{"id":3145,"date":"2026-03-10T13:18:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T13:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/itl\/?p=3145"},"modified":"2026-04-02T10:15:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T09:15:37","slug":"reflect-on-capturing-student-experience-with-journey-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/itl\/2026\/03\/10\/reflect-on-capturing-student-experience-with-journey-map\/","title":{"rendered":"The Student Change Lab: Reflecting on using journey maps to capture the Student Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Delilah Trotter<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Test and learn #3: Can Journey Map support our reps to initiate deeper conversations to learn holistically about students\u2019 learning experiences? In this blog an Academic Rep shares their thoughts on the process:<\/em><\/p>\n

On the 16th of October, myself,\u00a0and\u00a0a number of\u00a0my peers participated in a workshop led by\u00a0Chiachi Ming and Iria Lopez Garcia. This provided a key opportunity for the postgraduate\u00a0international education student representatives to get to know each other. We bonded over\u00a0pizza, chitchat, and our inability to turn on the lights in our meeting space! We discussed our\u00a0motives for pursuing this role, including meeting new people, becoming more involved in the\u00a0student experience, and putting in\u00a0face-time\u00a0with our faculty.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We learned from our program leads that representatives have been tackling the problem of\u00a0ensuring students feel that their feedback is being used e\ufb00ectively. Most of us know the feeling\u00a0of filling out a survey and wondering what on Earth the purpose was! To combat this, we\u00a0practiced using journey maps for the first time. Journey maps result in a personalized and in-depth picture of student experience. With this method, we can really get to the bottom of\u00a0where students need more support. We all know students are stressed about their studies, but\u00a0if we know specifically why, we can help them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Students<\/p>\n

As students, we are all on separate journeys. Some are long-term and broad, such as\u00a0graduating. Some are short-term and specific, such as getting a good grade on a paper. The\u00a0journey map helps to track how a student approaches obstacles. We started out our practice\u00a0by using our own personal experiences to understand this method.\u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One student discussed his journey of overcoming stress and confusion about an assignment\u2019s\u00a0instructions. He wrote on a\u00a0post-it-note that he was worried about completing an assignment\u00a0due to complicated instructions that he was unfamiliar with. He was asked what steps he took\u00a0to alleviate this stress, to which he answered that he asked the professor for further\u00a0instructions. After this conversation, he felt slightly less confused, but still not entirely\u00a0confident. He then made the decision to talk to friends in his course to clarify the project. After\u00a0this, he was feeling mostly confident. We used the\u00a0post-it-notes he had filled with details about\u00a0his experience and how it made him feel to create a diagram on poster board.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Post-it<\/p>\n

This was an excellent example of how the journey maps could benefit our ability to collect\u00a0feedback. His experience showed what he found\u00a0helpful, but\u00a0also identified the areas in which\u00a0he needed more support. We as student reps could use this data to find other ways to help\u00a0students like him, such as hosting a workshop about completing this type of assignment. The\u00a0journey map allowed us to dissect each step of his process and his related feelings, which is a\u00a0helpful alternative to something like a survey, which is broader and more ambiguous.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We left the session feeling prepared and excited to engage with our fellow students. We can\u2019t\u00a0wait to see where this year takes us and how we can make a di\ufb00erence in our community!\u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Student Change Lab is a collaborative space where students and staff work together to explore how human-centred design approach and tool can implement meaningful improvements in teaching and learning, especially in the student voice and engagement. Through co-creation, experimentation, dialogues and skill trainings, our lab aims to empower students and staff to shape educational experience and drive positive outcomes across the university.<\/em><\/p>\n

Want to know more about the project? Have a look on <\/em>Student Change Lab<\/em><\/strong><\/a> (SCL)! Or join our <\/em>LinkedIn group<\/em><\/strong><\/a> to stay updated.<\/em><\/p>\n

Further reading:<\/strong><\/p>\n