the role of records in student choice · 2015-03-25 · push.co.uk | @pushtalks | #sroc15 |...

Push.co.uk | @pushtalks | #SROC15 | JohnnyRich.com | @JohnnySRich

Student Record Officers Conference 2015

The role of records

in student choice

Johnny Rich

Chief Executive, Push, & Consultant


JOHNNY RICH


Why do you do what you do?

Financial

control

Quality

enhancement

Supporting

student

choice

Resource

planning

Why?

Quality

assurance

…and other

stuff


How do students decide?

What course

to study?

What career

do I want?

What can I do with

my A levels?

What course has the

best outcomes?

What subject

would I enjoy?

What can I do with my

UCAS tariff score?



Which

university?

Location?

Social composition of

the student body

Academic facilities

Co-curricular

activities

Social life

Costs

Housing

Sporting

opportunities

Religious

facilities

Financial

support

Welfare

provisions

Special needs

Atmosphere

Weather

Security

Contact hoursPaid work

Drop-out rates

Open days

Teachers

Careers advisors

Interviews

Which? Uni

UCAS

Alternative

prospectuses

Uni websites

Prospectuses

Push

Friends

Student union

websites

Parents

Conventions

League tables

Newspapers

Some bloke in

the pub



• No one thinks like that

• Your records do not directly support

student choice

• They wouldn’t be happy

even if they did

• ‘Maximisers’ vs ‘Sufficers’



• Most choices are not ‘rational’

• We don’t ‘think’ a decision is right…

• …we ‘feel’ it is.

• ‘System 1’ vs ‘system 2’ thinking



Left brain:

Feelings

Right brain:

Thoughts

• Information

is used for

post hoc

rationalisation

• Uni choice

is based on

prejudices



Financial

control

Quality

enhancement

Supporting

student

choice

Resource

planning

Why?

Quality

assurance

…and other

stuff

Confusing

student

choice


The information landscape

IT’S A JUNGLE OUT

THERE


The students’ jungle

• Confusing

• The unknown unknowns

• Not what I think I want

to know about

• Hang on, I think I recognise that

• But what about me?


The HEIs’ jungle

• Burdensome

• A necessary evil

• Not what we want them to know about


• But what about us?


The Government’s jungle*

* The English Government

• Accountability

• Marketisation

• Fee justification


• But why aren’t you grateful?



Why?

A BIODIVERSE

ECOSYSTEM


A smörgasbord of info

It’s only too much if you don’t know

which bits you want


A smörgasbord of info

• Some info is useful to everyone

• It’s all useful to someone

• All of it is useful to no one

Students are diverse and so are HEIs


Biodiversity

• A living self-sustaining system

• Variety breeds opportunity

• Opportunity is found in niches

• Diversity supports growth

… the need to differentiate

and be distinctive


Marketing 101

Find your point of difference


Marketing 101

What someone

wants

‘Selling’

is the art

of talking

about this

bit

What you

can offer

Achieving best fit


Best fit

50 shades of

GR EY


Does ‘best fit’ need data?


Brands must mean something

• A meaningful brand must be authentic

• It needs to reflect a reality

• It needs to be reflected by reality.

Diversity needs data.

Diversity needs you.



Left brain:

Feelings

Right brain:

Thoughts

Where do the

thoughts or

feelings start?

Intuition Affirmative

evidence

Evidence

affirms or

challenges

beliefs

New

feelings

The virtuous circle

needs data.

Informed decisions need you.


Who is the information for?

• Who is best served?

• The HEIs

• The students?



Most popular

areas of interest

Not quite

interesting enough

Really not

interesting enough

Just weird

KIS



Most students

Exceptional and

international

students

Part-time,

disabled, BME,

and mature

WP: The disenfranchised



KIS…

• … ignores the information needs of the disenfranchised

• … only tells them what they think they want to know

• … is better than nothing



The most in need

of educational opportunities

are the most in need

of data.

The disenfranchised need you.



NSS

• Satisfaction is not quality

• Enhancement not choice

• Enhancement based on HRH The Customer


Engagement

Education is notsomething that happens to you…

it’s something you do.


Why what you do matters

The role of records in student choice

• You give integrity to brands

• You establish informed feelings

• You inform the disenfranchised


Thanks for listening

Contact me:

1 www.push.co.uk | 1 johnnyrich.com

L @PushTalks | L @JohnnySRich

i JohnnyRich

the role of records in student choice · 2015-03-25 · push.co.uk | @pushtalks | #sroc15 |...

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