My UW-Madison
Online Survey Report
Winter, 2007

Prepared by Brian Rust
And Elizabeth Curran,
DoIT Communications

Division of Information Technology
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Report Completed: January 30, 2008

 


 

 

Table of Contents

Background and Methodology

Notable findings

Questions Asked of All Audiences

Questions Asked of Students

Questions Asked of Advisors

Questions Asked of Faculty/Instructional Staff

Background and Methodology

DoIT Communications created and implemented a web-based survey on My UW-Madison use and preferences. Samples of 1,200 students, 1,200 staff, 1,200 faculty/instructional staff, and 350 advisors were randomly drawn from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s ISIS and LDAP campus databases. On October 29, 2007 an initial e-mail message invited participation in the online survey. Three follow-up reminder messages were sent in the weeks that followed. Of those contacted, 176 students, 197 faculty/instructional staff, 272 staff, and 61 advisors completed the survey, yielding the following response rates: 15% for students, 16% for faculty/ instructional staff, 23% for staff, and 17% for advisors.

All audiences received the same general questions. Several questions were unique to each audience. Students completing the survey were fairly evenly distributed among class standings.

 

Notable findings

All four audiences

82% of Staff and 57% of Faculty would like access to Wi. Retirement System info in My UW.

34% of Faculty and 36% of Students would like to be able to minimize module sizes.

Of all the words used to describe My UW, the most popular was “Useful” (9-18%). Other answers ranged from “OK” to “Convenient” to “Clumsy.”

Most respondents (39-52%) said they know they can customize content, but choose not to.

Most prefer to learn about My UW via email, news on login page, or “just see it and start using it.”

Students are far more satisfied with My UW performance than any other audience.

Two-thirds of all users consider themselves “Intermediate” level computer users. More students said they were “Novice” users (11%) than any other audience.

Only 10-15% use the My Page tab. 15-23% said they “don’t know.”

Students

30% want tuition/billing/financial info shared with their parent/designee.

22% want class schedule shared.

16% said they want navigation buttons in Student Center; 16% think it’s fine as is.

90% don’t know what My Demo is.

Advisors

46% want the DARS report link to go directly to the DARS page.

46% said they don’t use the Advising Resources links because the content is not useful to them.

Faculty

25% say various aspects of the class rosters are cumbersome.

72% say they do not use Faculty Center because they are not aware of it.

92% report using Class Roster

79% use Grades

73% use ‘Email Classlist’

56% use the Timetable

36% access Library Reserves

 

Staff

No unique questions. Their responses are included in the “all four” noted above.

 

The following is the complete report of results to all questions, by audience.
Questions Asked of All Audiences

1. Which of the following general resources do you use regularly in My UW?

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

WiscMail

32%

56%

69%

91%

Timetable

5%

66%

19%

67%

Libraries

12%

57%

28%

41%

Help Desk for Campus IT

68%

14%

13%

4%

Campus News & Events

25%

24%

27%

20%

Weather

68%

7%

6%

14%

My WebSpace

0%

31%

34%

27%

WiscCal

16%

18%

30%

5%

Lost & Found

45%

1%

0%

1%

 

2a. How would you rate My UW ease of use for organization/navigation?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Neutral

58%

37%

40%

30%

Easy

16%

34%

46%

51%

Difficult

22%

20%

7%

9%

Very Easy

2%

6%

17%

9%

Very Difficult

2%

3%

1%

1%

 

2b. How would you rate My UW ease of use for finding what you need?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Easy

37%

32%

38%

46%

Neutral

36%

36%

40%

30%

Difficult

25%

23%

14%

15%

Very Easy

0%

6%

7%

8%

Very Difficult

2%

3%

0%

2%

 

2c. How would you rate My UW ease of use for ability to customize?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Neutral

42%

54%

62%

30%

Easy

38%

20%

25%

51%

Difficult

13%

16%

8%

9%

Very Easy

5%

5%

3%

9%

Very Difficult

2%

4%

3%

1%

 

3. How often do you use My UW?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Daily

43%

34%

36%

57%

Weekly

31%

30%

27%

15%

Only as needed

11%

21%

25%

12%

Hourly

13%

9%

3%

11%

Monthly

2%

5%

8%

4%

 

