This document summarizes the development of an app called "The Knights Table" to aid in peer mentorship between upperclassmen and freshmen students at Rutgers University. It discusses problems with current mentorship like time commitments and a lack of guidance for freshmen. Surveys found students want similar academic/social matches and multiple mentors. The proposed app solution would match students based on these criteria and allow messaging. An evaluation plan and prototype test tasks are outlined to test the app's effectiveness, usability, and engagement for mentors and mentees. Limitations like a lack of users and full features are also noted.
3. Background One of the major drawbacks of a
traditional peer mentorship is the time
commitment
A mobile interface with messaging
capabilities would allow for students to
engage in this peer mentorship
relationship relatively easily.
The rise of social networks have shown
that user to user networks, created
through technology, are an effective
way of finding people with similar
interests.
5. ● Lack of information available to freshmen
● Academic stress during a student’s first year
● Too Many Places, but no helpful direction
---------------------------------------------
● For upperclassmen: time commitment, lack of
experience
Problems of our user group
6. Questionnaires & Semi-structured interviews
Mentees
Mentors
● How well have you adjusted to the transition from high school to college in terms of
handling the course load? (Poor, Fair, Average, Good, Excellent)
● If you have questions concerning your major, courses, or long term career goals,
where do you go for more information?
● Do you have friends who are upperclassman? If so, describe how you met them
(through your major, an organization on campus, etc.)
● ....
● Do you know some first year students? If yes, did they ask you questions about
academic/social/mental problems?
● How did you answer their questions? Provide very detailed information or just give a
general idea.
● What communications method do you prefer to use when answering their questions?
(face to face/phone/text)
● ...
7. Peer Mentorship Pairing App: Participant Survey
● 51.3% students didn’t
adjust to the transition
very well.
● 75.7% students didn’t
have a peer mentor in
the past.
● 56.3% students thought
the peer mentorship is
very successful (score
>4) and helpful.
● Only 20% students
chose their mentor by
themselves.
8. Requirement Analysis
(1) match students of similar academic backgrounds.
(2) students of similar social interests are matched.
(3) students have the option to choose one or more student mentors.
(4) students to maintain the relationship with their mentor for however
long they prefer.
Match students of similar academic backgrounds.
Students of similar social interests are matched.
Students have the option to choose one or more student mentors.
Students to maintain the relationship with their mentor for however long
they prefer.
11. Usability Needs
Social dating + Linkedin
❏ Connect with multiple mentors, forming their
own “round table” as they work toward their
degree
❏ Allow Mentor and Mentee Sides to the App
Themes/ Aesthetics
Knight Theme
❏ Knights of The Round Table with a Rutgers Twist
❏ Colors were Kept Earthy and Regal with Royal Reds
12. A Link for the Hi Fi Prototype
https://www.justinmind.com/usernote/tests/22373657/22393053/22713769/index.html
14. Formative
Students were concerned with
time commitments and the
lack of awareness of being a
true Mentor
Question? Are the mentors
spending a reasonable
amount of time with the
students?
This entailed using a concierge
type of evaluation study.
Summative
Mentees were concerned about
getting factual and useful
information that is generally
tough to find.
Question? Is it worth it?
Question? Do people treat each
other differently in the Third
place. Do they offer better
advice?
Methods
15. Goals for Evaluation and
User Tasks for Mentees
❏ Freshmen can find upperclassmen mentors who
have similar academic and social interests
❏ Freshmen can ask upperclassmen mentors
within this pool academic questions
❏ Freshmen can refine and personalize their
choices
❏ Freshmen can save certain mentors to a “Round
Table” or Favorites, and contact them if they
desire
Goals for Evaluation and
User Tasks for Mentors
❏ Upperclassmen can answer questions to a pool of
freshmen mentees who have similar academic and
social interests
❏ Upperclassmen can refine and personalize their
choices
16. ● Effectiveness: What was the
participant’s experience in
completing the task?
● Usability: How easy was it for
the participant to learn the
interactions involved for
completing the task?
● Engagement: How did the
participant feel while
completing on this task?
Measurement Criteria
● Interview Script
○ Introduce the participants to our service and
then let them investigate the app and answer
Questions
● Scaled Tasks To Be Completed
Mentees
○ Fill out your User Profile
○ Pose a question to three mentors
○ Mark a question as answered
Mentors
○ Find Info on your Mentee
○ Answer Questions
○ Complete Follow Up Chats
17. Current Limitations of the System
● No database of Users to populate the Table
● CAS Authentication would prove you are a Rutgers Student
○ Inaccessible at the current moment
● Settings is non existent due to the non necessity for alpha
● Software limits some of the interactability and display
18. Thanks to our peers for
evaluation of our App
and for Nick Belkin for
his Guidance.
