To enhance the sense of belonging across the GSB student population and provide opportunities for students to interact with one another whether they are distance learners or full-time students or studying on different programmes. Supporting the increased diversity of our student cohorts by offering an alternative method of communication through a Digital Community Platform (DCP) and leveraging AI to reduce moderator workload.

Enhance Student Engagement:

• Foster increased interaction and communication among students, beyond academic modules and programmes.
• Create an inclusive online community.
• Encourage peer-to-peer support.

Improve Communication and Collaboration:

• Provide a central hub for sharing information, resources, and announcements.
• Reduce reliance on email for routine inquiries and information dissemination.

Enhance Student Success:

• Foster a stronger sense of community and belonging among students.

Improve Staff Efficiency:

• Streamline the sharing of information and resources with students.
• Easily view analytics on resources such as “student views”, providing staff with valuable insights into student engagement and feedback.

Modernise Communication Strategies:

• Establish a more consistent and efficient approach to communication within the college.
• Leverage AI technology to enhance communication and collaboration.
• Students could engage with resources by commenting on them or reacting to them.

By achieving these aims and objectives, the project sought to create a more modern, connected and engaged learning experience for GSB students. The DCP would be a unique online space that empowers students to share their interests, knowledge and questions with the entire School community on topics of their choice in a safe and supported environment. In contrast with UCD’s Learning Management System (LMS), the DCP offered a much-needed “borderless” space for staff and students to connect.

Co-creation and student-driven content:

All students within the GSB could actively participate in creating and sharing resources, asking a question, and/or commenting/reacting to other posts. The platform encouraged student-generated content, such as discussions, questions, and resource sharing, fostering a sense of ownership and community.

Student Feedback:

The project conducted yearly surveys and created online discussions to gather student feedback on their experiences with the platform.

Supporting Student Success through Student Leadership:

Each year approx. 30 students were selected and trained as "Digital Community Ambassadors." These students played a crucial role in leading and shaping online discussions within the platform. They also shared feedback to the project on their own experiences.

Accessible:

The platform was designed with a user-friendly interface that was intuitive and easy for students to navigate. It was also very accessible with Learning technology integration (LTI) enabled within the LMS and a website that had single sign-on enabled so students could log in with their UCD credentials.

More generally, the platform facilitated peer-to-peer support and collaboration among students, allowing them to connect with each other, share insights, and provide assistance.

The platform also provided students with easy access to a wealth of resources, including academic materials, career information, and support services. 

Deliverables:

• Development and Launch of a digital community: The development and launch of the InScribeApp platform for GSB.
• Integration with existing systems: Seamless integration of InScribeApp with the University's existing Learning Management System (Brightspace).
• Enabling AI Moderation Tool (ROSI): The implementation of the AI moderation tool (ROSI) to assist in monitoring and moderating online discussions.
• Training: Delivery of training and support resources to students and staff on how to effectively use the InScribeApp platform.

Outcomes:

Increased Student Engagement:

• 34,400 views within InScribeApp with an average of 294 active users per month.
• Student participation in online discussions, increased interaction between students.

Improved Communication:

• Reduced reliance on email for routine inquiries, and improved access to information for students.

Enhanced Student Success:

• Student feedback indicated that the platform provided helpful study tips and improved access to resources.

Improved Staff Efficiency:

• Reduction in staff workload due to the AI moderation tool (ROSI) and the decrease in email inquiries by providing resources centrally.

Impacts:

• Increased student engagement and interaction within the first year of implementation.
• Fostering a more connected and engaged school community.
• Innovative and student-centred communications.

Potential longer-term impacts:

• Establishing a valuable communication channel for current students and alumni engagement.
• Potential to reduce the university's environmental impact by minimizing paper-based communication.
• Reduction in staff workload due to the AI moderation tool (ROSI) and the decrease in email inquiries by provided resources centrally.
• Increased student efficiency- the ability for students to find information centrally and ask questions surrounding these resources.
• Increased staff efficiency and productivity, allowing staff to focus on more strategic tasks and provide better support to students.

Resources

• Platform website- https://www.inscribeapp.com/
• Project information – audrey.dempsey@ucd.ie