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OFFERING THE BEST STUDENT EXPERIENCE USING
THE STUDENT VOICE - UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD
Challenges
The University of Huddersfield faced a number of challenges prior to the implementation of myHud. Most important were the barriers students found on their path to the information they needed:
Confusing resource locations
Information wasn’t presented in a way that was user focused. Students were unsure on where to go to find the relevant information.
No Centralization
Information was built around departments, and therefore was separate and varied.
Antiquated systems
The previous system had grown organically over a long period of time, information was duplicated and it had become hard to manage.
Solutions
The Right Mantra
‘The right message to the right student at the right time.’ With that mantra in mind, the myHud project was kicked off.
“The myHud platform needed to be the ‘shop window of university services,” says Lydia. The Students’ Union first looked at how the previous student hub worked for students. The Union then set-up focus groups where they listened to the voice of students - how they wanted the future platform to work for them, as well as how they interacted and what they liked and disliked with other popular apps like Amazon and eBay.
They were involved in the entirety of the myHud project in the steering group, working group, marketing (content) and project group. In addition to the valuable student input and the Student’s Union’s involvement, Shailesh Appukuttan, Collaborative and Research Systems Manager, highlights the importance of collaboration with colleagues to ensure the project's success.
Student first approach
The key driver for the University of Huddersfield in implementing myHud, Ready Education’s student engagement platform, was focusing on the students’ voice.
“That the Students’ Union was involved from the beginning of the project highlights this collaborative working relationship and the key focus of this project,” explains Lydia Blundell, Head of Engagement at the Students’ Union. “The voice of the students was critical to this project.”
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Solutions
Closing the feedback loop
Throughout the project, the university has had a pool of students to communicate with and the feedback loop needed to be closed with a ‘you said, we listened’ response. The students also had the final say on the design - 1600 students voted on the final dashboard design and helped shape which tiles appeared and their order.
This was essential in ensuring the app was useful and therefore accessed on a daily basis. Both staff and students needed to be communicated with about the app before its launch to ensure awareness and maximize reach on multiple platforms. The university put together a communication plan for both staff and students. It’s a testament to the communication plans that the usage statistics now are as high as they are.
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Institution
Post - 1992 University
Students
20,000+
Since
2019
Location
Outcomes
Student engagement has significantly increased since the myHud implementation.
myHud/myday has helped the University of Huddersfield to centralize resources and resolve communication problems.
Help is available whenever and wherever a student is. A student can find their resources when they’re up late writing an essay or they can check when the support services opens the next morning,
Over 97% of students surveyed have found myHud very helpful.
The university keeps a ‘wish list’ for future developments, regularly engaging with students to ensure that the platform continues to meet and exceed their expectations.
Lydia Blundell
Head of Engagement at the Students Union
"Having everything a student needs in one place, on the app, makes it much more succinct and easier to access - students just have to go to one place and then are signposted to everywhere else. This makes it less overwhelming for them too, particularly if they’re just starting their course.”
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