First Year Student Diary Study

Diary studies provide in-depth insights about user behaviors and attitudes over time. A diary study collects information from participants by having them keep a structured “diary” to repeatedly record their thoughts about an activity or experience, typically over (at least) a 3-4 week period. The result is rich, qualitative data that can help paint a portrait of varied, long-term experiences. 

Questions to be answered by this research are the following: 

What are the stumbling blocks encountered by students during the first semester, how do they align or diverge from their initial expectations, and what is the resulting impact on their overall satisfaction, quality of student life, and intentions to continue at the university?

Note:

This diary study aims to delve into specific research questions regarding student experiences during the Fall '23 and into Add/Drop period for Spring '24 semesters. Given its qualitative nature and our sample size, the study captures detailed, individual insights rather than broad, generalized conclusions about the entire student population. While it offers valuable perspectives on selected topics, it's not designed to provide statistically representative findings or address every possible question about the wider student body.

25 full-time, first-time, incoming first-year students who will be studying at NYU's NYC campuses will be recruited for this study, with the goal of retaining and receiving feedback from at least 15 participants by the end of the study. Students will be asked to complete a screener questionnaire to determine their eligibility. 

Participants will be recruited based on their responses to the Un-BCSSE survey, a survey distributed via email to incoming students prior to matriculation. Students who indicate, via the Un-BCSSE,  that they anticipate struggling with aspects of student life during their first year at NYU will be targeted for the study. Within that group, students will be further selected based on sub-demographics in order to achieve as diverse a sample of NYU students as possible. The sub-demographics will include: international, first gen, school of study, self-identified gender, LGBTQ+, and race/ethnicity. 

Special note - School of study: Participants for this study will be recruited from five NYU schools: Steinhardt, Tisch, Tandon, College of Arts and Sciences, and Stern. This selection was made to ensure the validity of the data collected. We recognize that students' experiences at other NYU schools might have unique characteristics, which could necessitate distinct research questions and a dedicated study.

    Overview of Research Protocol

            Participant requirements:  

• A dedicated group of 25 incoming first year students from across departments and schools will be recruited to participate in the diary study. They must be willing to participate for the total length of the study of approximately 6 months.

• Students will be required to submit 12-13 diary entries in total and meet with a Research facilitator to debrief/check in (1 hour/session) once/month. 

• Commitment will be roughly ~20-25 hours for the study per student.

            Diary submissions: 

• Participants will be provided an orientation session that will detail the feedback process, time commitment, and expectations of them. 

• They will be provided with a “diary” that includes prompts/a series of questions, to be 

completed at least on a bi-weekly basis. They will be provided the questions at least a week before their deadline. 

• Students are also encouraged to submit diary entries “in situ”, or as experiences occur in their lives. 

• Students can choose to submit feedback in a variety of formats - via voice memos, videos, written text, etc. A combination of mobile app Group.me and Google Drive will be used to gather entry submissions. 

• Students will also participate in monthly check-in/debrief calls to be held over Zoom or in-person at the Usability Lab’s offices on NYU campus. They will be required to schedule these calls during their orientation session.

          Yes!

• Participants will be compensated $500 for the study, to be distributed via the Bursar’s Office at the completion of their participation in March 2023. 

• Students will be prorated their total compensation if they leave the study prior to completing all requirements. 

• Participants will be recruited by email communications disseminated by the Usability Lab, in collaboration with Student Success and Enrollment Management, who are assisting in pulling un-BCSSE data of the target audience. 

• Recruitment will occur during two weeks in mid-August 2023.   

• Students will be asked to complete a screener questionnaire as part of the recruitment process in order to aid with participant selection.

Usability Metrics

        The following qualitative metrics will be gathered during research sessions in order to analyze patterns and synthesize research findings: 

• Mood and emotional valence (asked to select adjectives to describe their moods, or complete emotional scorecards).

• Users’ subjective satisfaction (likes and dislikes).

• Documented surprises, expectations, and experiences (with examples).

• Gaps and opportunities.

Deliverables

The Usability Lab will deliver a final report that outlines the student experience as well as potential next steps to address any identified patterns or issues. The Usability Lab is also willing to collaborate with stakeholders on the most useful format for this deliverable. The timeline for this deliverable will be March 15, 2024.