Digital Study Planner
The Digital Study Planner at BFH-W helps students plan their studies by managing mandatory and elective modules while meeting graduation requirements. It also enables them to share plans with Student Services for tailored advising.
Factsheet
- Schools involved Business School
- Institute(s) Institute for Public Sector Transformation
- Research unit(s) Digital Sustainability Lab
- Duration (planned) 17.03.2025 - 31.08.2026
- Head of project Vittoria Meier
- Project staff Eliane Patricia Wurmser
- Keywords Study Planning, Module Selection, Digital Support, Student Services Integration, Error Prevention
Situation
Students at BFH-W complete various modules throughout their studies, including mandatory, elective, and specialization modules. While some modules are compulsory, students in advanced stages can tailor their studies by choosing elective options. To graduate successfully, they must meet specific requirements, such as earning the required number of ECTS credits and completing the necessary elective modules. Planning these modules can be challenging, as students need to ensure they fulfill all graduation criteria. Additionally, many seek support in structuring their academic journey effectively. To simplify this process, the Digital Sustainability Lab developed the Digital Study Planner. This tool provides a structured and rule-compliant planning interface, enabling students to organize their studies efficiently. Furthermore, it allows them to share their plans with Student Services for personalized guidance and early detection of potential planning errors.
Course of action
The project to develop the Digital Study Planner followed a structured approach to create a user-friendly and rule-compliant solution. First, the requirements were analyzed by reviewing study regulations, graduation criteria, and the challenges students face. Close collaboration with Student Services ensured that advising processes were effectively integrated into the tool. Based on these insights, an initial prototype was developed, including key features such as module selection, ECTS validation, and rule compliance checks. Several iterations followed, incorporating user feedback from student test groups and advisors to improve usability and functionality. After implementation, the planner was integrated into the existing digital infrastructure of BFH-W. Training materials and user guides were provided to facilitate adoption. The tool is continuously improved to adapt to new requirements and feedback.
Result
The result of the project is the Digital Study Planner, a user-friendly tool that enables BFH-W students to structure and plan their studies efficiently while ensuring compliance with graduation requirements. With an intuitive interface, the tool supports the selection of mandatory, elective, and specialization modules while tracking ECTS requirements. It provides a clear overview of each student’s academic progress and helps prevent planning errors. Additionally, the Digital Study Planner allows students to share their study plans with Student Services, enabling more targeted and personalized advising. This ensures that individual needs are addressed, and potential issues are identified early. Successfully integrated into BFH-W’s digital infrastructure, the tool continues to be refined for long-term student support.
Looking ahead
The Digital Study Planner will continue to evolve to better support students throughout their academic journey. Future improvements may include enhanced visualization of study progress, more personalized recommendations, and automated alerts for potential planning errors. Another focus is optimizing the interface for even greater usability and efficiency. Additionally, further enhancements to the interaction with Student Services will streamline advising processes and ensure more precise guidance. Long-term, the tool will remain a key resource for students, helping them navigate their studies with confidence and successfully meet all graduation requirements.
