First of all, we would like to thank all participations in the research about SharedDesk! Thanks to your input, we have a better picture of your wishes for a reservation system. A total of 71 panel members participated in this study. UFB has set up the SharedDesk reservation system with which students can reserve study places at the university. The aim of this research is to map out the general needs of students regarding the reservation of study places, and specifically what needs students have regarding the reservation with SharedDesk. Based on this research, UFB will make choices for the further optimization of SharedDesk based on the quantitative results.
Most of the students use study spaces. They use it more frequently during exam time and are more positive about making reservations. Students are particularly positive about this because booking guarantees them a place, even in busy periods. Part of them are negative because of the lack of spontaneity and the impractical system. The need to reserve a study place is devided. About a third has a lot of need for it, a third not much but not little, and a third little.
In general, students are satisfied with SharedDesk. Most of the system's standard features are self-explanatory. Some students indicate that it is unclear that the 'white chairs' are freely available without a reservation. They assume that these places are not available to students at all. The 'white chairs' are study places that you never have to reserve, not even during exam time.
• Click here for more information about when to book which places.
A large number of students are dissatisfied with the fact that there is a maximum on the number of hours they can reserve at a time. They prefer longer reservation options, or they want to be able to decide for themselves when and for how long their reservation lasts. A reservation system in which students can make reservations 1 to 3 days in advance best suits the needs of the student.
Based on your experiences, we made two changes to SharedDesk:
• You can now book 2 days in advance instead of 1 day • You can make a reservation for 5 hours instead of 4 hours. For the time being, we are sticking to the maximum duration of a reservation so that everyone has the opportunity to reserve a study place.
We will take your other experiences into account in future developments of the reservation system. We are busy with the next phase of the system and we will make sure that your experiences with SharedDesk get a place in it.