4.      Have you customized content (add, move, remove) in your My UW layout?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

No, but I knew I could

43%

47%

52%

39%

Yes

15%

37%

30%

43%

No, but I didn't know I could

42%

16%

19%

18%

 

5. What else would you like to view or do in My UW?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Content related to your program of study

 N/A

 N/A

 N/A

80%

Wisconsin Retirement Statement

57%

 

82%

 N/A

Travel/Expense report

57%

 

49%

 N/A

Content related to your other areas of interest

 N/A

 N/A

 N/A

34%

Ability to minimize modules

27%

34%

19%

36%

Ability to rearrange tabs

33%

28%

22%

29%

RSS feeds pertinent to your academic interests

 N/A

 N/A

 N/A

26%

Additional non-campus news/RSS feeds

14%

9%

14%

26%

Additional campus news/RSS feeds

10%

9%

19%

22%

Other

 

 

9%

 

Choose first tab

 

3%

 

 

 

5.      Do you use the My Page tab?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

No

73%

73%

70%

68%

I Don't Know

16%

16%

15%

23%

Yes

11%

11%

15%

10%

 

 

6. How would you improve My Page?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

I don't know

 

24%

30%

41%

I don't use it

29%

 

 

23%

Make it the first tab

 

24%

 

 

I didn't know it existed

 

 

9%

 

It doesn't need improving

 

 

 

8%

 

7. Which of the following employee resources do you use regularly in My UW?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Employee earnings statement

98%

96%

99%

 N/A

Benefits statement

38%

43%

44%

 N/A

Tax statement

24%

39%

35%

 N/A

 

8. Which of the following service resources have you used in My UW?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

None of the above

 N/A

93%

 

 N/A

Financial Information Resources

 N/A

5%

55%

 N/A

Requisition and Number Generator

 N/A

2%

54%

 N/A

DoIT Departmental Consolidated Billing Invoice

 N/A

2%

48%

 N/A

 

9. What one word describes My UW for you?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Useful

11%

12%

9%

18%

OK

9%

 

6%

 

Convenient

 

5%

8%

7%

Clumsy

6%

 

 

 

Handy

6%

 

 

 

Helpful

6%

4%

 

 

Necessary

 

 

4%

4%

Good

 

 

4%

 

Slow

 

3%

 

 

Email

 

 

 

3%

Resource

 

 

3%

 

 

10.  What, if anything, would you change about My UW?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Too much stuff, only show core work functions

14%

 

 

 

The faculty center is difficult to navigate

14%

 

 

 

Nothing

 

5%

19%

 

Make log in last longer/Single log in

19%

7%

2%

 

Student Center is difficult to navigate

 

 

 

9%

Make faster

 

8%

 

 

Appearance too cluttered

 

12%

4%

5%

Make interface more intuitive

 

7%

 

 

Make it less cumbersome

 

5%

 

 

Training on My UW features

 

 

5%

 

Hard to find things, searches don't work well

 

 

 

5%

Integrate Learn@UW and My UW.

 

5%

 

4%

Ability to change font/color/wallpaper

 

 

 

4%

Make Student Center a tab in My UW

 

 

 

4%

WiscMail interface is slow and clunky

 

 

3%

 

More/better customization

 

 

3%

 

Too much clicking, allow me to choose the first page I see

 

 

2%

 

 

11.  How do you learn about new My UW features?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Just see it & start using it

82%

77%

59%

79%

Email

18%

11%

33%

28%

A friend/classmate

 

 

 

19%

News on the login page

14%

14%

15%

13%

A coworker

4%

16%

18%

 

Dept IT support person

7%

9%

7%

 

An instructor

 

 

 

5%

Other

2%

4%

5%

3%

 

12.  How would you like to learn about new My UW features?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Email

35%

36%

58%

55%

Just see it & start using it

35%

45%

27%

50%

News on the login page

35%

29%

39%

38%

Dept IT support person

22%

27%

14%

 

A friend/classmate

 

 

 

15%

An instructor

 

 

 

10%

Other

8%

4%

5%

1%

A coworker

0%

9%

3%

 

 

13a. How would you rate My UW satisfaction for look and feel?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Satisfied

