• campus:  a to z index
• map
• directory
• calendar

Search:

New Student Online Orientation

The Challenge

Because an online orientation lacks the high-touch, personable nature of an in-person meeting, the web-based module needed additional features and attractions to make it engaging, while still presenting a sometimes bewildering array of facts and requirements in a straight-forward manner. The new site was intended to:

• Clearly identify topics of discussion that must be covered in a new student orientation
• Track a student's progress through the online modules, while allowing students to exit and return to the modules at their convenience
• Reinforce student understanding of university resources and prerequisite activities
• Provide checklists of activities and essential to-do lists
• Offer a clean, straight-forward design and navigational scheme

The Solution

The site motif consists of nine puzzle pieces, each representing a topic of discussion. As a student progresses through the modules, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and build an image of the University logo, reinforcing the theme of "Getting U Together."

• Fanciful puzzle pieces (each imprinted with a segment of the University logo) were created for the discussion topics: The Triple Combo, University College Advising, Undergraduate Degrees, General Education Requirements, Bachelor Requirements, Selecting Classes, For Transfer Students, Registering for Classes, and Final Checklists.
• A secure, back-end database was employed to maintain a student's name and password and track individual progress through the nine topics.
• The screen design incorporated a "yellow legal pad" to highlight and outline important discussion points. The "yellow pad" was also used to conduct surveys and offer multiple-choice questions at the end of each major topic to check student understanding.
• Final checklists were divided into onscreen reviews and printouts: Campus Survival, Registration Survival, and online Survey Results.
• The puzzle pieces appeared as onscreen, randomly selectable links to each discussion topics. In the end, the puzzle pieces assemble to build the final image of the U logo.

Other Benefits

To register for class and learn to survive on campus, new students must understand and complete dozens of prerequisites and essential activities. The online orientation website offered a step-by-step, topic-by-topic presentation of these elements. Though comprehensive in scope and content, each component of discussion is broken down into both concise narrative and bullet-point lists to facilitate readability and understanding.

Website Details

Client: University of Utah Office of Orientation and New Student Programs
Instructional Designer: Paul E. Burrows
Lead Designer: Ciming Mei
Lead Programmer: Marc Thompson