Hofstra University's Student Information Kiosk Copyright 1993 CAUSE From _CAUSE/EFFECT_ Volume 16, Number 1, Spring 1993. Permission to copy or disseminate all or part of this material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for commercial advantage, the CAUSE copyright and its date appear,and notice is given that copying is by permission of CAUSE, the association for managing and using information resources in higher education. To disseminate otherwise, or to republish, requires written permission.For further information, contact CAUSE, 4840 Pearl East Circle, Suite 302E, Boulder, CO 80301, 303-449-4430, e-mail info@CAUSE.colorado.edu HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT INFORMATION KIOSK by Luis Taveras; Marie Swann; Kenneth Craig, Jr.; J. Michael Hawkins; and Eugene Ingoglia ABSTRACT: Less than two years ago, Hofstra University decided to outsource the development of a student information kiosk system that would improve and enhance the delivery of student services. This article describes the effort and the product that was initially deployed in less than two months--a system that has proven that information technology can be used to quickly tackle some of the most persistent challenges of campus life and make a difference! The price of a college education is a major expense for most families. As a result, deciding which college to attend is a highly drawn out process that involves close scrutiny of prospective campuses. Often, the final decision is based on the overall reputation and image of an institution, an image formed by gathering information from guidance counselors, alumni, publications, and current students. Hofstra University[1] has recently taken many steps to enhance its reputation as a student-service-oriented institution. One of the most visible steps was the decision to develop and deploy student information kiosks across the entire campus last year. These kiosks are activated by a touch-screen menu and are available for use 24 hours a day. The general information section of the menu provides an overview of Hofstra, as well as online information pertaining to the following: * the academic calendar * the registrar's, bursar's, and financial aid offices * course descriptions * faculty directory Via a secured access path, students can look up their own information regarding schedules, registration, academic records, financial aid, and billing. The result is shorter and less frequent inquiries to Hofstra offices and, more importantly, a much more satisfied student population. Motivation for the system A history of long lines at bursar's, registrar's, and student services offices is far from a unique administrative situation in higher education, dating at least from the beginning of the 1960s when the first wave of baby boomers reached college age. Until recently, Hofstra was no exception. Often during registration, students became frustrated by the amount of time necessary to complete the process. Standing in lines or waiting on the telephone were two of the most frequently cited frustrations. Hofstra has attempted to alleviate these problems by implementing the student information kiosk. Before the kiosks were implemented, there was no central point of contact for student information. According to representatives from such departments as the bursar and admissions, the Cultural Center, and Facilities Management, between 20 and 40 percent of the calls they received were transferred to another department. The implementation of an information kiosk promised to alleviate the transferring of calls and lessen the frustration of both staff and callers. The University believed that an information kiosk able to answer the most frequently asked questions in these departments, as well as provide online directions, would have a significant, positive impact on students' lives at the University and improve the image of the institution to prospective students. During the 1970s and the 1980s the circumstances of effective business management required acquisition and processing of large quantities of data. Distribution of the data was for the most part restricted to a small circle of the institution's staff. Effective distribution channels for this information were not available or were simply cost-prohibitive until very late in the 1980s. Regardless of the size of the institution or the approach of the information systems department, a common thread emerged in the history of campus data processing systems. Comprehensive solutions were developed to address needs of the institution's central offices. As new opportunities emerged, additional systems were developed. The major drawback was that, for the most part, the end users had to have lengthy training before they were able to acquire the information they needed, and if they changed departments--for example, from financial aid to academic records--they had to have extensive retraining. Like most colleges and universities, Hofstra had an extensively developed computer-based academic records tracking system. But one could not get information about the football schedule there. Nor could one find a professor's office hours or telephone number. Even though most of the information was somewhere in the computer, it was hard to get to. This situation was exacerbated when an institution was dealing with multiple data processing centers that were geographically dispersed.Fortunately, this was not the case at Hofstra, where most of the business needs are met with a single central mainframe. Student systems at Hofstra are a combination of commercial and homegrown. The systems are primarily VSAM data sets, using CICS for online access, and all reside on the IBM9121 running VSE under VM. A new distribution channel has emerged in the form of the microcomputer, which is capable of communicating with many complex mainframe systems and, through a graphical user interface, can present information in a manner that requires no special training for the end user. At Hofstra, the information systems were originally developed for back-end use. Since the cost of modifying the mainframe applications sufficiently to eliminate user training was prohibitive, the University decided to investigate the microcomputer as a vehicle for distributing student information. Indeed, a major goal in the design process was to build an application without writing a single CICS or host-access program. Decision to outsource By the fall of 1991, Hofstra had determined the need for a tool and a system to enable harvesting of existing data and presenting it easily and attractively for general use. Cost of microcomputer equipment for an information kiosk had