Charlotte: Insights from discussions

Owned by Paul Seiler (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Aug 27, 2015
3 min read

The starting point was this summary (based on Anne's notes from an earlier conversation) of the main groups that Charlotte deals with

  1. Progressing from UG here: Know the subject they wish to study but often unclear on which of the many PG programmes is best
  2. Transferring from another university: Where they did their UG study. Likely to make contact by email
  3. Community: Returning after some time away, wanting to change careers (including Mums returning to the workforce), and new migrants
  4. Post-experience: In work and needing a “professional” qualification, maybe wanting a change of career (e.g. to become a teacher).
  5. Prospective PhDs

 

Postgraduate students have two distinct drivers behind why study, potentially serving as two needs that must be met by the website:

  1. Intellectual advancement or knowledge acquisition: The academic ideals behind university study certainly applies to some students, although to a (decreasing) minority. These people have less need for the website of liaison services, as they are mostly well connected relationally with school staff, have high domain knowledge and are usually moving straight through from studying at an UG level. 
  2. Career aspiration: Either the next step of the general pathway is the primary driver for an increasing number (and proportion) of our postgraduate, even up to PhD level. These people will often pick up PG study after a number of years in the work force, sometimes soon after changing country, and sometimes after time off (e.g. raising a family). They often seek help, but can be quite focused on what they need out of study. Some know the exact programme, others have a time of financial limit to work within.

In both cases they have to make trade-off's between the PG programme options "apparently" (meaning that after a little reading some options are usually unsuitable) available to them. Initial thoughts are that while the taxonomy would work well for navigation the topic pages are often unlikely to meet the information needs. Marketing information plus an "online shopping compare tool" would be more useful. We have already explored the notion of a "way finding" page between the topic/subject and a specific programme (like VI does currently) and this seems worth developing further. We also have a "compare courses" function that could possibly be re-purposed for programmes.

The Guide to Postgraduate Study contains a number of approaches worthy of consideration for inclusion in to our work (despite not featuring on the website at all):

  1. A pathways diagram that shows the various paths from a Batchelor's degree to Master and on to PhD. This could assist our readers understand their options and see which qualifications nicely "nest" in to another, allowing smaller steps of time/money commitment with exit points along the way.
  2. A PG qualifications comparison table, by faculty for all PG qualifications. This could serve as the basis for the summary information for each programme that would allow a reader to quickly identify which of the many options to explore further, and/or as the dimensions for a "compare programmes" function.

This guide appears grounded on an assumption that people know the faculty they want to study in. Even in the undergraduate version the starting point is the programme.If this approach is working for users why are we suggesting a change?

 

 

A few thoughts on how we might approach things:

  1. We need to identify if these groups/types have the same or different needs. Start by asking Charlotte to help identify this, as well as the importance or size of each group.
  2. If we can meet the information needs of those modified by career aspirations without deterring those here for intellectual advancement we will have struck a good balance
  3. Taxonomy can serve as a navigation aid, as well as a secondary funnel to PG qualifications.he t
  4. PG by retention students don't need much selling, as they have decided to "stay on"
  5. We should market to recruited PG students (whether from overseas, other universities, workplace or returning to study) and could do so on the programme page
  6. Both international students and recruited domestic PG students are probably responsive to rankings and accreditation claims.
  7. The two aids from the PG guide can usefully be refined and included