Project OverView

Navigating through college and understanding its complexities can be challenging, and obtaining good advice should not add to the difficulty. We developed a solution to address a long-standing problem faced by college students, especially those at DePaul University. We enhanced the advising page with data visualization to help students easily visualize their academic progress. Additionally, we created an Artificial Intelligence Advisor designed to offer helpful and supportive guidance. This makes academic advising accessible to students anytime and anywhere, thereby simplifying the college experience.

Research

In our research plan, we introduced the stakeholders and explained the rationale behind embedding AI into the current system. We defined the problem statement and research goals, and identified the number and types of participants required for the study. We also specified the research methods we would use, including ‘interviews and observations,’ ‘data collection,’ and ‘data analysis.’

Participants

For Interview:
9 DePaul CDM students and alumni

3 DePaul CDM academic advisors

1 academic office worker

For Surveys:
4 DePaul CDM participants 

Data Points Needed

Journey Map: Adding Classes for a Quarter

Data Points Collected

Where we find out their pain points:

1. Students find it difficult to get into contact with their advisors or get useful information from them.
2. Students are not always sure what to take for next quarter.
3. Because of poor classes’ descriptions, students are not sure if the classes align with their academic or career’ goals.

Problems

Problem #1

The DePaul Central progress report page is heavily text-based, making it more challenging to read and understand

Problem #2

Graduate students at DePaul often face challenges in communicating with their academic advisors, who are also their professors. This difficulty is compounded by both parties’ busy schedules.

Students struggle with the lack of clear and accessible information about class options and availability. Although they depend on their advisors to help navigate these issues, arranging meetings and establishing a good rapport with advisors can be challenging due to time constraints.

These situations make it hard for students to make informed decisions about their academic progress.

Solution

For Problem #1

Add data visualization to reduce cognitive load and improve data comprehension.

For Problem #2

Integrate an AI advisor into the existing school system, DePaul Central. This will enable students to easily access information anytime, anywhere.

* Provide class suggestions based on the career interests of similar students.

* Offer clear and detailed class descriptions.

* Include user reviews about classes.

* Suggest classes, informing users of the best times to take them based on the quarter they’re in, class availability, and other relevant factors.

Updates: Progress Report Page

Before-Step #2

Areas We Updated

After clicking the ‘Degree Progress’ button, users will be directed to the Degree Progress Dashboard. Here, they can view their required hours, completed hours, and remaining hours. Users can also access visuals representing the breakdown of their classes and navigate to their class scheduling.

In the lower right corner, we have also embedded an AI academic advising chatbot to assist students in getting the advising help they need without waiting. This Chatbot can also aid in scheduling appointments with their advisors for more complex advising questions. 

New Feature#1: AI Academic Advisor

How does it Work?

It can be used to answer basic questions like “how many credits do I need to graduate?”

When it cannot provide an answer, the system will apologize, give the student their academic advisor’s name and email, and suggest contacting them

New Feature#2: Class Survey

What does it do?

The class survey enables students to share their feedback on the previous quarter and express their interests for the next quarter, assisting with the recommendation model.

New Feature#3: Class Pairings

What does it do?

When a student clicks on the details page of a class, they will see the class pairings. This feature enables students to view classes that can be taken in conjunction with the selected class (e.g., a research class paired with a visual design class).

Prototype Concept Flow Presentation

Hi-Fi Prototype

Hi-Fi Prototype Walkthrough Route #1

View Program Progress, Review Taken Classes, Choose and Register for Next Quarter’s Classes

Hi-Fi Prototype Walkthrough Route #2

Use the AI Adviser Chatbot to help navigate the advising experience

Project Conclusion

By integrating data visualization and an AI advisor into the existing DePaul Central system, we anticipate a significant reduction in advising time for basic class information for both students and professors at DePaul Graduate School. This system will allow students to easily access information anytime and from anywhere, while enabling professors to concentrate on teaching and providing guidance on more complex issues, such as class-related problems and future career planning. Additionally, both students and professors at DePaul will benefit from the enhanced features of the AI advisor, fostering stronger connections between them. 

Key Takeaways

Resource constraints limited our ability to conduct extensive usability testing. We learned the importance of advocating for adequate resources early in the project.