DR2008_10-13_Final Project Preparation (Part 3: Research)

Final Project, My Work, Process Journal,

Research Categories

To support the solution, I conducted research to further know more

  • NTU Freshmen Orientation
  • ADM Orientation
  • Case study: NTU Mobile App
  • Target Audience
  • Survey
  • Research conclusion

NTU Freshmen Orientation Research

About Freshmen Orientation

The Undergraduate Orientation Coordinating Committee (UOCC) has implemented the Transition & Orientation Programme @ NTU since Academic Year 2017-18. The First-Year TOP experience aims to help freshmen start off right and make the transition throughout the entire first year. This resulted from surveys that were conducted with students, as well as a long consultative process involving all stakeholders, especially seniors and freshmen. Student organisers have already been briefed. For the general student body, the changes are summarised in the list of Questions and Answers below.

What is the UOCC?

UOCC stands for Undergraduate Orientation Coordinating Committee. The UOCC is responsible for coordinating all orientation activities for freshmen to provide the best experience for them to learn and adjust to University life.

The UOCC is chaired by the Associate Provost (Student Life) and comprises representatives from:

  • NTU Students’ Union (NTUSU)
  • The College of Engineering
  • The College of Science
  • The College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences,
  • Nanyang Business School
  • National Institute of Education, and
  • Other university departments

What are the objectives of Freshmen Orientation?

The UOCC, in consultation with student leaders and representatives, has identified the following primary objectives for Freshmen Orientation:

  • Welcome all freshmen to the NTU Community
  • Share the skills and knowledge for navigating through their first academic year**
  • Inform all freshmen about their rights and responsibilities
  • Develop a sense of belonging to NTU
  • Provide opportunities for all freshmen to meet and interact with other students
  • Inform freshmen where they can get help with administrative and personal matters
  • Provide opportunities for freshmen to become familiar with the campus, facilities, resources and services
  • Provide information about student organisations

Schools, Halls, and Student Organisations may place different emphasis on these specific objectives. Organisers are free to design the orientation programme in accordance to the priorities set by UOCC.

For instance, School Freshmen Orientation activities will focus on teaching participants the individual skills and knowledge to help them through their first year. On the other hand, Hall orientation activities emphasise awareness of the surrounding facilities and resources, and foster a strong sense of belonging and identity to the Hall community. Student Organisations will introduce freshmen to the university’s student clubs and societies.

ADM Orientation Research

ADM 2019 Orientation Details
ADM Orientation 2019 Instagram
ADM Orientation 2019 Invitation

NTU Mobile App Research

Target Audience Research & Persona Creation

User personas creation steps:

  1. Collect extensive data on target users.
    • Majority of NTU ADM students are female
    • NTU ADM freshmen are mostly from JC (17-18 y.o.) or Polytechnic (18-19 y.o) or NS Men (19-21 y.o), age range 17-21
    • Background: art background & non-art background
  2. Develop a hypothesis from the research, determining the qualities of and differences between users.
    • The user can be male and female
    • The user can be local or international students, however it’s more likely to be local due to
      • Invitation for NTU ADM Orientation sent by mail might reach International students late
      • International students may not have arrived in Singapore during the earlier orientation dates
    • The user may enrol with formal art education background or no art background
      • JC: majority no art background
      • Polytechnic: more technical background but majority not from art-related courses
  3. Ensure stakeholders agree on the hypothesis about the users.
  4. Determine a number of personas – more than one per project, but focus especially on one.
  5. Name and describe each persona in 1-2 pages, including:
    • Name: Angela
    • Age: 18
    • Gender: Female
    • Occupation: NTU ADM Freshmen
    • Nationality: Singaporean
    • Education: Polytechnic
    • Formal art education: None
    • Marital status: Single
  6. A picture.
  7. User’s values, interests, education, lifestyle, needs, attitudes, desires, limitations, goals and behavior patterns.’
    1. Values
      • Knowledge
      • Friends and belonging
    2. Interests
      • Movies
      • Photography
    3. Education
      • Polytechnic (Accountancy)
    4. Lifestyle
      • Doesn’t stay in hall, travel daily
      • Loves bubble tea
      • Work part-time at a cafe
    5. Needs
      • Guidance on school work
      • University friends and belongings
      • Motivation in work
    6. Attitudes
      • Want to learn
      • Curious
    7. Desires
      • Do well in school
      • Ability to use applications
      • Good portfolio
      • Decide design 
    8. Limitations
      • Limited design application knowledge
      • Limited friends in the same course as she changed stream to art
      • Limited time 
    9. Goals
      • Find friends
      • Decide design art or media art
      • Looking for CCA to join
    10. Behaviour patterns
      • Travel 40 minutes for one-way to NTU from home
      • Stay at school library during non-class time to do work
      • Work part-time at a cafe during weekend
  8. Empathy map

    Say

    		 Do Think Feel
    “I don’t know anyone here, I really want to make some friends.”

    “I am not sure if I get in to the correct course and which design pathway is more suitable for me.”

    “I don’t have a strong art background, I hope I will stay motivated throughout the year.”

    		 Join the orientation to make friends

    Read more on the pathways available

    Consult with tutors and ask for seniors experiences

    Find classmate/senior to help familiarise with apps used

    		 What will the orientation programme be like?

    What kind of people will I meet? 

    Why do I have to choose pathway only after 1 semester? 

    Can I do my best in school?

    Is excited about upcoming orientation

    Is concern for not knowing anyone and ability to make new friends

    Is confused and afraid of making the wrong choice in pathway

    Is worried about her ability to cope with no art background
  9. Extra details about the persona (e.g., interests) – anything to make him/her more real and relevant and help build empathy. A written story is better than bullet points.
  10. Describe several situations/scenarios prompting the persona to use your product – put him/her in contexts with problems to overcome.
  11. Include everyone involved in the project so they’ll accept the persona (or advise revisions).
  12. Send them the persona to use in their work.
  13. Ensure everyone develops scenarios – exposing the persona optimally to potential use cases.
  14. Make continuous adjustments – revisit the persona, adding new features; add required new personas; discard outdated personas.

Final Persona

  • Name: Angela
  • Age: 18
  • Gender: Female
  • Occupation: NTU ADM Freshmen
  • Nationality: Singaporean
  • Education: Polytechnic
  • Formal art education: None
  • Marital status: Single
  • Online locations: work and mobile
  • Computers(s): iPhone 8 and Macbook Pro
  • Internet usage: 8-9 hours
  • Angela’s story:
    Angela is a freshmen of NTU ADM. She studied Accoutancy at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and decided to pursue art in University. She loves to watch movies and do photography in her free time. She works part-time at a cafe during weekend for her personal allowance. She doesn’t stay in NTU Hall and travel for 2 hours daily to reach school.
    She doesn’t have any formal education in art and worry that it might hinder her from doing well in University. However, she is a curious and fast-learner thus she hopes to be able to cope with the modules. She also wishes to find some course mates who will be able to study and do work together.She knows about the ADM syllabus that require her to choose a programme between Design Art and Media Art but she is still unsure of which one she should choose from. She doesn’t have any friends or seniors in ADM thus hoping to make new friends by joining the ADM orientation programme.
  • Angela’s situation
    • Goals, motivation
      • Make new friends and last bonding and belongings
      • Know which pathway to pursue for future aspiration
      • Stay motivated throughout University life
    • Key words
      • Orientation, friendship, bonding, knowledge, motivation 

References

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