51%

40%

48%

48%

Neutral

32%

37%

37%

30%

Dissatisfied

10%

15%

7%

9%

Very Satisfied

3%

6%

7%

11%

Very Dissatisfied

3%

2%

1%

2%

 

13b. How would you rate My UW satisfaction for performance?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Satisfied

49%

42%

52%

52%

Neutral

29%

36%

35%

45%

Very Satisfied

10%

8%

7%

11%

Dissatisfied

8%

11%

5%

7%

Very Dissatisfied

3%

3%

1%

4%

 

13c. How would you rate My UW satisfaction overall?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Satisfied

52%

42%

53%

56%

Neutral

34%

37%

35%

28%

Very Satisfied

5%

8%

6%

9%

Dissatisfied

5%

11%

4%

5%

Very Dissatisfied

3%

2%

2%

2%

 

14.  What is your preferred web portal?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Google

32%

47%

53%

54%

I don't have one

30%

22%

21%

13%

My UW

23%

13%

11%

14%

Yahoo

4%

6%

11%

9%

MSN

5%

3%

5%

4%

Firefox

4%

 

 

 

 

15.  How would you describe your computing expertise?

 

Response

Advisor

Faculty

Staff

Student

Intermediate

63%

61%

63%

66%

Power User

28%

31%

24%

22%

Novice

7%

6%

7%

11%

Other

2%

2%

6%

1%

 


 

Questions Asked of Students

 

1.      The campus is considering a project that would allow students to grant parents (or other designees) access to information in the Student Center . What Student Center information would you make available to your parents or other designees?

 

Response

Students

None

33%

Tuition/Billing/Financial Info

30%

Class Schedule

22%

Grades

14%

Everything

10%

Addresses/Contact Info

5%

 

2.      What comments do you have about the Student Center in general or any of the modules within the Student Center , such as Add a Class, Grades & Courses, Tuition Account Summary/Make a Payment, View Financial Aid, or Residency for Tuition?

 

Response

Students

Needs navigation buttons, like back and home

16%

I like it, it's fine, it's easy, etc.

16%

New timetable is bad, searching and adding classes poorly designed

14%

Too slow

6%

None

5%

Too many windows to open, make it a tab in My UW

3%

 

 

3. Why have you not used My Demo?

 

Response

Students

I do not know what it is

90%

I don't need it

8%

I don't have time

1%

I prefer a setup in which I can figure things out on my own

1%

 

 

Questions Asked of Advisors

 

1.      Please enter any suggestions or comments you have about the Advisor services in My UW:

 

Response

Advisors

DARS report (not link to the DARS page)

46%

I have not found it useful.

15%

Contact information provided by students not accurate

15%

 

 

2.      What other features and info would you like to see added to the Advisor view?

 

Response

Advisors

Not sure

27%

DARS report (not link to the DARS page)

20%

Student ID number

13%

Some way to report and if correct errors in my list of advisees

13%

 

3.      Why did you not use either the Academic Advisors List of Advisees module or the Advisee Lookup module?

 

Response

Advisors

No useful content for me

42%

I am no longer an academic advisor

16%

Advisee list not accurate

11%

I don't do a lot of advising

11%

Not aware of it

5%

 

4.      Why did you not use the Advising Resources module?

 

Response

Advisors

No useful content for me

46%

Not aware of it

15%

I am not an academic advisor

12%

I do not have the time to use it

8%

I know where to find my resources

8%

 


Questions Asked of Faculty/Instructional Staff

 

1.      Please enter any comments about the Faculty Center (problems, suggestions, etc.)

 

Response

Faculty

Class Rosters Cumbersome  (Printing, exporting to Excel, uploading grades)

25%

navigation is cumbersome; it is not easy to move back and forth between different classes

17%

Too slow

6%

Integrate Faculty & Student center

5%

Icons are cryptic

5%

 

 

2. What are the reasons you did not use the Faculty Center module?

 

Response

Faculty

Not aware of it

72%

No useful content for me

16%

Other

12%

 

3. Which of the following instructor resources do you use regularly in My UW?

 

Response

Faculty

Class Roster

92%

Grades

79%

Obtain an Email Classlist

73%

Access the Timetable

56%

Access Library Reserves

36%

Teaching Resources

24%