Bradford College has definitely been going the ‘extra mile’ for its students, by introducing a new interactive Facebook application that gave students struggling with deciding which course to take to further their career a helping hand. The app, part of the college’s ‘Extra Mile’ campaign, was developed to take advantage of the social networking platform and datamines student’s profiles to offer course and career advice based on their likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests.
The Extra Mile campaign was devised to provide students with a positive and productive learning experience in over 150 graduate and postgraduate courses. The college is regarded as ‘excellent’ at providing vocational and professional courses, as well as having close links with businesses and industry that enables students to take part in work experience placements.
User likes up by 64% as a result of the campaign
The introduction of the Facebook application was an extension of this forward-thinking college’s core ethos to provide students with the best possible experience from day one, by using an application on a platform that students will already be familiar with. The result, innovative use of social media to interact with students on a one to one basis and help them make the right further education choice to maximise their potential in the ‘real’ world later on.
Smart apps for the Facebook generation
The Facebook application looked at the user’s likes, dislikes and hobbies to suggest career paths or courses that would best suit the user based on their profile. This exciting new development proved popular with students, who were also able to share the application with their friends and see how effective the application really was.
User posts up by 123%
“The most innovative part of this application is its ability to ‘learn’ as it develops,” explains David Brack, Marketing Director at Bradford College. “The more information it gathers, the more accurate its predictions become. The result is an application that highlights the importance of education to get what you want out of your career, whilst providing a whimsical and playful interface on a platform that everyone is familiar with,” he adds.
What going the Extra Mile really means
Bradford College understands how frustrating, confusing and worrying choosing the right course can be. That is why they developed the Extra Mile ethos to help lift the fog from what can be a very murky path. Rather than simply teaching a set curriculum, the college looks at how courses can give students the edge when it comes to equipping students with the skills and knowledge required by employers. The result has been that many of the courses now have direct links with commercial enterprises and industries, cumulating in an Ofsted report in 2008 that rated the college as having many ‘Outstanding’ features.
User interaction with the application 1,030 people
Tailor made for success
“We tailor our courses to provide students with a complete palette of skills, both academic and vocational,” explains David Brack. “The emphasis is on giving a student a complete experience, from providing top quality facilities through to financial support, unique progression opportunities and flexible learning programmes that fit in with a student’s lifestyle. We realise just how important social media is to our students, which is why we developed the application as part of the campaign. It gives them another access point that will help them make one of the most important decisions of their life – which course to choose to advance their career,” he concludes.
To find out more about the range of courses on offer and how Bradford College is going the Extra Mile, visit www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk
