Unleashing the power of a Student Engagement Platform

In an era where traditional student enrolment is on the decline, and the allure of the workforce is pulling in more high school graduates, our education system faces a pivotal moment. As interest rates soar, and inflation casts its shadow, the academic landscape is shifting. This trend not only impacts undergraduate enrollment but also affects the influx of postgraduate students. The question arises: How can we overcome these challenges and elevate the effectiveness of our student support teams?

The limitations of traditional tools

Brute force alone cannot meet the evolving needs of the education sector. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools excel in handling prospective students but fall short when it comes to being the hub for enrolled student communications. Marketing platforms are adept at student recruitment but lack the capability to engage seamlessly across the entire student experience. Call centre platforms, while efficient for managing high call volumes, struggle to analyse student data and provide personalised recommendations.

Enter the Student Engagement Platform: a paradigm shift

At the heart of this educational evolution lies the Student Engagement Platform—an innovative solution designed to bridge the gaps in student communication. Unlike traditional tools, it serves as the central hub connecting faculty, staff, and students in real-time, orchestrating a seamless flow of information.

Pendula in your technology ecosystem

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Integrated with CRM, Student Information Systems (SIS), and IT Service Management (ITSM), a Student Engagement Platform such as the Pendula platform acts as the linchpin, fostering communication between students and university support areas. Recognising the changing communication landscape, it acknowledges that students spend significant hours daily on their mobile phones, especially during these times of increased digital interaction prompted by the global pandemic and the era of digital disruption. 

College students spend 8 to 10 hours daily, with female students spending more time (10 h.) than male students (8 h.), on their mobile phones (Roberts et al., 2014). These numbers increased up to 20–30% on average during the COVID-19 pandemic (Meyer et al., 2020).¹

Leveraging mobile-first strategies for success

The Student Engagement Platform operates on both a mobile first and digital comms engagement strategy, aligning with the reality that students are more connected than ever. By identifying students at risk and optimising communication channels, the platform ensures that the right message reaches students at the right time through their preferred channels—be it SMS, WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, Email or other popular apps.

Research from the University of Canterbury emphasises the impact of timely nudges in enhancing engagement and persistence in tertiary education, underlining the significance of such proactive communication strategies.

Making the case for a student-centric approach

Ultimately, it's time to improve the student experience and focus on outcomes with the same dedication that organisations allocate to customer retention. The absence of a dedicated Student Engagement Platform is a gap that needs urgent attention. Just as companies prioritise customer experience, educational institutions should invest in a platform designed exclusively for student engagement.

Why choose Pendula's Student Engagement Platform?

The Pendula Student Engagement Platform is tailored to connect with students effortlessly across their preferred channels throughout the entire student journey. With flexible integration capabilities and an intuitive no-code, drag-and-drop UI, Pendula empowers you to create personalised workflows in minutes, across multiple channels. This, in turn, leads to enhanced student engagement, increased course completion rates, and transformative student outcomes.

Unlock the future of education with Pendula

Are you struggling to connect with students in this evolving educational landscape? 

Pendula's Student Engagement Platform offers a strategy focused on students' preferred channels, driving engagement and transforming outcomes. Whether students are on or off-campus, Pendula enables convenient engagement through SMS, WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, Email and in-app communications.

Embrace conversational communication and start a journey towards improved student engagement today. Contact us to discover more about our convenient communication solution and revolutionise the way you connect with your students.

^{1. https://studentsuccessjournal.org/article/view/2848/1382}