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Global Learning Semesters
Area of expertise: Web Applications & Services
Domain: International Mobility Programs
Client
Global Learning Semesters (GLS), a New York based company,
United States, specializes in providing programs of academic mobility at a
global level for resident students from the United States and Canada.In only 6 years, the company has organized more than 40 educational programs by developing partnerships with important universities from over 70 cities throughout the world (Europe, Latin America, and Asia). These programs are differentiated according to language criteria (English, Spanish, and French), area of activity (business, international relations, arts, and communication), complexity (single or integrated options) and the extracurricular offers associated with the academic program.
Challenge
As a special project in the Zitec portfolio, Global Learning Semesters was conceived to respond to the challenges raised by the diverse needs for each entity involved in the process of administration and support: students, parents, representatives of the partnering universities as well as members of the Global Learning Semesters.The most important criteria for quality which is monitored constantly throughout the development of the project is real time communication, the fluidization of document handling, reducing redundant material, attention for the quality of the user experience and the application's stability, along with accounting for financial costs.
Structure
Taking into account the complexity of this application and the need of the client to efficiently operate an informational system, the Zitec application has a structure based on two essential components:- An interface for the use of the client "Student Explorer" (front-end)
- An interface for the administration of the activity (back-end)
The "Student Explorer" interface is directed towards the final user (student, parent and counselor). This interface offers the possibility to immediately identify information on the organizers, educational offers, eligibility criteria, financial support and post-enrollment guidance offered in the academic programs: housing, transportation, health and safety, organization.
After creating the user account, the candidate can begin the enrollment process in the chosen program after a series of data collecting and screening stages, associated with the payment of certain application processing taxes.
During the entire application administration process, the student can communicate with the program organizers by posing questions online. This system of online ticketing is conceived in such a manner as to ensure the efficiency of the working process by directing the questions to specific departments such as the financial, the technical, the counseling or the application processing department.
Back-end
The administration part is the backbone of the entire process. It includes the management of the two essential stages in the recruitment process: the stage of online application and the stage of enrollment in the program. During these two stages a series of specific information relating to each educational program as well as each partner university is collected.Specific data for the online application stage include general information such as contact information, options on the program, references concerning academic results, and contact information in cases of emergency. At the end users have the possibility to either just save the information or to send it in for evaluation
The next stage of enrollment represents the start of the actual application. Here, the student provides much more specific information related to the method of tax payment, the confirmation of the curricula, accommodation preferences, medical information as well as travel information.
As a result, an influx of reports and papers are created, each one having a different structure for every type of educational program and each institution in the network of partners. This eventually leads to an unjustified waste of time and effort for the candidates as well as for the organizers.
The Zitec solution uses Open Office as an information management system which deals with this problem by using template documents, (created directly on Open Office and used by the application through a web interface). These template documents are personalized with the information from the students or the program and automatically converted into PDF format.
Another feature which contributed to the quality of the administration of information is the integration of a graphics generator library. This feature enables the control of the stages of the application for each of the 40 programs present in the portfolio organized by geographical zones and university partners.
SAO- Study Abroad Office
An extension of the Global Learning Semesters application is Study Abroad Office implemented by Zitec and offered free of charge by the client to the partnering institutions. The application allows for the promotion of the Global Learning Semesters program along with those of the partnering universities. It is based on the same presentation functionalities for the presentation of information, selection of programs according to similar criteria.An element of novelty is the integration of a dynamic facility which enables the search for the graphic representation of the educational offer from the portfolio of each university through an interactive map. It is accessible to every candidate and is directly administered by the members of the partnering universities. The SAO solution contributes to the extension of the number of clients and the promotion of the Global Learning Semesters program online.