Knights TableExploring A Solution to Aid in First Year Preparedness

By Nikita Abraham, Fang Fang, Cheryl Litwinczuk and Joshua Rochotte

Outline

Background

Why we want to solve it Evaluation method

Understanding users

Our solution

Background One of the major drawbacks of a traditional peer mentorship is the time commitment

A mobile interface with messaging capabilities would allow for students to engage in this peer mentorship relationship relatively easily.

The rise of social networks have shown that user to user networks, created through technology, are an effective way of finding people with similar interests.

Understanding Our Users

● Lack of information available to freshmen

● Academic stress during a student’s first year

● Too Many Places, but no helpful direction ---------------------------------------------● For upperclassmen: time commitment, lack

of experience

Problems of our user group

Questionnaires & Semi-structured interviews

Mentees

Mentors

● How well have you adjusted to the transition from high school to college in terms of handling the course load? (Poor, Fair, Average, Good, Excellent)

● If you have questions concerning your major, courses, or long term career goals, where do you go for more information?

● Do you have friends who are upperclassman? If so, describe how you met them (through your major, an organization on campus, etc.)

● ....

● Do you know some first year students? If yes, did they ask you questions about academic/social/mental problems?

● How did you answer their questions? Provide very detailed information or just give a general idea.

● What communications method do you prefer to use when answering their questions? (face to face/phone/text)

● ...

Peer Mentorship Pairing App: Participant Survey ● 51.3% students

didn’t adjust to the transition very well.

● 75.7% students didn’t have a peer mentor in the past.

● 56.3% students thought the peer mentorship is very successful (score >4) and helpful.

● Only 20% students chose their mentor by themselves.

Requirement Analysis(1) match students of similar academic backgrounds.

(2) students of similar social interests are matched.

(3) students have the option to choose one or more student mentors.

(4) students to maintain the relationship with their mentor for however long they prefer.

Match students of similar academic backgrounds.

Students of similar social interests are matched.

Students have the option to choose one or more student mentors.

Students to maintain the relationship with their mentor for however long they prefer.

Our SolutionIntroducing

The Knights Table

Conceptual Development

Usability Needs

Social dating + Linkedin

❏ Connect with multiple mentors, forming their own “round table” as they work toward their degree

❏ Allow Mentor and Mentee Sides to the App

Themes/ Aesthetics

Knight Theme❏ Knights of The Round Table with a Rutgers

Twist

❏ Colors were Kept Earthy and Regal with Royal Reds

A Link for the Hi Fi Prototypehttps://www.justinmind.com/usernote/tests/22373657/22393053/22713769/index.html

Evaluation Methods

Formative

Students were concerned with time commitments and the lack of awareness of being a true Mentor

Question? Are the mentors spending a reasonable amount of time with the students?

This entailed using a concierge type of evaluation study.

Summative

Mentees were concerned about getting factual and useful information that is generally tough to find.

Question? Is it worth it?

Question? Do people treat each other differently in the Third place. Do they offer better advice?

Methods

Goals for Evaluation and User Tasks for Mentees❏ Freshmen can find upperclassmen mentors

who have similar academic and social interests

❏ Freshmen can ask upperclassmen mentors within this pool academic questions

❏ Freshmen can refine and personalize their choices

❏ Freshmen can save certain mentors to a “Round Table” or Favorites, and contact them if they desire

Goals for Evaluation and User Tasks for Mentors❏ Upperclassmen can answer questions to a pool

of freshmen mentees who have similar academic and social interests

❏ Upperclassmen can refine and personalize their choices

●Effectiveness: What was the participant’s experience in completing the task?

●Usability: How easy was it for the participant to learn the interactions involved for completing the task?

●Engagement: How did the participant feel while completing on this task?

Measurement Criteria● Interview Script

○ Introduce the participants to our service and then let them investigate the app and answer Questions

●Scaled Tasks To Be CompletedMentees

○ Fill out your User Profile ○ Pose a question to three mentors○ Mark a question as answered

Mentors○ Find Info on your Mentee○ Answer Questions○ Complete Follow Up Chats

Current Limitations of the System● No database of Users to populate the Table● CAS Authentication would prove you are a Rutgers Student

○ Inaccessible at the current moment● Settings is non existent due to the non necessity for alpha● Software limits some of the interactability and display

Thanks to our peers for evaluation of our App and for Nick Belkin for his Guidance.