Overview
Uplift K12 is a TechEd Whiteboard tool for K-12 students to interact with tutors and learn math through digital games and activities. Our project aims to enhance the experience by making it more appealing and engaging for both tutors and students.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Reseacher
Duration
Jan - Mar 2023
(in development)
Project Goals
Lesson Packaging
Creating a turn-key system for tutors, alleviating confusion and time spent planning lessons, so they can focus on what matters–connecting and educating their students
Lesson Gamification
Creating a gamified experience that leaves students excited to return with a smile on their face.
The Challenge
How can we create a more appealing and engaging reward system to enhance student participation and motivation in gamified tutoring?
Dividing into two teams
Following initial research, we divided into two separate sub-groups to address the two separate project goals. To solve the gamification task, I was part of a team of five. Each day, both teams met to discuss the design process and any difficulties we faced during our project.
Exploring the current website
We carried out a heuristic evaluation to enhance usability by reducing design flaws. Our team delved into the existing Uplift K12 website to assess the effectiveness of its interface and features. We aimed to identify any gaps in the current user experience that we could address while designing our prototype.
What is the purpose of earning gems?
Not clear student reward system
Limited and non inclusive student avatars
User Research & Key Insights
Interviewing our Educators
To gain a deeper understanding of the current state of education and the platforms used by educators, we conducted scripted interviews with five individuals who have a strong background in education. Out of the five interviewees, only one had prior experience using Uplift K12 as a teaching tool.
Mapping our interview key insights
We held a collaborative design lab to analyze research observations from interviews, using an affinity map divided into Lesson Packaging, Gamification, and a Mutual section. Here are some "I" statements related to lesson gamification from the mapping exercise.
I want to use external tools to motivate students individually and make them excited about the next lesson.
I want to prevent student disengagement from gamified lessons caused by disappointment.
I need to ensure students' engagement and alignment of incentives throughout the lesson.
Our Solution
We need to create a game-based learning experience with consistent gamification strategies for positive behavior, self-esteem, and a safe environment embracing student mistakes.
Ideate
Playing with Sketches
Based on our findings, we decided to do an Ideation Workshop. This will help us figure out what we want our design to look like by finding common ideas that everyone agrees on - it's a simple way to make sure we're all on the same page.
Usability Testing
What we found out?
We conducted usability tests with current platform users, our objective was to observe users using the newly designed reward system, and identify any potential pain points or stumbling blocks.
Similiar icons caused confusion
60% of users were confused over two similar video icons for two separate functions.
Signifiers cause user uncertainty
100% of users indicated signifiers of the selected badges were not fun and motivating enough.
Missing colors on CTA buttons
80% of users hesitated to click on CTA buttons, causing slower responses and less interaction.
Final Design
Teacher Whiteboard
The new whiteboard enhances education with interactive features like motivational stickers. It also includes a Pomodoro timer, notes, and a to-do list for efficient organization. This fun, engaging approach keeps students motivated and captivated in their learning experience.
Rewards
After the lesson, teachers can award badges and personal notes, leveraging human psychology to boost students' sense of achievement and motivation for ongoing learning.
Student Whiteboard
The new student whiteboard enables students to utilize manipulatives and tools during class, monitor their progress, and engage in group learning by expressing themselves with reaction options.
Student Dashboard
After logging in, students can choose an avatar and indicate their current mood, then access a customized dashboard to review activities and earned badges. This enhances their motivation and makes learning more enjoyable.
Creating a Colorful and Inclusive Classroom
I Illustrated a set of inclusive student avatars to create a more welcoming and representative learning environment for all students.
Final Thoughts
Why?
I took a part in this project to help kids with math disabilities by creating a fun and less frustrating learning experience, like I faced as a child.
Next Steps
If I had more time, I would like to focus on creating an accessible platform for other devices such as tablets / ipads.