been dropping steadily for years, but there was almost no packaged software that could readily be tailored to this specific need. Typical of the times, a cost-effective solution was desired. In addition to desiring a cost-effective solution, the University also was driven by the need to have a working prototype available within three to four months. This consideration was especially influential in Hofstra's decision to pursue outsourcing the system development, as the workload of the internal information systems staff precluded in-house development within that time constraint. Also, the information systems staff were not familiar with the microcomputer technology for this kind of application and felt that outsourcing to developers with the appropriate expertise would ensure a quality product. IBM's Information Integration Consulting (IIC) division has been developing programs for workstations and personal computers since 1989. They specialize in creating simple, easy-to-use interfaces to complex computer environments that include both IBM and other computer manufacturers' equipment, as well as software systems from multiple vendors. Although the market for small production systems is very large, Information Integration Consulting is one of very few providers of this type of service. IIC was asked to submit a bid for the development of Hofstra's student information kiosk in November of 1991. When that bid proved to be within the University's budget, IIC was granted the contract. Once IBM was selected, members of the consulting team began by interviewing a cross- section of the student body, the faculty, and the staff. Using Freelance(TM), a series of forty-two mockup screens were developed and reviewed with users.[2] Once the screens were agreed upon, a three-member programming team moved to the campus to develop the kiosk software. The team held weekly status meetings to review progress with Hofstra. At the beginning of the fourth week, a member of the University data processing staff joined the team for the purpose of learning how to support the student information kiosk. By the fifth week, end users were invited in to provide feedback on the work in progress. Development of the kiosk software was finished at the end of the fifth week and turned over to the University. Preliminary steps To establish a list of requirements for the student information kiosk, a large sample of administrative and support staff members were interviewed. Members of Hofstra University student government were also given an opportunity to provide input. All of the interview meetings started with a description of the vision of any student being able to walk up to a kiosk to get answers to their questions. Everyone was familiar with the technology and with the idea because they had seen similar setups in the lobbies of buildings in Manhattan or at the rental car location at the airport where directions can be requested from a kiosk. The overall endorsement of the idea was unanimous. The comments ranged from "this is a great idea" to "how quickly will the kiosks be available?" The following is a summary of the recommendations made by those interviewed. * A single point of contact for all activities on campus needed to be established. Such information needed to be organized and made accessible throughout campus. * The kiosk should provide some printed information (e.g., a student schedule). * The interface should be user friendly (i.e., a graphical user interface), simple, and presented in understandable terms. * The system itself should be very intuitive and easy to use. It should not require the user to have any knowledge of computer operations or require any training. Most inquiries should be satisfied within four screen touches by the user. * The activities information should be maintained in a relational database to enable selection by activity type and date. * Recommended locations for the kiosk were the atrium at the student center, the main library, large dormitories, and the offices of the bursar, registrar, and financial aid. The specific requirements were separated into two categories, general information and student specific information. The general information category would comprise items that should be accessible to all visitors, students, staff, and faculty. The student specific area would contain information that would have to be treated with sensitivity and would only be accessible by the individual student after providing the requested security access information. (See Table 1 for a list of required types of data.) ************************************************************************ Table 1: Types of Information Available on the Kiosk General Information Events Listing Campus Guide Academic Calendar Faculty/Staff Directory Hofstra at a Glance Public Safety Course Schedule Student Specific Registration Financial Aid/Billing Academic Records Library Services Student Schedule ************************************************************************ Not all of the requirements in these categories could be addressed without making significant changes to the existing host system. Therefore, the initial development focused on providing functions which did not require host changes. The main reason for this was to develop the system in a short timeframe and to keep the development costs down. The deployed system In February of 1992, the Information Integrating Consulting team turned over to Hofstra source code that supports the features described below. The University deployed two kiosks in early May and by December eight kiosks were in operation. General information is updated from the host weekly All of the information listed in Table 2 is available to anyone who uses the kiosk. Since much much of the information changes from time to time, the files are maintained on the central mainframe and kept up to date by the offices responsible for the information. Every week thekiosk requests a fresh copy of these updated data from the central host.In this manner, the data not accessed in real time via CICS are always kept current. ************************************************************************ Table 2: General Information on the Kiosk Hofstra at a Glance -- Provides a description of Hofstra University and the most requested facts and figures. Registration -- Offers information for new and transferring students and steps for registering and withdrawing for all students. Course-by-course ID -- By selecting the year, the semester, and the course ID, a user can find all of the current details about scheduled classes. Academic Calendar -- Provides beginning and end dates for all semesters and all scheduled