Short answer

Simplify and humanize administrative processes, ensuring they are intuitive and supportive, especially for vulnerable user groups.

Field
User-Centred Design
Source
'Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)' (2018)
Method
Mixed-methods research, combining literature review with a participatory survey.
Sample
104 participants
Evidence
Strong effect

Complex and inaccessible administrative procedures in universities disproportionately burden students, particularly those with disabilities, leading to heightened stress and reduced academic engagement. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2018 study published in 'Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)'. Using Mixed-methods research, combining literature review with a participatory survey. with 104 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Simplify and humanize administrative processes, ensuring they are intuitive and supportive, especially for vulnerable user groups.

Study
User-Centred DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Administrative processes in higher education significantly increase student stress and exacerbate existing conditions.

Complex and inaccessible administrative procedures in universities disproportionately burden students, particularly those with disabilities, leading to heightened stress and reduced academic engagement.

'Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)' · 2018

01

Key Findings

  • 01Administrative processes create significant burdens and barriers for disabled students.
  • 02The most common negative impact reported was on student stress levels.
  • 03Other reported impacts include exacerbation of existing conditions, time lost from study, and delays in support.
  • 04Processes for applying for disability-related support were found to be particularly challenging.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Simplify and humanize administrative processes, ensuring they are intuitive and supportive, especially for vulnerable user groups.

How to apply

When designing or reviewing any student-facing administrative system, map out the user journey, identify potential friction points, and conduct user testing with students who have diverse needs.

Project actions

  • 01When designing a system that involves administrative tasks, consider the emotional and cognitive load on the user.
  • 02Think about how different user groups might experience the same process differently.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate the accessibility challenges faced by disabled university students within administrative processes and to identify the resulting impacts.
MethodMixed-methods research, combining literature review with a participatory survey.
ProcedureA literature review was conducted to understand systemic administrative burdens. A survey was then developed through a participatory research exercise with students and administered to 104 respondents with various declared disabilities.
Sample104 participants
ContextHigher education institutions, focusing on administrative processes.

Variables

IVType and complexity of administrative processes, accessibility features of administrative systems.
DVStudent stress levels, exacerbation of existing conditions, time lost from study, timeliness of support.
CVType of disability, academic year, specific university policies (implicitly).
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Participatory research approach involving students in survey development.
  • +Combines literature review with empirical data collection.

Limitations

Self-reported data can be subjective. The study focuses on higher education, so findings may not directly apply to other contexts without adaptation.

Reliability & validity

Reliability could be enhanced by using standardized questionnaires for stress and impact assessment. Validity is supported by the participatory development of the survey and triangulation with literature.

Think critically

To what extent do the 'systemic characteristics of administrative burdens' identified in the literature review manifest in other service-oriented design contexts beyond higher education?

05

Design Principles

"Design administrative systems with empathy, focusing on reducing user burden and enhancing support accessibility."

Understanding the user experience of administrative systems is crucial for designing inclusive educational environments. By identifying pain points, designers and institutions can create more equitable and supportive pathways for all students.

06

What This Means for Your Design

University paperwork and online forms can be really hard to deal with, especially if you have a disability. This makes students stressed, sick, and takes time away from learning. Making these processes easier helps everyone.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use this research to justify the need for user-centred design in your project, especially if it involves complex procedures or support systems.
  • 2.Cite the findings on stress and exacerbation of conditions to emphasize the importance of user experience.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research underscores the critical impact of administrative process design on user well-being, noting that 'The most common negative impact reported was on stress levels' and 'exacerbation of existing conditions' for disabled students. This highlights the necessity of designing administrative systems with a strong user-centred approach to mitigate such negative outcomes and ensure equitable access.

09

Source

'Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)'

The accessibility of administrative processes: Assessing the impacts on students in higher education

journal · 2018

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about administrative processes in higher education significantly increase student stress and exacerbate existing conditions?
Simplify and humanize administrative processes, ensuring they are intuitive and supportive, especially for vulnerable user groups. Evidence: 'Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)' (2018).
Why does "Administrative processes in higher education significantly increase student stress and exacerbate existing conditions." matter for design?
Understanding the user experience of administrative systems is crucial for designing inclusive educational environments. By identifying pain points, designers and institutions can create more equitable and supportive pathways for all students.
How can designers apply this research?
Simplify and humanize administrative processes, ensuring they are intuitive and supportive, especially for vulnerable user groups.
What were the main findings?
Administrative processes create significant burdens and barriers for disabled students.. The most common negative impact reported was on student stress levels.. Other reported impacts include exacerbation of existing conditions, time lost from study, and delays in support.. Processes for applying for disability-related support were found to be particularly challenging.
What research method was used?
Mixed-methods research, combining literature review with a participatory survey. with 104 participants.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2018 journal from 'Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)'.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing or reviewing any student-facing administrative system, map out the user journey, identify potential friction points, and conduct user testing with students who have diverse needs.
What are the limitations?
The study relies on self-reported data and perceptions, and the sample, while diverse in declared disabilities, may not represent all potential challenges.