As summer draws to a close, one of the most exciting times of the year for school-age students and their parents makes its annual appearance. It’s back to school season. Time for new clothes, fresh school supplies, and earlier mornings. For some students, the Genesys PureCloud platform is making going back to school—and back to doing homework—a little easier.

Whether students love school or wish summer break could last forever, many share a common anxiety around homework, especially math and science homework. Teenage students all over the world spend many hours each week on homework. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an international forum of 34 democracies with market economies, found that 15-year-old students in the United Kingdom spent an average of 4.9 hours per week on homework, and 15-year-old students in the United States toiled for 6.1 hours each week. The average for countries in the study is 4.9 hours.

Science and math homework help with PureCloud

Challenging subjects like calculus and chemistry consume many of those homework hours. Those types of subject areas prove difficult for many students even in a classroom where a dedicated teacher explains key concepts. They’re even more daunting when students confront difficult problems while trying to complete a homework assignment. Many parents lack the mastery of science and math required to help, leaving students in many areas to grapple with problems on their own. But not in the US state of Indiana.

In Indiana, students in 6th through 12th grade can turn to AskRose for free help. Run by the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, one of the top engineering schools in the United States, the AskRose Homework Help (or AskRose) connects students in need of help with tutors. The tutors are undergraduate students at Rose-Hulman recommended by faculty, and they can help with everything from arithmetic to calculus and advanced physics. Special training prepares the tutors to help stumped students understand how to solve problems.

Ending communication snags for students and tutors

Originally just a telephone hotline, AskRose has branched out in recent years to include chat and email. Today’s digital-native students like the range of options—and so do tutors. As chat emerged as AskRose’s fastest-growing channel, so did problems. AskRose’s on-premise contact management system didn’t support a multi-channel approach well. Chat outages hit AskRose about a quarter of operational days. When it was working, technical glitches—like chat windows that closed unexpectedly—frustrated users.

Something needed to change. Leaders at AskRose decided to switch to the Genesys PureCloud platform in 2015. Up and running in 7 days, the platform resolved the downtime issue immediately, with 100% uptime since going live. CSAT jumped 14% in just the first year thanks to the improved customer experience. Those more satisfied students know that they have a resource they can rely on to help them understand vexing science and math questions.

According to Lindsay Hull, associate director of AskRose at Rose-Hulman: “Our tutors are thrilled to be using PureCloud. The user interface is really nice and the whole platform makes it so simple for them to do their jobs. It feels good to be able to give them a tool that lets them focus on helping students without worrying about what’s going on with the technology.”

The science (and math) of customer experience

Higher uptime and increased satisfaction are just the beginning of the customer experience improvements for Rose-Hulman. Watch a video to hear leaders at AskRose describe the impact of the Genesys PureCloud platform. Then, read a case study highlighting a number of quantitative improvements at AskRose. You’ll also learn how the Genesys PureCloud platform makes it easier for students to work with the best tutor for their needs. And if you’re a parent in Indiana, celebrate back to school by telling your young scholars to “AskRose” the next time they’re having trouble with differential equations.