As Southwest Wisconsin Technical College went through the COVID Pandemic, the school responded with not just a laptop program, but a technology support system built around each student having a good device (laptop), the computer programs they needed for work in their academic program, and the technical support even non-technical students needed to strive.
When the laptop/technology support program dubbed Charger Tech 360 (CT360) was being hastily put together, all information was simply placed on three pages, a main page where the program was explained, an FAQ page, and a support page with contact information. This information kept changing, sometimes weekly, which made keeping the information accurate difficult, and communication challenging.
This was a bit of a moving target as supply chain issues and financial support as to who would have access to this program changed throughout the process, but after the first two years things settled into a fairly stable process headed by the Information Technology Services team on campus and supported with good communication from Student Services and Marketing. Still needed was a place where students and staff could find accurate information about the program, support provided, and relevant dates.
After those first two years we knew changes had to be made.
Rather than thinking about all students being lumped together in this program and sending the same information to everyone, it made more sense to look at the different stages students were in, develop information for students within those stages, and then create web-pages for the information and send each group information specific to their place within the program. Several different user groups were identified based on if they were new/returning students, those already in the program, and those exiting due to completing their academic program or leaving school. Further differentiation was needed for those attending school in person (in the geographical area) or remotely (those mainly outside our geographical district). There were also nuances within these groups of individuals which sometimes required additional communication.
Groups Identified
It took a bit of discussion with those handling the communication, and those tasked with supporting the program, but in the end the following outline of user groups was identified:
- Start Now – Students entering the program
- New On-Campus Students – Students able to come in and pick up their device (typically at orientation or the first couple weeks of classes)
- New Online Students – Remote students who need their device shipped to them
- Continuing Students – Those who have not yet claimed their device
- Returning Equipment
- Returning In Person – Students able to return their equipment at Southwest Tech
- Returning By Mail – Remote students unable to come to campus
- Keeping Your Laptop After Graduation – Those able to purchase the laptop after successful completion of their academic program
- Get Assistance – Students who may have technical issues
More Intuitive Information Architecture Implemented
Navigation and pages were built around the outline above with the intention of a user being able to self identify the information relevant to their current situation and quickly get to the resources they need.
On the main CT360 page, the introduction was rewritten to a less technical standard for better readability and the main four areas of students using the program were identified and given simple explanations with obvious links for better user path identification.
On subsequent pages, again the information was kept scannable and at a readable reading level with waypoint headings for major areas of information, though concise verbiage was maintained. Subsequent user groups were called out and upcoming dates were included for easy identification and ease of use.
For the most specific informational pages, details were listed and the main Call To Action for what the student needed to do was made obviously identifiable. In addition, specific academic term related information was given so specifics could be conveyed accurately.
In giving accurate, well differentiated information on the site, ITS should receive less phone call and drop-in inquiries relevant to the information provided. Further, supporting links in email/text communication to students would take them to specific information for the group being communicated with, avoiding reading through irrelevant text and causing unneeded frustration.
As an additional supportive enhancement, clear contact call to actions for the three most frequently asked questions about eligibility, fees, and assistance were provided on every page. These were supplied to assist in students contacting the correct staff that could assist them with the relevant information rather than all questions going to the CT360 team and then being transferred to another area of the school.
The Charger Tech 360 information has been presented publicly on the main website since the Fall of 2022 providing students and staff with accurate information regarding the program.