONTRACK

TOOLS FORSUCCESS search

PLANAHEAD

STAY ON TRACK

TOOL FOR SUCCESS

Hello, First Name!

Tin non consenias inciis

atibus adigent.Faccum at

harchit atius, quos que

intium invero iunt earcia

dolupicitium quia natur

minumquo. senihiliqui













search HELP.

Our initial mockup features a login page with a 30-second introductory

video, a homepage with a menu and brief description of the three main

page headings, Plan Ahead, Stay on Track and Tools for Success, and the

first pages for each of these categories. We originally titled these pages

Plan, Track and Succeed, however the single words were not informative

enough and students were unsure of how the pages were different. We

clarified the language in order to make navigation easier. Each section

of the mockup included a series of tools to assist students in planning


their degrees and achieving their goals. Through testing and critical

evaluation we found that many sections were redundant and unnecessary.

This knowledge allowed us to focus on the most significant tools that did

not currently exist, and how we could create a website that offered these

necessarys service.

The original look of our website mockup used the primary University

of Alberta green and gold colors in the navigation and design of the

webpage. We chose these colors to give the website the credibility that

students associate with the University brand. However, we found that they

made our website look too institutional, which was unappealing to our

user group. The original color choices also made our website look very

similar to BearTracks, which led us to differentiate our website from both

an aesthetic and a functional viewpoint.

The critique of the mockups helped our group realize that the design was

too similar to what BearTracks offers to students. To solve this problem we

turned our attention to the tools that did not currently exist, and that we

believed to be the most useful for students based on both our research

and our personal University experiences. We also decided to add more

social and fun student services to our final design to make the website

more appealing to students.

The mock-up stage of our design is what allowed us to focus on the

significant details of the design that we created. We were able to make

our final design a useful and usable tool for students, removing all clutter

and unnecessary content resulting in a clean and functional final website

design.


Our final product changed drastically in appearance and organization

from the mockup stage, but the original concept of our design remained

constant. We wanted to create a tool that would target the whole student

population including those who were struggling. This will help students

stay on track and prevent problems from arising. We want students to plan

ahead and stay on their paths, and to provide the tools and options for

them to succeed on whatever route they have chosen. Our slogan is: plan,

track, succeed - the first two are important steps that lead to the last part,

where students reach their personal definition of success.

Final Product

PLANAHEAD

TOOLS FORSUCCESS searchsearch

STAY ONTRACKBEARPATHS

Hello, Stewart Dent!

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

DEADLINE EXAM MEETING

Watch out! Deadline on Sept. 30: Fall Semester Tuition Due Ooh rainbow!

Meeting on Oct. 5:Appointment with Faculty Advisor

Stay indoors!Exam on Nov.15:ART H 102 Midterm II

The Plan Ahead section includes a program builder, and a course

catalogue. The purpose of this page is to help a student map and

envision their academic career. The program builder allows students


to plan further than just a year in advance and also enables them to

visualize which courses they have finished and the ones they still need to

complete. Allowing students to see what they have left to complete lets

them ensure they are not missing credits or classes. The Plan Ahead tab

allows students to efficiently outline their future based on what the course

requirements are for their degree, which courses they have taken and the

remaining classes that need to be completed. We believe that having an

electronic program checklist is more feasible than a paper list because

it cuts down the work for an advisor as well unnecessary meetings and

allows students to update it infinitely depending on how their program

is going, instead of have whiteout and pen scribbles on an analogue

checklist.

PLANAHEAD

TOOLS FORSUCCESS

STAY ONTRACKBEARPATHS searchsearchWelcome, Stewart!

