Infrastructure for the Learning Community
Creating a Customer Journey Map for UWI Global Campus
Ms. Shivani Seunarine
Senior Administrator, The UWI Global Campus
Moderator: Ms. Michelle Holness, Project Officer, University of Technology, Jamaica
In this changing landscape, our infrastructure must be designed with a human centred approach which supports a sustainable environment. Maintenance is a main challenge for the infrastructure upkeep and this presentation will show how to create a personalised learning experience for students and staff using the customer journey map. Data was collected using surveys and interviews from
- Global Campus Pre-University students between the ages of 17 to 50 years in three locations St Augustine and San Fernando and Chaguanas. These are students pursuing face to face lectures and online lectures.
- Global staff in three locations St. Augustine, San Fernando and Chaguanas.
The outcomes of this study demonstrate how the use of the customer journey mapping allows Administrators to design the infrastructure to meet the needs of the students and staff community in three different locations in Trinidad and Tobago. This customer experience map depicts the journey of a student at The UWI Global Campus and all the possible touchpoints they may encounter during their stay at the campus. For each touchpoint, the map provides context and details that might influence the students’ actions or feelings. This presentation shows the customer journey map in the development of a more satisfied stakeholder. Student stakeholders are to be considered when designing spaces. The outcomes would also show how savings can be achieved when we use the student and staff in this process. We would have less rework. Administrators can use this method to have effective savings in maintenance and also create spaces for enhanced learning environments.
Flexible Learning Space Choice Model (FLSCM) for Student Engagement and Satisfaction
Dr. Diana Gobin &
Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Finance and Administration, University of Guyana
Dr. Hector Edwards
Lecturer at the University of Guyana
Moderator: Mrs. Camille Charles, Assistant Registrar, Registry, The UWI Global Campus
Flexible learning space choice models (FLSCMs) effectively address physical space constraints and social distancing requirements in classrooms in HEIs. This presentation reports on a concurrent mixed methods action research (MMAR) study that examines students’ perceptions and the extent of the differences in student engagement and satisfaction with the FLSCM by gender and employment status.
Quantitative data was collected using an online questionnaire with a Likert-type closed-response rating scale to determine their engagement and satisfaction with the FLSCM and qualitative data using one-on-one semi-structured online interviews with students to understand their perceptions of the FLSCM. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. The FLCM gave students the autonomy every week, for one semester, to choose a learning environment that met their needs and preferences. In addition, mediating educational technologies were used to aid the teaching and learning process.
The results indicated that students perceived the FLSCM as suitable for facilitating learning, student engagement, and satisfaction. There were no significant differences in levels of student engagement by gender and employment status. Additionally, there was no significant difference in student satisfaction by gender. However, full-time employed students were largely less satisfied than their peers mainly because of students’ prior knowledge of the topics and the lengthy duration of the classes. Also, an interesting supplemental finding was that male students became disengaged when not performing well in game-based learning activities.
Levelling the Academic Libraries’ Playing Field: Creating Student Centric Academic Libraries, to Support DEIA
Ms. Georgia Alexander
Librarian, The UWI St. Augustine
Moderator: Mr. Adrian Kellman, Librarian, The UWI Global Campus
There exists an urgent need for academic libraries to support sustainable, and resilient Higher Education (HE) communities in a deliberate effort to improve the teaching, learning, research, and user experience. Designing a student-centric library provides an opportunity for such enhancement. This requires librarians and administrators to carefully evaluate how the library’s functional, physical and aesthetical space can provide its patrons and stakeholders opportunities for interaction and collaboration.
This presentation provides valuable insights into the librarian’s role and contribution in fostering a sound and progressive HE environment that promotes and cultivates the positive tenets and framework of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Access (DEIA). The Alma Jordan Library (AJL) at The UWI St Augustine Campus will be used as the case to highlight examples of services implemented to support a DEIA environment. The presentation will also highlight the challenges posed in the quest towards the design and creation of student centric libraries within HE institutions and seek to offer pragmatic solutions, and recommendations to further improve the DEIA framework at the AJL.