Hive/Bootcamp Meeting III (11/15)
- Journey Map --> Review and add
- Research session --> free forum
- Different levels of access – public, private for alumni, different year groups, admitted incoming students?
Alumni –
- Discovery – How did you discover Bootcamp? What were you looking for?
- Creating an online platform – looking for the best
- Online forum too complicated –
- Looking for information about how to start a business, searching for a business plan – first looking for online courses, then Edx, then stuff related with business – what made him choose MIT Bootcamp – high energy, high quality of videos/production + quality of information – simple, well-produced
- Good examples, interviews with Erdin
- Discussion forum – trying to extract information that was more related to my topic, understand a little bit about who was behind
- Social innovation, “looking for more,” “it’s not enough,” – had an account with EdX, but didn’t really do anything because there wasn’t really any content
- Wanted to come to MIT himself, “see if it’s true,” – branding power of MIT; wanted a different perspective – self-validation -- worth 5 or 6/10 thousand dollars? But then you get to share the MIT logo and you feel like it’s worth it – force someone to work faster and be more committed to my project; they’ve stopped full scholarships
- I’ve done this vs. I’m on the way to doing something
- didn’t really use the discussion form, kind of messy, low response time; UX was really bad
2. Networking side – once you stepped away from the course – was it easy to contact people?
- Tried using LinkedIn – the forum, changed to Twitter, followed where the communication was faster/more efficient – a response time issue (from both alumni and Bootcamp)
- How do people try to get in touch now? LinkedIn is big; Twitter – mostly prospective students – students are trying to figure out, reach out independently – What do they want to know? Ask about the experience, what were the results (tangible output), what did you learn, looking for backdoor admissions
- Why contact via LinkedIn? Probably the one-on-one connection – someone to really talk with – want to engage with people behind the scenes –
*Important feature – being able to search users by country; a lot of people run local meet ups
3. Coaches now – about the process, how it could be better – Why did you decide to be a coach?
- What are you looking for as a coach –
- How they’d benefit
- What’s their message
- Soft skills
- How are they having that communication? Sometimes in person, sometimes through Skype – redirected them to Facebook messenger
- How does the matchmaking process work? –> First day people form team of 5, coaches selected base on experience and subject matter expertise, also cohort – pair coaches based on complimentary skill sets – coaches who can learn from other coaches – coaches are a mix of MIT graduates and Bootcamp graduates – then assign coaches to a set of six teams
- Do coaching connections last after the Bootcamp? Sometimes – depends on subject, location, personal connection – Bootcampers also approach individual coaches as well –
- Any follow up? Sometimes, depends
- Badging? Definitely need staff and alumni distinction; what year; – coaches who aren’t alumni of the program it’s a little bit more of a transient role, and aren’t always the same coaches at every Bootcamp
Lecturers (varies) – coaching support staff (varies)
Coaching is valuable – real-life experience, pick someone’s brain, brings a different dimension to any other projects; personal attention and care
What’s App group for coaches; professional networking/development that happens in coaching relationships
Part 2: Post-it Note Exercise (see pictures)
How can we harness alumni excitement for prospective students?
- #1 Create visual storytelling of the alumni journey, visual design
How can we give prospects a better taste for the experience?
- #1 Media, news, in-person meet ups
How can we build a relationship with prospects to help them decide they want to come?
- #1 Different access at different stages
How can we make onboarding/application process more efficient?
- #1 Forum where prospective students can ask one another about the process
How can we build anticipation and connections between prospects before the event?
- #1 Private digital space for new admits
How can we move Bootcamp experiences online to preserve them better?
- #1 Class website, time capsule,
How can we help alumni maintain personal momentum and new connections after Bootcamp?
- Reunion Bootcamp, central alumni directory for connections
Can we provide scalable support services for alumni?
- Create a craigslist for services and matchups