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Penn State's Interactive Advising System: Exceeding Expectations Through the Web

Learn about Penn State's web-based advising system that allows students to participate in informed educational planning, faculty to deliver active learning, advisers to provide exemplary service, staff to operate effectively and efficiently, and alumni to maintain a life-long relationship.

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Penn State's Interactive Advising System: Exceeding Expectations Through the Web

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  1. Penn State’s Interactive Advising System:Exceeding Expectations Through the Web CUMREC 2001 Phoenix, Arizona

  2. Today’s Presentation • The development philosophy and background • Demonstration of services • Development Challenges

  3. Vision Statement The Web will provide the ability for: • Students to participate in informed educational planning. • Faculty to deliver active learning. • Advisers to provide exemplary service. • Staff to operate effectively and efficiently. • Alumni to maintain a life-long relationship.

  4. Collaboration – the Key to Success • Executive level sponsorship • Senior level governance team • Expert content specialists • Standards based, collaborative application development

  5. Institutional Complexity • Expanded facilities, services, programs • Manage enrollment growth • Complexity of degree requirements • Complex academic policies • Student responsibility in their own decisions

  6. Student Characteristics • Unrealistic expectations - grades, study hours, study skills • Uncertainty concerning choice of major • Non-traditional students • Academics, not administrative details • Students as consumers – expect timely, complete, consistent, accurate information

  7. Faculty Characteristics • Unable to stay current with policies, procedures, requirements • Perception that advising includes much “red tape” • Minimal training and resources • Minimalrecognition for advising activities

  8. Development Timetable • Vision - May 1994 • Prototype - November 1996 • “Quiet Phase” - March 1997 • Production Release 1 - August 1997 • Subsequent production releases approximately every 6 months

  9. R E A S O N S O U T C O M E S T I M I N G Expert System Approach ALTERNATIVES

  10. Required Outcomes • Reliability – available, repeatable, dependable • Consistent – fair, unbiased, “best of class” • Accurate – clearly communicated • Scalable – economical to grow and expand • Not bounded by time or place

  11. Demonstration On the web at eLion.psu.edu

  12. Development Challenges • Staffing Issues • Technical Issues • Design and Implementation Issues

  13. Staffing Issues • Shortage of IT professionals • Retaining qualified IT staff • Learning new tools and the Smalltalk language • Lack of Smalltalk mentors

  14. Technical Issues • Scalability • Stability and Reliability • Availability • Accessibility • Security • Monitoring and Diagnostic Tools

  15. Design and Implementation Issues • Change of focus - staff-oriented to customer-oriented • Presentation standards • Formal procedures

  16. Questions?J. James Wager, jjw1@psu.eduDavid W. Thompson, dwt5@psu.eduCarol S. Findley, csf3@psu.edu

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