Context
The university faced a challenge common to many traditional institutions: a growing need to guide students through an increasingly complex academic and extracurricular landscape. While student advisory services existed, they were difficult to maintain and scale effectively, especially when accounting for diverse student ambitions and market demands. The university sought a digital solution to bridge this gap and offer personalized support to every student.
This project was implemented jointly with a digital transformation consulting firm, who were responsible for the digital development, while we led the concept development and education science research.
Challenge
The key challenge was to develop a scalable and sustainable student advising system that could illuminate the "hidden curriculum" of extracurricular activities, internships, and skill-building opportunities. The traditional approach of one-on-one advising was resource-intensive and unsustainable for large student cohorts, necessitating an innovative solution that could provide tailored guidance at scale.
Objectives
The primary objective was to empower student autonomy while improving institutional insights. Specific objectives included:
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Mapping and scoring the university's extracurricular ecosystem to provide students with transparent access to opportunities.
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Creating a digitally supported academic advising system that enabled the university to offer support to a broader cohort of students
The Solution
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Developed and deployed Navigator, a fully customizable digital advising platform that provides tailored recommendations for students.
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Introduced psychometric assessments to build individual student profiles, continuously updated with curricular and extracurricular achievements, to guide students in aligning their actions with career goals.
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Provided the university with real-time analytics, allowing data-driven decision-making for resource allocation and curriculum design.
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Established a pilot program, implementing Navigator within 8 months, to demonstrate early impact and lay the foundations for a university-wide rollout.
The Impact
Within six months of launch, Navigator had already made a significant impact:
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Over 800 students engaged with the platform, benefiting from tailored guidance on their academic and career paths.
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720 personality assessments were completed, enriching student profiles and providing data for targeted advising.
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Facilitated over 100 personalized mentoring occasions, enhancing student success and improving overall student experience.
Now Navigator is:
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Available to 5000+ students on 1 MA and 13 BA courses
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35 mentors help guide students towards success
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Navigator was shortlisted in the QS Reimagine Education awards in the ‘Developing Emerging Skills and Competencies’ category in 2023
By streamlining student advising and making the "hidden curriculum" accessible to all participating students, the university now operates with a data-driven approach to student success. The platform not only addresses immediate advising needs but also positions the institution for long-term adaptability and future growth.