Course selection ran more smoothly and reliably this year, due to improvements made to technology, processes and cross-School coordination.
Teams in Academic Registrar’s Division (ARD) and Data & Technology Services (DTS) worked closely together over several months to address the issues experienced during the previous course selection period, plus identify and implement changes that would improve the process for staff and students.
The number of technical issues halved compared with last year, and DTS were able to address issues as they were raised.
The issues identified last year provided the starting point for a programme of continuity work, helping teams prioritise improvements according to their likely impact on staff and students. This was supported and informed by feedback provided by departments.
The subsequent work resulted in a significantly smoother process for staff and students this year.
Behind the scene of a smooth course selection
Changes implemented included clearer information about timetable clashes, live course enrolment figures for departments, and more flexibility for departments managing places on capped and full undergraduate courses.
Ali Lindsley, Director of Technology Enablement in Data & Technology Services, explained that technical changes also helped to improve stability this year. For example, moving course selection to a cloud-based platform, which made it much easier for teams to identify problems as they occurred. The team also used the existing queuing system more effectively to keep the platform stable during periods of peak demand.
A cross-School control room was set up for the days course selection opened, bringing together colleagues from DTS, TQARO, Student Services (SSC), Timetabling, Data and Development, and Communications. This closer working helped teams identify and respond to issues more quickly.
A better experience for staff and students
Staff felt the benefit of the hard work behind the scenes, with Dr Saipriya Kamath, Associate Professor (Education) and BSc Programme Director in the Department of Accounting, noting a clear difference this year.
"Implementing the waitlist while awaiting Academic Mentor and Department Tutor approvals worked very well and reduced the stress of students. And the system didn't crash as a result of these changes."
Lindsley stressed that the progress made this year reflects the sustained effort of the teams involved and will continue.
"This year’s results reflect several years of work to create a better experience. We’ll keep building on these foundations and working collaboratively so that we are in an even stronger position next September."
This year’s smoother experience marks important progress, but the work to improve course selection and timetabling will continue as the School develops a longer-term solution for course selection through the Academic Model Project.
Martyn Annis, Head of ARD Business Change, said:
"Stabilising the existing course selection system has been achieved, via a great partnership between ARD and DTS. We’ve even made improvements to make everyone’s lives easier. But fully replacing these old systems is the goal, and in doing so offering a fairer and faster course selection service to students."
The Education and Student Experience (ESE) Strategy’s Academic Model Project is taking forward implementation of the Academic Board-approved Credit Frameworks and a wider set of Programme Design and Delivery Principles that together will lay the educational groundwork for introducing new systems for Course Selection and Timetabling in the coming years.