Using a virtual community platform to support the academic journey of students across disciplines in a peer to peer and collaborative format

About this initiative

Overview

This Learning Enhancement project has been funded through SATLE (Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement) with the support of the National Forum / HEA.

Background

To enhance the sense of belonging across the GSB student population and provide opportunities for students to interact with one another whether they are distance learners or full-time students or studying on different programmes. Supporting the increased diversity of our student cohorts by offering an alternative method of communication through a Digital Community Platform (DCP) and leveraging AI to reduce moderator workload.

Goals

Enhance Student Engagement:

• Foster increased interaction and communication among students, beyond academic modules and programmes.
• Create an inclusive online community.
• Encourage peer-to-peer support.

Improve Communication and Collaboration:

• Provide a central hub for sharing information, resources, and announcements.
• Reduce reliance on email for routine inquiries and information dissemination.

Enhance Student Success:

• Foster a stronger sense of community and belonging among students.

Improve Staff Efficiency:

• Streamline the sharing of information and resources with students.
• Easily view analytics on resources such as “student views”, providing staff with valuable insights into student engagement and feedback.

Modernise Communication Strategies:

• Establish a more consistent and efficient approach to communication within the college.
• Leverage AI technology to enhance communication and collaboration.
• Students could engage with resources by commenting on them or reacting to them.

By achieving these aims and objectives, the project sought to create a more modern, connected and engaged learning experience for GSB students. The DCP would be a unique online space that empowers students to share their interests, knowledge and questions with the entire School community on topics of their choice in a safe and supported environment. In contrast with UCD’s Learning Management System (LMS), the DCP offered a much-needed “borderless” space for staff and students to connect.

Approach

Co-creation and student-driven content:

All students within the GSB could actively participate in creating and sharing resources, asking a question, and/or commenting/reacting to other posts. The platform encouraged student-generated content, such as discussions, questions, and resource sharing, fostering a sense of ownership and community.

Student Feedback:

The project conducted yearly surveys and created online discussions to gather student feedback on their experiences with the platform.

Supporting Student Success through Student Leadership:

Each year approx. 30 students were selected and trained as “Digital Community Ambassadors.” These students played a crucial role in leading and shaping online discussions within the platform. They also shared feedback to the project on their own experiences.

Accessible:

The platform was designed with a user-friendly interface that was intuitive and easy for students to navigate. It was also very accessible with Learning technology integration (LTI) enabled within the LMS and a website that had single sign-on enabled so students could log in with their UCD credentials.

More generally, the platform facilitated peer-to-peer support and collaboration among students, allowing them to connect with each other, share insights, and provide assistance.

The platform also provided students with easy access to a wealth of resources, including academic materials, career information, and support services. 

Results

Deliverables:

• Development and Launch of a digital community: The development and launch of the InScribeApp platform for GSB.
• Integration with existing systems: Seamless integration of InScribeApp with the University’s existing Learning Management System (Brightspace).
• Enabling AI Moderation Tool (ROSI): The implementation of the AI moderation tool (ROSI) to assist in monitoring and moderating online discussions.
• Training: Delivery of training and support resources to students and staff on how to effectively use the InScribeApp platform.

Outcomes:

Increased Student Engagement:

• 34,400 views within InScribeApp with an average of 294 active users per month.
• Student participation in online discussions, increased interaction between students.

Improved Communication:

• Reduced reliance on email for routine inquiries, and improved access to information for students.

Enhanced Student Success:

• Student feedback indicated that the platform provided helpful study tips and improved access to resources.

Improved Staff Efficiency:

• Reduction in staff workload due to the AI moderation tool (ROSI) and the decrease in email inquiries by providing resources centrally.

Impacts:

• Increased student engagement and interaction within the first year of implementation.
• Fostering a more connected and engaged school community.
• Innovative and student-centred communications.

Potential longer-term impacts:

• Establishing a valuable communication channel for current students and alumni engagement.
• Potential to reduce the university’s environmental impact by minimizing paper-based communication.
• Reduction in staff workload due to the AI moderation tool (ROSI) and the decrease in email inquiries by provided resources centrally.
• Increased student efficiency- the ability for students to find information centrally and ask questions surrounding these resources.
• Increased staff efficiency and productivity, allowing staff to focus on more strategic tasks and provide better support to students.

Resources

• Platform website- https://www.inscribeapp.com/
• Project information – audrey.dempsey@ucd.ie

 

Source: UCD Teaching & Learning showcase.

Project details

PROJECT TITLE:	Using a virtual community platform to support the academic journey of students across disciplines in a peer to peer and collaborative format
PROJECT COORDINATOR:	Ms Audrey Dempsey, Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business
COLLABORATORS:	Ms Elanor McDonald and Mr Ger Dooley
TARGET AUDIENCE:	Students