F’14 move class

F’14 move class

F’14 move class

F’14 move class

F’14 move class

W’15 move class

Sp’15 move class

W’15 move class

W’15 move class

W’15 move class

W’15 move class

PROGRAM BUILDER / YEAR 2

ENGLISH MAJOR, LINGUISTICS MINOR

FALL 2014 COURSES

WINTER 2015 COURSES

SPRING 2015 COURSES

ANTHR 101 3

ENGL 212 3

ENGL 206 3

LING 101 3

ENGL 217 3

Social Systems Requirement

Major 200-level Requirement


Minor 100-level Requirement


Cultural Studies Requirement



Minor 200-level Requirement

Social Systems Requirement

CLASS 103 3

ENGL 309 3

ENGL 223 3

LING 204 3

ANTHR 208 3

Minor 200-level RequirementLING 111 3

93 remaining

15 pending

15 pending

3 pending

YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5+YEAR 1SEE ALL


The Stay on Track portion of the site includes a calendar of deadlines

and goals, GPA calculator, and a student’s current courses. This page

will help the user maintain their current path and stay on top of their

grades and objectives by preventing confusion surrounding deadlines

and requirements. The calendar is a system of timekeeping, but it also

includes tabs that show deadlines, appointments, goals and notifications -

as a result, students are able to keep track of current and upcoming dates

PLANAHEAD

TOOLS FORSUCCESS


Appointment Goal NotificationDeadlineOverview

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

27 28 29 30

4 5 6 7 108 9

11 12 13 14 1715 16

26 27 28 3129 30

31 2

MAY 2014

25

CALENDER / OVERVIEW

CURRENT COURSESCURRENT COURSES

ENGL 121

M W F 11:00-11:50 AM

HUMANITIES 211

SPAN 211

M W F 1:00-1:50 PM

TORY 1-84

BIOL 108

SEM T TH 2:00-3:20 PM

LAB F 8:00-11:00 AM

BIO SCI 2-27

MUSIC 103

W 6:30-9:30 PM

FAB 2-20

CLASS 110

T TH 10:00-11:20 AM

TORY BL-12

ENGL 121

GPA

=

=

TOTAL ESTIMATED GPA

B-B-

=

GPA CALCULATOR

CLASS EXPECTED LETTER GRADE

SPAN 211

MUSIC 103

CLASS 110

B

C+

A-

3.0

3.3

2.3

2.7

3.7BIOL 108

B+

=

=

=

=

3.0

18 19 20 21 2422 23

DES 337 PRESENTATION @ 9:00 & DESIGN MOCKUP @13:00

APPOINTMENT WITH CAITLIN FAB 3-98 @ 13:30

FINISHING MOCKUP OF BEARTPATHS

in one place. The GPA calculator provides students with an estimate of

their desired result. The tool allows the student to enter grades and figure

out what they need to achieve in certain courses in order to accomplish

their desired GPA. The tools in this section will help a student keep track

of their goals and help them work toward success.


Lastly, our Tools for Success page is a platform that provides students

with resources to assist them with academic, mental and social success.

This page brings all resources together, neatly categorized in one place,

preventing students from searching for links that lead to more links.

Students can access home pages of services and get what they need

PLANAHEAD

TOOLS FORSUCCESS


ACADEMICS

WELLNESS

ALTERNATE PATHS CLUBS CAMPUS EVENTS

GRADUATION INTERNATIONAL

CAREERS FINANCIALS CONTACT YOUR ADVISOR

JOHN SMITH

phone 780-462-1129

email [email protected]

MESSAGES

turn off

JOHN SMITH

phone 780-462-1129

email [email protected]

MESSAGES

View your program checklist!

Job opportunity: Publishing...

Advisor Messaging

Your program checklist is now

available in the Program Builder!

Please review its content ASAP.

New Spring Session courses

Author Event: Ondaatje Reads

turn off

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS

Thinking of changing

your direction? There

are options.

Resources for health,

fitness and emotional

well-being.

Time management,

studying, exam prep

and course help.

Find the right career

path for your degree

and your future.

Prepare and apply for

your graduation and

convocation!

Find people who share

your interests, there's

a club for everybody.

Need help paying for

school? Find help for

tuition and other costs.

Get information about

studying in Canada,

campus life and more!

Find all the upcoming

events occuring on

campus here!

more efficiently. The student service categories include, academics,

wellness, financials, clubs, alternate paths, campus events, graduation,

international and careers. These categories are the main areas that

contribute to a student succeeding in their academic career. The page

also offers a sidebar that includes advisor information and if turned on,

messaging and notifications from the advisor in order to provide students

with personalized advice.


Bearpaths is about introducing new tools that students will need, and

unifying the existing available services in one intuitive platform. Our design

is an effective solution to help students achieve success. We chose the

name Bearpaths because our tool is meant to coexist with current U of

A services. The use of “bear” defines the tool as a part of the University

apps, and the concept of the path refers to each student’s unique journey

in University. We decided to use the secondary color palette of the U of

A to prevent our website from looking similar to BearTracks, and to give

the website a credible, academic tone without feeling institutional. The

colors we chose for our design make it friendly, warm, comfortable and

engaging. The choice to build a website is based on our research and

integration with existing University services. Our research showed that

people prefer to access resources digitally, and because all students have

access to websites through personal or University provided computers, a

website is the most accessible solution. The simplicity of our site design

is meant to make planning, staying on track and accessing resources an

intuitive process rather than a daunting task.


Due to the limited time frame there are aspects we would potentially

add to our solution, and existing components we would like to expand

on. Ideally, we would like to do further testing in order to improve our

solution and tailor it further to address student needs. This includes

doing more primary research with students and expanding our testing

pool, because the research done for this project did have a limited

sample size. The finite amount of test subjects required us to make many

assumptions which were challenging to test without access to a larger

user population. Composing additional surveys and distributing them to a

broader audience would allow us to reach different demographics within

the University. This would allow us to address the complexity of different

faculties with more precision. The time frame restricted the extent of the

research we were able to carry out, and the smaller sample size made it

difficult to generalize our solution for all students. These are the areas that

we would like to explore further if we had more time to improve our design

solution.