holidays. Financial Aid/Billing -- Provides general information on student loans and grants, schedule of tuition and fees and payment due dates, and tuition refund policy. Academic Records -- Delivers the Hofstra policy statement concerning privacy and the procedure for release or disclosure of academic records. Faculty Directory -- Provides an online telephone directory of the faculty. Information may be looked up in alphabetical order or by department. For the faculty member, the kiosk provides name, title, department name, phone number, and office hours. For a department, the kiosk provides the main office number, department name, department phone number, location, and a list of faculty associated with that department. ************************************************************************ Student specific data are retrieved from the host via CICS in real time The kiosk accesses the host for each student inquiry to present the most current data. In general, a student is able to get answers to the most frequently asked questions in the following areas: * Am I registered for this course? * What does my course schedule look like? (available for printing) * Who is teaching this course? * Where does the class meet? * What is the size of the class? * Did my grade change get recorded? What is my GPA? * Were my credits transferred? * What grade did I get in a particular course? * Can I browse my transcript? * Do I need to go to the bursar's office? * What is my account balance? * Has my student loan check or any other loans or grants been applied to my account? * When is my bill due? * Do I need to go to the financial aid office? * Has my loan application been accepted? Accessibility and security features The initial deployment of this system was via the kiosk hardware which was designed to allow students, including those in wheelchairs, to reach the screen, view the screen, provide input, and receive printed output. A touch screen and a small printer were integrated into the kiosk. The kiosk hardware, screen, and printer are physically secure. They are not removable and the outside housing is durable and resistant to bumps and scrapes. Users have view-only access to available information. The general information section is accessible by anyone without any password requirements. Personal information is only available to the particular student to whom the information relates. The student is required to input his or her social security number and date of birth before access to personal information is allowed. Another security feature of the kiosk is that if a student forgets to clear the screen at the end of the session, a 30-second inactivity time-out feature clears the screen and returns the system to the welcome screen. Hardware and software specifics To provide sufficient processor power for the application as well as capacity for future extensions, a workstation based on an Intel 80386 or 80486 microprocessor was needed for the kiosk. An IBM PS/2 Model 57 SLC with no additional options was selected. The use of touch-screen technology is the most fitting for a user- friendly, self-service kiosk. No special training is needed for the user of the system to be able to gain access to information. This technology can be used without requiring a keyboard, mouse, or other pointing device, thus simplifying the users' access to the system and also reducing the risk of physical damage or theft of externally attached equipment. The Hofstra kiosk used the IBM 8516 monitor to provide integrated touch-screen capability. The student information kiosk was implemented on an IBM OS/2 1.3 platform. Easel/2(TM) provides facilities to develop and execute graphical front ends to existing host 3270 applications.[3] These graphical front ends can conform to the guidelines for Systems Application Architecture (SAA) Common User Access (CUA). The Easel development system uses the interactive CUA layout facility to define the graphical application screens. It also provides a high-level language which is event-driven and block-structured. This language is readily learned by programmers who are familiar with a high- level programming language such as COBOL, and provides capability for graphics and communications programming. Programmers use this language in conjunction with the screens defined by use of the interactive layout facility to create applications that can conform to CUA guidelines. Trace and debug facilities are included in the Easel system. Kiosk enhancements The initial release of the Hofstra student information kiosk did not address all the issues and requirements uncovered during the interviews. After several months of use, other requirements were uncovered. Some of these have been implemented, while others are still under consideration. Implemented modifications Modifications that have been made to the system include the following: (1) The original source code written by the IIC team was reworked, using Easel Workbench, to make the code set more manageable. Hofstra has undertaken the task of maintenance and enhancement development for the kiosk. (2) Department representatives (e.g., athletics, playhouse) update their own information by uploading data from their word processing packages to a central host computer. The kiosk downloads from the host every Wednesday at 3:00 a.m. (3) A screen is now provided so that students may substitute a password of their creation for their date of birth, and they may change this password via the kiosk at any time. (4) Student specific information was expanded to include the ability to answer questions such as: * What courses are closed? * What courses are available by subject? * What courses are available next semester? * Is a particular publication available? Where and when? (5) Kiosk access to Hofstra's VAX cluster now enables the retrieval of the following information: * athletic event calendar * intramural activities * academic computing directory and services * computer store * cultural event calendar * concert information * network access via Gopher to most of the same data available via the kiosk (CICS data are not available this way). Modifications under consideration Hofstra is considering additional modifications at this time, including a kiosk-available campus guide/map so that a visitor can select two locations on campus and get directions from one to the other, with an option to print out the directions. Information on public safety, emergency telephone numbers, parking regulations, and other Hofstra rules and regulations are being considered under general information, as is an audio/visual message from Hofstra's president. In the section for student