The user research was conducted through an online survey, which received 47 responses from college students aged between 19-23 years old. The survey aimed to understand students' experience with scheduling office hours with their professors, and how an app could make this process easier and more efficient.

 

The survey was diverse, with respondents from different majors to make the app as versatile as possible. When asked how often they schedule office hours with their professors, the majority of respondents (51.1%) said less than once a month, with only 2.1% saying they schedule office hours twice or more per week. The average score for scheduling ease on a scale of 1-5 was 3.66, indicating that scheduling office hours with professors is not always straightforward.

The survey also sought to understand the reasons why students attend office hours. The most common reasons were to get help with course content or test preparation (74.5%), followed by additional help with assignments (38.3%) and personalized feedback (46.8%). Other reasons included building relationships with professors (34%), discussion of ideas and topics (17%), and career and academic advice (12.8%).

 

The biggest challenge students faced when scheduling office hours was finding a mutually convenient time for both the student and the professor. Respondents mentioned difficulties with conflicting schedules, class times, and availability, as well as communication issues such as email exchanges and not being able to see all available hours listed and updated. Some students expressed discomfort with the scheduling process, while others reported a lack of familiarity with it.

When asked if they had ever missed an office hours appointment due to scheduling conflicts, 25.5% of respondents said yes. The reasons for missing appointments included conflicts with other mandatory meetings, having class during the scheduled office hours, emergencies, oversleeping, and having a busy schedule with work and other commitments. Some students reported that the teacher's availability did not align with their own, making it impossible to attend office hours.

 

In terms of app features, respondents indicated that they would like to see an easily navigable interface, the ability to view professors' schedules and availability, a shared calendar, and a notification system for reminders. They also suggested the ability to schedule appointments for specific lengths of time, customization of hours to fit personal schedules, and the ability to see how many other students are scheduled to meet with the professor. The app should be user-friendly and universal, with a design similar to existing scheduling tools such as Calend.ly or Signup Genius.

Respondents considered it important to view the availability of their professors in real-time while scheduling office hours appointments, with an average score of 4.23 on a scale from 1-5. Email was the preferred method of communication with professors for most students (63.8%), followed by in-person communication (27.7%) and phone (7.8%). Respondents also considered the ability to communicate with professors through the scheduling app important, with an average score of 4 on a scale of 1-5.

 

The majority of students scheduled office hours appointments 2-3 days before, with appointments typically lasting between 10-30 minutes. Respondents considered reminders before scheduled appointments important, with an average score of 4.55. A quarter of students had to reschedule appointments due to conflicts that arose after the initial appointment was scheduled, making the ability to reschedule appointments through the app important, with an average score of 4.34.

 

The survey also sought to understand what an appropriate penalty for a student who misses a scheduled appointment would be. Responses varied, with some suggesting no penalty or a simple apology, while others suggested a 2 or 3-strike system where students lose the privilege of scheduling appointments if they miss too many.