Rotterdam Academy Business Link (RAC): Enhancing the Student Experience
Rotterdam Academy originated from a collaboration between Hogeschool Rotterdam, Albeda, and Zadkine. This partnership has been established to facilitate a seamless transition from secondary vocational education (MBO) to higher education (HBO). They offer Associate degree programs that embody a personalized and hands-on approach to higher education. Their aim is to provide students with a practical and tailored educational experience that prepares them for the next steps in their academic and professional journey.
Rotterdam Academy Business Link (RAC)
Case
RAC is dedicated to providing students with an exceptional educational experience. They recognized the significance of understanding the student journey and experience. As part of their commitment to providing a good customer experience, RAC (division ad Ondernemen) engaged CX Unraveled to find out where in the journey most improvement was needed for their students.
Approach
To ensure optimal student involvement and getting relevant insights on current painpoints, CX Unraveled embarked on a project to map and improve the customer journey, as perceived by the students. The project encompassed the following key components:
Direct Student Involvement
CX Unraveled involved students directly in mapping their own journey. Students provided insights into their experiences, offering valuable feedback on the value points and pain points as perceived by them.
Journey Mapping
The student input was leveraged to map the student journey, highlighting the main steps, needs and experiences, leading to areas where improvements could be made; the teachers could observe and listen to the students while mapping the journey and getting relevant first hand insights
Ideation Session
Students were once again actively engaged in an ideation session. In this collaborative setting, they provided creative solutions to enhance their experience. These ideas stemmed from their own experiences and preferences, making them highly relevant and actionable.
Rotterdam Academy Business Link (RAC)
Results
Through this process, RAC gained a deep understanding of the student journey and experiences while fostering a sense of co-creation and collaboration. The insights and solutions provided by the students were used to improve the educational experience at RAC. The approach of involving students directly in the journey mapping and ideation process allowed RAC to create a more student-centric and responsive educational environment. It reinforced RAC's commitment to providing a top-notch educational experience, driven by the feedback and insights of the students who are at the heart of the institution.
Understanding the customer journey is key to improvement of our educational service. Peter and Tirza helped us during a pressure cooking session to understand our pitfalls and gave directions to improve our student experience. This was an important step in improving our Associate Degree Entrepreneurship!
— Gerard-Pieter de Haas, Lecturer & chair curriculum committee