Web & Interactive Communications (WEB), part of the Office of Technology Solutions, is excited to announce the launch of a new class search experience this fall. Starting in early October, students and staff will be able to find and explore university course offerings with an improved Course Finder.
Upgrades
The original Course Finder has been one of the most popular websites at Illinois State University, boasting an average of 500,000 visits and three million page views each year. Knowing it is an essential resource for the University, the WEB team has upgraded the tool with the goal of continuously improving the course registration process.
The new version of Course Finder retains the core search functionality of the original for users to look for classes by subject, title, or course description. However, the most anticipated new feature is the addition of filters:
Search results can now be refined by availability, graduation requirements, instruction modality, meeting times, and more. These attributes are also now displayed in a clean, organized user interface for each class result. New to Course Finder is information about enrollment availability, showing how many open seats remain in each class section.
A full list of course offerings by school/department can be found under Subject List, formerly Course Directory on the old Course Finder.
The new Course Finder is also designed with improved mobile support.
Student Success
“The WEB team is fully committed to enhancing the Course Finder experience for student and advisor success,” said Mary Ditchen, lead front end developer. “This was a strategic project with their needs at the core of every decision.”
The goal for this project ties directly into the top objective of Illinois State University’s strategic plan: championing student success. Refreshing the class search experience also meets objectives to improve business efficiency and continually update technology to meet campus needs.
“The new Course Finder isn’t just a redesign; it’s a reimagined experience shaped by the needs of users across campus,” added Mofe Oduntan, web developer. “By putting users at the center, through testing and refining, we built a tool that feels intuitive and truly supports student decision-making. With a streamlined user journey, the new Course Finder makes it easier to quickly access the information you need with the least effort.”
Next Steps
Developing the new Course Finder was a major collaborative effort from the team featuring extensive UX research, design, and coding. Web & Interactive Communications supports over 200 university websites and dozens of in-progress projects. We continuously seek opportunities to work together and welcome feedback as well.
Whether it is to report an issue or share an idea for improvement for the new Course Finder, staff members can be contacted through the feedback form, also found in the footer of the updated Course Finder site. Your input will help us continue to improve the Course Finder experience.