Bearpaths is a tool that is feasible and addressed the problems which

needed to be solved. We maintain the ethos of S.o.A.R and expanded it

in a way that will help students keep on track of their academic careers.

We chose components that students needed based on our research and

eliminated redundant tools and services in our final design. All aspects of

our solution are feasible as realistic student tools, which we addressed

through user testing and exploration of similar existing tools and websites.

The majority of the information that is needed for our site can be

obtained by connecting to the University information via CCID, and other

personalized aspects of the tool are easy to use and minimize user data

Limitations/Evaluation


entry. Bearpaths will also cut down on the work of advisors by streamlining

the process of making program checklists and preventing unnecessary

advisor meetings, as well as providing a fast, informal communication

pathway between advisors and their students. By providing a platform

where students can access tools and services all in one place, we can

reduce confusion and clarify requirements, allowing students to focus on

their academic plans and achieve their goals.


Students need a platform to stay on track of their academic careers and

find assistance. This all-encompassing problem statement has helped

us make crucial decisions and build Bearpaths as a functional and

accessible resource for students. Our website bridges the gap between

current University tools like BearTracks by providing the tools that do not

currently exist to meet student needs. Bearpat0hs also raises student

awareness of all the different resources the University already has to offer

by providing access to these services all in one place, and organizing

them according to student needs for simple navigation. Bearpaths is

accessible, functional and friendly, making it a valuable tool for both

primary and secondary users that provides a solution for many of the

goals of the SoAR program. The final product we have created is still in

the initial stages of its design, but we have provided a solid foundation

for future development that will integrate seamlessly into the University’s

current system of apps and give students the tools they need to be

successful at the University of Alberta.

Conclusion


Appendix A: Survey Monkey Analysis(All answers sorted and recorded from website)

What student services did you use most at the University?

• CAPS (the online job searching mostly) & recreation services

• Didn’t use any special student services

• Subprint, libraries and gym (Rarely)

• The library and AICT

• Mostly online forums

• Academic advisor, health clinic

• SubPrint

• Library, bookstore, counseling services, university health clinic

• Info Link

Did you struggle in your first or second year? If so, had you wished there

was something that could have helped you? If so, what would that service

be or look like?

• Some sort of time management seminar would have been useful

• All of my support has been from fellow students. The network that exists

is great, it’s just finding it is difficult. This could be solved with more

informative emails/posters. Towards the end of the year, I saw posters

about support groups that I didn’t even know existed and I was glad to

finally know about them.

• Yes someone to talk to, my advisor was not helpful, she would rush me

off and make me feel bad for asking questions and when I did poorly in a

class, she was not helpful. I just wish I had someone to ask my questions


to. I also wish I had something to stay on top of things, I found myself very

scattered.

• I was constantly tired at school because my days were so long and

never really had space to rest in and take a break.

• No

• I think I would have arranged my schedule differently had I fully

understood the program, and more academic advising.

• Individual counselor

• Yes, I did struggle. Making it a more friendly environment with smaller

class sizes for first year courses. Nothing is more intimidating than

walking in a class of 400 people where the prof doesn’t know who you are.

• Struggled in 2nd year with mentally trying to get through a tough year of

university and figuring out what I wanted to do the next year. I utilized

counseling services which I found really helpful. Career Counseling

program would have been a useful service to have - for people that don’t

necessarily need counseling around their mental health but just some

guidance for career planning.

• No

• Second year and a good working schedule app.

What helped you succeed in University? Were there any services provided

that you accessed?

• Realizing that it’s okay to go and talk to your professors and getting

direct feedback, especially in large classes.

• The art and design studio techs

• Not really, just studying and asking friends for help. Some profs were


very helpful as well.

• Making friends and learning to schedule my time better.

• No services other than online forums.

• Profs, not really any services

• Friends

• Time management. I learned how to manage my time and they was the

key to success at the U of A.

• I think having a good peer support group around me helped me get

through university. Once I got into the faculty of my choosing it was nice

to network and develop a comaderie with a close group of peers. Lots of

social events as well as on campus activities such as a scavenger hunt

were activities we did at the beginning of each year within our faculty.

• Studying

• Scheduling and time management

If you accessed any services while in University, did you do so online or in

person?

• Mainly online

• N/A

• Online, mostly websites and links

• Both

• Online

• In person

• online

• in person for the most part.

• online


If there was a tool that provided options and help with school, what would

you like to see on it? Any resources of features?

