Students who receive support are happier and have a more positive experience in education.
This new research comes from the latest edition of the Connected Student Report from Salesforce. It reveals that there’s still more for institutions to continue improving the student experience in Higher Education. In the report, only a third of university students describe having a great experience in Higher Education. While in relation to student support, 36% indicated they needed more wellbeing support from their institutions.
The study showed that when students got the support they needed, they were more likely to succeed and have a great university experience. Students were also calling for more personalized support and experiences. This highlights the importance of tailoring support services and student interventions, to each student and their needs. By offering a more personalized experience, institutions can improve the student journey from admission to graduation.
See how Kingsman Academy proactively support students by delivering personalized intervention plans here.
Improving the Student Journey with Technology
A big part of improving student experiences in the modern education landscape involves digitalizing campuses and modernizing IT systems. University campuses need to be ‘smarter’ and offer more flexible support options. Over a quarter of students feel the way universities offer support is outdated and 90% indicated they would like to receive certain services fully online. Results from a recent EDUCAUSE survey on Students and Technology reveals something similar.
Many universities are already offering modern alternatives for support services and tutor meetings. The results show that when given an option, students are more engaged and likely to show up. This helps in providing students with the personalized experiences they are looking for, which makes them more likely to succeed.
Some universities included in the study found that for a proactive approach to student wellbeing and success, technology had to play a key role. The role of technology in the modern student support framework can include:
- An easy-to-use platform for all communications with students.
- Custom tags for students based on their needs and circumstances. This is crucial for providing the personalized experiences students want.
- Automatic alerts to staff when students look like they’re struggling.
- An integrated campus system that pulls student engagement data from all key points – including for online or off-campus events. Combined with data analytics, this ensures no at-risk student is missed.
Investing in understanding and improving the student journey will pay off for institutions in higher retention rates, increased student engagement and improved academic outcomes. For more on how technology can help your institution improve student experiences, check out our solutions page.
