University of Nantes
Presentation of the course offerings at the heart of the digital university
Who are they?
For more than 50 years, the University of Nantes has provided education at the highest level. Its campus is a crossroads of knowledge. A university is interdisciplinary by its very nature.
« Studying in Nantes gives you the ability to choose complete educational curricula in all disciplines and to be free to choose between a long or shorter educational path. »
Bruno BELLET Manager of Course Offerings and Educational Counselling Promotion
Each year, the University welcomes 38,000 students, distributed amongst 20 faculties and schools and its 44 laboratories.
Stated needs
The core of the University of Nantes’ digital strategy, the presentation of its course catalogue is a major challenge. This is why the University sought an innovative digital tool for presenting its courses, responding to several strategic issues: the promotion of its brand image, the visibility of its offer and the conversion of leads.
« We have been working together for over 15 years. When Kosmos proposed to co-design the new course offerings extension, we accepted right away » Marc PÉRON Director of Communications
Moreover, following the implementation of progressive specialisation, the key measure of the Law of July 22, 2013, the University wished to offer students, a digital system allowing them to build their individual curriculum and to help them understand the possible gateways within the academic programmes.
The project
With Kosmos Solutioning, its tailored solution, in collaboration with the University of Nantes, the Institut Catholique de Paris and the Université Catholique de Lyon, Kosmos designed an innovative solution for presenting the course offerings, providing easy browsing through it for students and future students.
- The first area is dedicated to the key information about the programme: differentiating elements, how the course progresses, specific partnerships with particular external structures.
- Each section of the file is presented as a summary. Buttons allowing the different topics of each programme to be displayed in more depth: presentation of the programme, admissions, programme details, continuing studies or career targeted, registration, etc.
- A fixed menu allows the user to browse rapidly from one topic to another.
A search engine, based on Elasticsearch technology, allows search results to be filtered according to predefined criteria: level of diploma, career targeted, location of courses, discipline, etc.
A real communication and marketing tool, the course offerings natively integrate into “call-to-action” type buttons which encourage students or future students to perform an action on the website: download brochures, make contact with the school or to register on-line. One feature allows the CRM of the school to synchronise with the Kosmos solution thus facilitating the administrative management of these requests.
To respond to the changes in the national educational framework which makes provision for the progressive specialisation of the student, a new functionality for building their career path has been developed by Kosmos. Using this interactive tool, each student or future student can simulate their choice of curriculum, semester by semester, so as to build their individual educational programme.
Kosmos helped us to formalise our needs throughout the project. Their understanding of our challenges and their ability to respond has allowed us to succeed in building an efficient module together.
ANNE-CHRISTELLE SUIRE, Manager of Online Communication
Summary
« With the course offerings developed with Kosmos Solutioning, we communicate more effectively with our different targets thanks to the clear and efficient display of our catalogue. »
Anne-Christelle SUIRE Manager of Online Communication
Several ideas for evolution have already been identified, in particular for the educational programme feature. Eventually, the student will be able to build their programme “backwards”, starting from a targeted profession and identifying the different possible paths which will allow them to reach it. He or she will also be able to construct their inter-disciplinary programme, for example at the level of second year University up to the Master’s level.
The goal, and the opportunity provided by this work, is to offer a real tool for helping the student to orient themselves.
Chiffres-clés
38 000 students in 2015-2016
8 000 new registrants each year
280 different diplomas
Key points
- User Experience : easy navigation with a summary view, set menu, key figures of the educational programme, etc.
- Search engine : A system of profession-based filters for guiding the student in their educational search.
- Call-to-action : Buttons which facilitate exchanges between the students and the university.
- Educational path : A feature which allows each student to build their programme, semester-by-semester.