Alterline

The Power of Ethnography: Driving improvements in university libraries

Ethnography literally means ‘a portrait of a people’. An ethnography is a written description of a particular culture – the customs, beliefs, and behaviour – based on information collected through fieldwork.Marvin Harris - Anthropologist Developed from the academic discipline of cultural anthropology, ethnography is the study of people in their natural environment. It is increasingly being used by market researchers…

Students’ #Brexit or #Remain?

The student vote in the EU Referendum is incredibly important. Almost 2 million UK students are eligible to vote this week meaning their decision could have a huge impact on the outcome of the referendum. Whether the UK decides to remain or Brexit the outcome will impact on the younger generation’s future who will live with the consequences. Huge efforts…

The importance of accommodation to the student experience

‘Home’ is a fundamental part of our lives. Exploring students’ homes in a recent survey we asked people to upload a picture of their favourite thing about their accommodation. Far more than just a place to cook, wash, eat and sleep – students shared images that brought to life experiences and memories that are having a substantial impact on university…

Student Recipes

Student Street is the home of student insight; it’s where you’ll find the things we observe and discover during our time talking to, and living alongside, students. Wanting to know what's going on in students' kitchens we asked three students to cook us their typical meal. Allyson For Allyson keeping a balanced diet is really important. In the video above,…

New project announcement:

campusM – Student Digital Journeys

We are thrilled to announce that we have been commissioned by campusM to conduct an exciting study into the digital lives of students.

Working with partner universities across the globe, the project will investigate students’ digital habits, help map their daily digital journeys, understand what frustrates them and identify where the experience can be improved.

The insight gathered will help participating universities improve digital services on campus, directly feed into campusM’s development, and ultimately improve the student experience.

“We are looking forward to working with Alterline on this exciting project. Digital technology has become an area of increasing interest on campus, but it is only by asking the students who use it about their experiences that we can help institutions make sure they are delivering what their students want, in the way that they want it. At campusM we pride ourselves in enabling universities to enhance the student experience, and this work with Alterline will help us to continue to do this, supported by a real understanding of what students want and expect.”

– Matt Sherlock, Product Director at campusM

New project announcement:

University of Manchester Library – Staff experiences and engagement

We have worked with The University of Manchester Library for a number of years helping them to understand and improve students’ experiences. We’re pleased to announce that the team has recently commissioned us to help them understand things from a different perspective; exploring staff engagement and experiences as part of a wider culture change programme.

During the initial stage of the project, we will investigate staff experiences through online diaries and in-depth face-to-face interviews. This qualitative element will be followed by an online survey which will be repeated on an annual basis, used alongside more regular ‘pulse’ surveys that will focus on topical issues.

Redefining alumni relations at London South Bank University

"We use the report produced by Alterline as the foundation for all our work." Olivia Rainford, Head of Alumni RelationsWith a renewed focus on the University’s mission of improving the social mobility of its students and to help re-position Alumni Relations as an important contributor to the University, Alterline were commissioned to run an extensive research project with internal stakeholders and…

Do brands’ ethics matter to students?

S'tudents are often portrayed as being the ethical pioneers. To see if this rings true, our videographer took to the streets to ask some students what branded products they were carrying and whether they considered the ethics of a brand before making a purchase. What did we find out? There is a lack of knowledge about which brands are ethical.…

YUSU Strategic Planning

Over the last few years, Alterline has worked with students’ unions across the country to help them better understand student experiences and drive change. The University of York Students’ Union (YUSU) has been through a period of rapid, exciting growth over the past three years. Student numbers at the institution have grown significantly, with the Union’s staff team, physical building and relationship…

Shaping the future of the University of Birmingham Library

The University of Birmingham is building a new library which is due to open in Autumn 2016. To inform future developments, Library Services commissioned Alterline to help them better understand their user’s needs, perceptions, experiences and journeys. A large-scale quantitative survey was completed by 2,360 students, and a series of focus groups were conducted to explore key themes and…