‘Hi, I’m Sam’How the Student Advisory

Model Can Enhance Student Services

Dr Simone ClarkeIan Munton

Keele University

Who is SAM?

SAM: ‘Student Advisory Model’• First example of a virtual student adviser and virtual one-stop-shop for the

UK HE sector• Interaction between students and avatars in real-time• Intuitive responses to questions on hot topics such as student finance and

what it’s like to be at University• Intelligent IT system which ‘learns’ from interactions and remembers

conversations with individual students• Open to the entire UK HE sector

Why SAM?• 2011/12: Keele reviews its delivery of student-facing services. How can

we be more efficient/effective? Do we need to be co-located?• The way we work and how our students engage is very different from how

it was in the past• More diverse than ever before – one size does not fit all• Rise of social media questions ‘traditional’ models of delivering i.e. 9-5

pm, physical only• Research undertaken with students: what do you want from student

services? Where? When?• Informed by AMOSSHE One Stop Shop group

What our Students Thought• Flexible and enhanced access to services outside of business hours and

off-campus• Existing web services could be better structured to meet their needs• The service needed to work with modern technology: mobile apps,

iPads, smartphones• Students at Keele felt that investment in physical services in their current

locations would be more beneficial

The Keele Experience

How do you bring together an extensive range of specific expertise and support to provide students

with an effective and relevant service?

1. Physical 2. Virtual

…..not an either or

Inspiration

• Keele’s Virtual Patient: Keele Intellectual Property which support innovative delivery for students in medicine, pharmacy, and other healthcare professions.

• Using 3D characters in a virtual environment to simulate interaction between the learner and a virtual patient or clinical avatar

SAM v iSAMSAM iSAM

• Generic resource available to all students in the UK HE sector

• Will cover a number of key topics

• Needs to be meaningful, but also has to be generic on what it can say to remain relevant – major challenge

• Sounds easy, but difficult because of its scope

• Very experimental and will be trialled at Keele using Keele systems.

• High risk, high return – will it work?

• Review of core University business processes to provide technology-supported solutions

• Reviewing opportunity to integrate key information systems and processes

BenefitsStudents Staff Organisation

• Provides what students say they want: 24/7 access to services and utilising the latest technology

• Provides a confidential, safe space for asking questions (anonymity can be switched on/off)

• Provides an opportunity for training and development

• E&E: potential to reduce time spent on ‘simple’ requests

• Provides a creative

alternative to major capital investment

• Provides an opportunity to work in partnership with other HEIs and organisations in a structured way

• Allows a depth and quality to interactions with staff if students use SAM for more basic information

• Enhanced knowledge and skills base amongst staff: through shared knowledge of key processes and the student journey

which will strengthen succession planning and career development

• Provides a sector-wide data source on student concerns, to inform future IAG developments

ChallengesStudents Staff Organisation

• Language: translating personal circumstances into typed questions

• Accessibility• Content: appropriate and

actually meeting student need

• Developing the methodology: first decision tree has highlighted issues of scale, connections, and restrictions on content

• Culture: buy-in of staff. Wash hands of iSAM? How will the real and virtual complement each other? OD project group exists to manage this issue

• Cross-departmental working: different specialisms coming together – how can we find a common language?

• Match funding: more than originally scoped

• Managing expectations: what the service can deliver

• Resources: limited to deliver a very ambitious, experimental programme

• Project management: complex project which touches on IAG/pedagogy/development of professional support services/major IT systems development aspect

• Systems integration: requires the integration of systems not designed to work together

• Future-proofing: difficult• Heterogeneous HE sector: generic but addressing common concerns and issues

Facing the Challenges: Project Organisation

Stakeholder Group

Student Group

Technical Group

Organisational Development

Group

Project Management

Group

Partner Institutions

Facing the Challenges: Methodology

1 Scope topics for decision-tree with stakeholders2 Review topics with students, identifying common issues/questions3 Review topics and questions with stakeholders and identify answers4 Map out decision-tree 5 Draft text for each branch of decision tree6 Rehearse every part of decision tree with stakeholders and student (joint workshop)7 Input dialogue into database8 Animation for decision-tree9 Test decision tree in action

10 Identify actions and timescale for future decision trees

Facing the Challenges: Progress to Date

October 2012

• The Student Group and Stakeholder Group meet separately to discuss questions

• Decision trees are drafted• The Technical Group meets to review decision trees and SAM

progress

November 2012

• Partner Institutions review progress and contribute to decision tree content

• The Student Group and Stakeholder Group meet separately to finalise the decision trees

December 2012

• Technical team work on SAM animation and dialogue recording• Initial testing carried out

January 2013

• Soft launch of first decision tree to Keele and Partner Institutions

• First tree is assessed and all groups review and evaluate how the development process was carried out

SAM Decision Trees• Topics of interest to current and prospective students• Frequently asked questions in existing physical one-stop-shops• Survey of the sector via JISC, ARC, AMOSSHE (15 Oct 2012)

• Student Finance: underway• Money Management: underway• Transition to HE: settling in to University, the language of HE, time

management, learning styles (i.e. independent learning)• Accommodation: types of accommodation, choosing the right

accommodation, facilities available • Personal Difficulties: ill-health, financial problems, exam stress, loneliness,

family problems (bereavement/divorce/caring responsibilities)

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Output of Survey

2012/2013

• Review of student life cycle and key processes to identify content• Development of SAM technology:

o Creation and testing of decision-tree o Soft launch and trial of first SAM decision tree with HEI partners

(January 2013)o Soft launch and trial of subsequent SAM decision trees (April – July

2013)o Sector launch of SAM service (August 2013)

2013/2014

• Creation of evidence-base and production/dissemination of evaluation/analysis reports for the sector

• Official launch of SAM to the sector• Development of iSAM @ Keele:

o Internal launch of first three iSAM @ Keele decision trees (October 2013)

o Development and marketing of iSAM to other HEIs and maintaining content and functionality of SAM for the wider sector

o Development and trail of Translation Component: bi-lingual guidanceo Development and trial of Identity Checker and Form Generator

components• Project evaluation, including review of future sustainability

Timeline of Events

Partnerships

Where Do You Come In?• We want to know what you think!

o Have we appreciated fully the benefits and challenges?o What have you learnt from similar projects? Any advice?o Have you come across a project of this type? Advice on lessons

learnt?o Any priorities for topics for future decision trees?