There are plenty of things in the life of every college student that makes building a clear degree plan slide onto the back burner. Assignments. Tests. Work. Social lives. Not to mention that many degree planners are boring and confusing, to begin with, along with students’ expectations of being guided… this leaves no incentive for students to take control and build a plan until they need to, often after the damage is already done.
As a campus, it’s important for students to understand how planning their degree pathway sets up their future for success. And that includes more than just a quick review when their registration window rolls around. Providing the right tool for the job is important in any scenario. But especially when it comes to helping students become active participants in planning their future.
Engaging Elements of Degree Planners
Stephen Geerlof of EDUCAUSE cited two aspects of degree planning that need to be more prominent when it comes to degree planners.
“We want to see it from an easily understood path from our first steps on campus to our last steps across the graduation stage.”
The technology needs to support students. And student expectations. As the technology which we carry in our pockets becomes more advanced and personalized, degree planning tools should do the same. Integrating features for data visualization (like charts and progress bars) make degree planning immediately more engaging.
Additionally, creating an intuitive interface utilizing common interactions. Like a drag-and-drop feature to build course model sequences. This gives students the ability to see the relationships and effects course planning has on their academic career.
Best of all, creating a tool that students want to use relieves some pressure on academic advising. If students know what courses they want to take–and that they fit into their degree coursework–then advisors are empowered to take the time and patience to work through core issues with at-risk students.
How DegreeSight Provides Value
Students need to play an active, not passive, role in planning their degree coursework. Understanding the different variables is key to a successful academic career. DegreeSight captures the relationships and impacts of different course plans and is not only visually engaging but empowers students to take charge of their educational success.
Get your students engaged by inviting them to be an active partner in the degree planning process. and increase achievement rates today!
