Digital Day in a Student’s Life

University of Newcastle students must navigate over 10 different administrative systems throughout their educational journey. For equity students who are often first-in-family to attend university or face barriers like relocation from regional areas, these systems can become overwhelming barriers rather than enablers. Our challenge was to understand this digital experience specifically through the lens of equity students, capturing how administrative systems potentially compound existing challenges in their lives, and determine whether these systems were actively hindering retention and success. The University of Newcastle needed compelling evidence to influence university-wide changes to better support its equity student populations.

We used a mixed-methods approach with over 300 students through surveys, intercepts, diary studies, and interviews, many conducted in real time on the University of Newcastle (UoN) campus. From libraries to student help centres, we captured honest, in-the-moment accounts of stress, confusion, and system failures. These insights highlighted how overwhelming the transition to university can be, especially for students already facing barriers. The research culminated in Digital Daze, a microsite featuring 20 unique student stories alongside eight key insights. Our final report included strategic recommendations prioritised by their potential to improve student retention and success.

This research helped shift UoN’s approach to digital services from tech-led to student-centred. By combining empathetic storytelling with clear evidence of system failures, it exposed the real impact of broken admin processes on student success. It inspired change, empowering the client team to advocate for better systems at executive levels with impossible-to-ignore evidence. It’s been presented at tertiary education conferences, where it sparked interest from other universities and a student system vendor requesting the research to inform product development. It’s earned recognition through university and industry awards, including “Celebrating Excellence in Higher Education”, demonstrating impact well beyond the original scope.

With deliberate demographic sampling, the research revealed the true diversity of UoN students, as not just school leavers, but mature age students, parents, and those working multiple jobs to stay afloat. It challenged outdated assumptions about the “typical” student and made clear the urgent need for inclusive, student-centred digital services that reflect the complex, real-world lives of modern learners. The microsite Digital Daze employed storytelling as advocacy, featuring direct student quotes and experiences that created a powerful emotional impact. During our research planning, we outlined the different mixed media methods of capturing these stories to create a compelling final narrative: - Vox pop style video and audio interviews outside the student help centre. - Diary studies with images and reflections from life beyond campus. - Long form videos and photos capturing on campus life in dorms and libraries. The breadth and depth of research marked the biggest user experience research project for the university, influenced a strategic shift in priorities and set new standards for understanding student experience beyond a sentiment survey.