specific data, consideration is being given to allowing access to information that would answer the following questions: * What courses are available by time period? * What is the procedure for changing my major? * If I change my major, what courses will apply towards my new major? * What courses do I need to satisfy my degree? * How many more credits do I need to graduate? * Are there fines on my account? * What is my current phone bill? * What do I need as certification in order to receive a grant, qualify for a loan, or get the University's medical coverage? * What is the balance on my meal card? * Do I have any overdue books checked out? There is a sense that the kiosk application should take advantage of more multimedia technology. For example, an audio/visual campus tour and a photo phone directory for faculty/staff could be made available. There is also discussion about expanding the access to this evolving application beyond the kiosk through campus computer labs and personal computers in student rooms. These same services could also be made available on the campus network and via any touch-tone telephone, on or off campus, which would increase accessibility to all students, whether or not they are residents. Persons with visual disabilities would then also be able to access the same information. Ultimately, a student with his or her own microcomputer should be able to access this application. This would provide a very private, comfortable, and convenient way to get information. When appropriate, a study will be conducted to address the numerous and complex connectivity and support issues raised by the idea of providing this kind of environment. Another suggestion under consideration is to provide a more personal touch by placing an informed, helpful attendant in an information booth with access to this system and other pertinent information documents, for those who prefer to interact with a human rather than an electronic device. Finally, it has been proposed that a graphical user interface similar to the kiosk be provided for staff in the bursar's, registrar's, and financial aid offices, to enhance their encounters with students and provide a simpler, more consistent interface with all supporting applications. This would also reduce the requirements for training and result in significant productivity enhancements as well as further improving the service-oriented image of the University. Summary Eight kiosks are currently deployed around the Hofstra campus. Software has been developed and implemented to count the number of users and the particular screens they access. This tracking software has shown that at the end of a semester, queries at the kiosk focus on class availability, faculty office hours, and grade information. At billing times, account status and financial aid information are most popular. Inquiries are running from 1,000 to 1,500 per day, with weekends currently at 600 per day. In the last week of November in 1992, the number of inquiries exceeded 8,000 for the first time. The user community seems to have enthusiastically embraced the new technology. As planned, the kiosk screens are intuitive and no training is required to use them. Impact on Hofstra information technology staff has been minimal; nearly all of the support, maintenance, and development of new features is presently being performed by one staff person in the IS organization, in addition to her other programming responsibilities. Perhaps one of the most valuable side benefits arising from the system development was the enhanced management of student information resulting from a single, central point of contact. Coordination among departments has meant less duplication of efforts, and the kiosk has prompted users in the central student-related offices to think about the potential application of the same ease-of-use system in their offices. The true success of the project, however, will be measured by the students. As waiting lines become shorter and their level of satisfaction with the way Hofstra is addressing their needs increases, the expected result is an environment more conducive to learning. ************************************************************************ (Photo missing from text file.) Photo caption: The kiosk welcome screen allows two choices, student information or general information. The student information screen (shown here) requires that the student enter his or her social security number and date of birth (a password may be substituted for date of birth). Once the information is verified with the host computer, the kiosk then permits the student to make further inquiries about specific data, such as her transcript. Many screens have the same two or three buttons at the bottom to perform next steps or go back to a previous screen. Modular, reusable code was employed throughout the project. ======================================================================== Footnotes: 1 Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university, located on Hempstead, Long Island, 25 miles east of Manhattan, New York. Total University enrollment is approximately 11,998, of which 6,777 are full-time undergraduate students. Of the 979 faculty members, 452 are full-time and 18 are full-time library faculty. With 8,742 admission applicants, Hofstra enrolled approximately 2,049 new students, including 1,485 freshmen, in 1992-93. 2 Freelance is a trademark of the Lotus Corporation, Cambridge, Mass. 3 Easel/2 is a trademark of Interactive Images Inc., Worburn, Mass. ************************************************************************ Luis Taveras is a consultant, Marie Swann an architect, and Ken Craig, Jr. and Mike Hawkins solutions engineers working for IBM's Information Integration Consulting. IIC specializes in drawing together data from disparate systems and presenting them in a user-friendly fashion, applying rapid prototyping and application development techniques for prompt systems delivery. Eugene Ingoglia is Associate Provost for Information Systems at Hofstra University, where he is responsible for academic and administrative computing, telecommunications, networking, and video distribution. Anyone interested in additional information about the Hofstra student information kiosk may contact Gene Ingoglia at 516-463-6900, e-mail acceri@vaxc.hofstra.edu. ************************************************************************ The authors would like to thank Hofstra University students and members of the faculty and staff who contributed to the success of the project, especially Linda Nelson and Linda Illovac. ************************************************************************