Why Gamify Onboarding and Induction?

With the growing number of international students at University of Salford, the community began to feel a sense of disconnection as different cultures and backgrounds were mixed together. This led to an increase in social challenges and misconduct cases, as the university had to adapt to a wider range of morals, values, and academic policies international students were more accustomed to. It was a sensitive issue that was both serious but needed a light touch. To address this, Salford turned to gamification through the Brightbirds app to engage and motivate students through the admin and social awkwardness of a new educational experience. The results were impressive, with a 60% decrease in misconduct cases. While University of Salford has only scratched the surface of gamification, they are eager to explore how the Brightbirds app can improve other areas of the student experience. Edumundo's customer success team works closely with clients like Christopher Jones, Student Experience Manager at the University of Salford, Manchester, to ensure that gamification is introduced incrementally and collaboratively for the best results.  

Why do students disappear?

If you ask most students that drop out the answer is, broadly speaking, that they don't feel they fit in, they are bored, disengaged, can not be bothered or do not see the point. High retention rates are crucial for universities to maintain their reputation and attract new students. It sais a lot about your institution. However, it's not always easy to keep students engaged and motivated throughout their academic journey. Many factors can contribute to a student's decision to leave a university, including financial constraints, personal circumstances, and academic challenges. To address these issues, universities need to provide students with a supportive and inclusive environment that fosters their sense of belonging and helps them achieve their goals. By implementing innovative solutions like the Brightbirds app, universities can leverage gamification to enhance student engagement, improve academic performance, and reduce misconduct cases. By doing so, they can create a more vibrant and diverse community that benefits everyone involved.

The research conducted by Merel and Luuk at Hogeschool Utrecth highlights the importance of a sense of community and connection for students. Feeling disconnected from their peers and the university can lead to a lack of motivation and engagement, ultimately resulting in poor academic performance and even dropout rates. However, by involving students in the Brightbirds app gamification project, Utrecht was able to tackle this issue head-on. The decision makers were able to fully commit to the process thanks to the enthusiastic participation of the student body. This critical decision resulted in positive qualitative feedback from the students, who felt more engaged with their academic resources and community as a whole. The app data also showed a significant increase in engagement with university resources, indicating that gamification can be an effective tool for promoting student success and retention.

Social Butterfly

The Social Butterfly badge on the Brightbirds app is a coveted achievement earned by players at Hogeschool Utrecth for completing a specific set of challenges during their gamified onboarding. This is just one example of how the app's challenges can be tailored to each university's unique experience and co-created by stakeholders with boundless imagination. Every implementation of Brightbirds can be as different as the universities themselves. While some modes and challenges can be implemented right out of the box, the app's adaptability ensures that each institution can create a truly personalized experience for their students that also embodies their own unique university 'brand'.

Going into the fourth intake

Chris, the project lead at the University of Salford, is excited about the potential of the Brightbirds app to provide customized experiences for students at different academic levels. He recognizes that undergraduates have different needs than postgraduates and that international students have unique challenges compared to national students. By tailoring the app's challenges to each group, Chris hopes to provide a more personalized and engaging experience for all students.

The success of the onboarding process thus far has shown that gamification can be a powerful tool for enhancing various aspects of university life. From simple tasks like ordering coffee to more complex ones like submitting coursework, the app has proven to be an effective motivator for students. However, Chris is aware that this is uncharted territory and that caution is needed in the scale of rollouts. That's why he's grateful for the partnership with Edumundo, a trusted ally, that works closely with clients to ensure that gamification is introduced incrementally and collaboratively for the best results and trackable progress. Together, they are paving the way for a new forms of student engagement and success.

The onboarding and induction process for students at a university plays a crucial role in setting the tone for their entire academic journey. If students do not feel satisfied with their initial experience, they may choose to leave without any warning signs. However, the implementation of gamification, such as the use of the Brightbirds app, has shown promising results in improving the impact on student experience during preboarding, onboarding, and induction. Not only does gamification enhance student engagement, but it also fosters a sense of community and connection, ultimately leading to higher retention rates and academic success. The tech, the app, provides data that can be used as early warning signs or even support a case at a hearing with the faculty.

The success stories from the University of Salford and Hogeschool Utrecth demonstrate the potential of gamification in higher academic contexts. By embracing innovative solutions like the Brightbirds app, universities can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for their students, resulting in a vibrant and diverse community that benefits everyone involved. As the impact of gamification continues to be explored, it is important for universities to collaborate with trusted allies like Edumundo to ensure a gradual and effective implementation that caters to the unique needs of different student groups.