• Links to time management articles, what to expect in university, how to

adjust to this new style of learning

• An informative website that is EASY TO NAVIGATE

• I would like a tool that told me what time all of the offices, facilities,

buildings on campus are open each day.

• Easy and accessible and bringing things together. Something to help me

keep track and find all my answers?

• A tool where you can share schedule with people as well as a GPA

calculator.

• Free!

• Perhaps a calendar with different events or even emails inviting you out

to mixers. Now that I am an Alumni I often get alumni get together e-mails

and it’s a great way to connect with people....could be done as a student

to for people that don’t have a network around them. University needs

to have a balance of studying and a break from that studying to meet

people, explore, learn about different perspectives which may help shape

your future career.

• Timetable, planner, important dates

• Scheduling and lists


Appendix B: Prototyping with Classmates

QuestionaireJKMD Group/ Des 337-437-537

1. Fonts Selection - Heading

1

DIN PRO

Fonts Selection - Body Text

Questionaires on specific typefaces for heading and body text.


ARIAL PALATINO

Titllium Lato Open Sans


3. Are the heading understandable?

4. Can you see this tool as something you can use in the future? Does it encourage you to stay on track of your academic career?

5. Any other suggestions?

2. Color SelectionColor selection based on the University of Alberta’s secondary color palette.

Questions on visual clarity, possible usage of tool and other open feedback.


BEARPATHS Your NamePLANAHEAD

STAY ONTRACK

TOOLS FORSUCCESS

3.1GPA


STAY ONTRACK

TOOLS FORSUCCESS

3.1GPA


STAY ONTRACK

TOOLS FORSUCCESS

3.1GPA

Cardsorting Exercise:Website Templates


2.9current gpa

program checklistDES 400/401 or 493/494 (*3/*3)

DES (400-level) (*6)

DES 483 (*3)

ART H (200-level) (*3)

Social Science Option (2xx or 3xx) (*6)

Arts or Science Option (1xx or 2xx) (*6)

required coursesDES 493/494................................*3/*3

DES 483...............................................*3

DES 400 level....................................*6

ART H 200 level................................*3


DES 483...............................................*3

DES 400 level....................................*6

ART H 200 level................................*3

option coursesSOC 213.................................................*3

ANTHRO 202......................................*3

HECOL 268..........................................*6

BIOL 108..............................................*3

24credits left

?help link


DES 483...............................................*3

DES 400 level....................................*6

ART H 200 level................................*3

current goals1.

2.

3.

4.


DES 483...............................................*3

DES 400 level....................................*6

ART H 200 level................................*3

upcoming deadlines1. Studio Registration Cutoff April 30th

2. Summer Courses Begin July 7th

3. Summer Tuition Due July 12th

4. Registration Deposit Deadline August 30th

contactsProfessor [email protected] 493

Professor [email protected] 497

Professor [email protected] 483

Professor [email protected] H 209

Professor [email protected] H 209

Academic [email protected]


DES 483...............................................*3

DES 400 level....................................*6

ART H 200 level................................*3

current courses1. DES 493

2. DES 497

3. DES 483

4. ART H 209

5. ANTHRO 101

M W 8:00 -11:00 AM

F 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

T 11:30 AM -12:30 PM

T TH 12:30 - 2:00 PM

T TH 8:00 - 9:00 AM

quick search

WellnessGeneral InfoRelated ServicesContact Info

CareersGeneral InfoRelated ServicesContact Info

InternationalGeneral InfoRelated ServicesContact Info

FinancialsGeneral InfoRelated ServicesContact Info

GraduationGeneral InfoRelated ServicesContact Info

AcademicsGeneral InfoRelated ServicesContact Info

my

top

5se

rvic

es

course catalog

DES 400/401 or 493/494 (*3/*3)

DES (400-level) (*6)

DES 483 (*3)

ART H (200-level) (*3)

Social Science Option (2xx or 3xx) (*6)

browse course catalog

Cardsorting Exercise:Cutout Tools and Functions


Couldwell, Cindy. “Soar Report.” Integrated Media for Communication.

University of Alberta, 5 May 2014. Web. 6 May 2014.

Marketing & Communications Toolkit. University of Alberta, 2002.

Web. 16 May 2014.

Office of the Dean of Students. University Student Services Office of the

Dean of Students. University of Alberta, 2002. Web.14 May 2014.

The Google Fonts Team. Google Fonts. Google, 2011. Web. 16 May 2014.

The Noun Project. The Noun Project Inc, 2013. Web. 16 May 2014.

University of Alberta Student’s Union. University of Alberta Student’s

Union. University of Alberta, 2014. Web. 14 May 2014.

University of Alberta. University of Alberta, 2013. Web. 8 May 2014.

“Your Struggle and Success at the U of A.” SurveryMonkey. SurveryMonky

Inc, n.d. Web. 12 May 2014.

Bibliography

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