Reimagining Student Success
Role
UX Researcher
(Group Project with Vanessa Chesnut)
Toolkit
Figma
Illustrator/Photoshop
Google Forms
Highlights
The landscape of remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in the US.
Human-Centered Design
Education Experience Design
COVID-19 Remote Learning
Adaptive Learning
Duration
6 Weeks
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Problem
In the absence of clear expectations, guidelines would address the issues that matter most in student learning: access to education in the face of building closures, the digital divide and teacher work plans that address student learning loss.
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The User
Public High School Teachers
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Product Overview: A Framework
A set of guidelines is distributed in all school districts. These guidelines would offer tips and metrics that address student learning gaps.
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Design Process
A set of guidelines is distributed in all school districts. These guidelines would offer tips and metrics that address student learning gaps.
Design Research Overview
Ecosystem mapping, proto-personas and interviews were implemented to better understand the problem space and users. A set of guidelines for high school teachers was prototyped and evaluated through generative research.
Our design process for 6 weeks long project.
Define
An ecosystem map was developed to gather information and evaluate resources. For primary research, we focused on high school teachers and students.
Problem Space Overview
Problem Space
Due to circumstances defined by the Covid-19 pandemic, school districts have embraced the remote learning experience as a method to continue the education process.
For teachers, it is a constant challenge to assess the learning experience for each student. For high school students, in particular, it is a time when they are preparing for adulthood and/or higher education. It is precisely these students that are most acutely aware of the challenge that this represents in their development.
Different factors have become obstacles, advantages or learning challenges more so for some students more than others: learning accommodations, mental well-being, home support, access to resources, internet or bandwidth, to name a few.
How can we create a remote-learning model to help teachers and school districts focus resources on students with the greatest challenges?
Research Questions
🔎 How does the remote learning experience affect high school students’ performance?
🔎 What are the challenges that teachers are currently experiencing?
🔎 How can the remote learning experience be improved for both students and teachers?
🔎 How can we help teachers measure student performance so academic standards can be upheld?
🔎 How can we humanize the online learning process?
User Interviews
The main objectives of the interviews are to gain insight of constraints and identify the pain points in the distance learning experience, including an assessment of the technological tools that are being used within the virtual classroom. After the creation of a Discussion Guide, we interviewed 3 students and 5 teachers from California, Texas, Puerto Rico, Mississippi, Vermont and Florida. As secondary research, we also referenced both education articles and recent school guidelines.
Personas
We understood that the teacher is a leader and the most influential person in an educational setting.
Although students are not the primary user in this case, they are at the center of the issue.
Key Findings - Teachers
From our interviews with teachers, we identified 3 major findings regarding difficulties in measuring student engagement and learning.
Student Engagement
“Nobody has their camera on. Sometimes I feel like I am teaching into the void.”
— Fabiola
Spanish Teacher | Richmond, VA
Student Assessment
“I cannot measure how my students are doing.”
— A. R. Vazquez
Non-fiction studies, Spanish dual immersion program | San Francisco, CA
Educational Gaps
"Students who are already academically behind...the gap widens with remote learning."
— D. Hall
Special Education Teacher | Marks, Mississippi
Key Findings - Students
From the other perspective, interviews with students confirmed what teachers also perceived. Students experienced socio-emotional challenges due to lack of social interaction. Students' mental health is challenged when school routines are ruptured and unstructured.
Student’s Challenges
Environmental Distractions
Mental Health and Well-being
Lack of Social Interactions
Reliable Internet Access and Resources
Teacher Experience Map
We created an experience map to visualize the context of the class and identify pain points and opportunities.
Experience Map
Remote learning experience for teachers during the pandemic.
Our design process for 6 weeks long project.
Insights
We designed guidelines to address issues that matter most in student learning, since the absence of clear expectations is certain to contribute to inequities across schools and districts. Addressing the issues for each particular school and teacher, we understood that our solutions should feature: flexibility, accessibility and empowering.
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![Three arrows]()
Flexibility
Flexibility is key to accommodating teachers’ diverse teaching methods.
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![Icon of a fist.]()
Empowering
Teachers have the power to modify their lesson plans and teaching methods according to their needs.
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![Shaking hands]()
Accessibility
Diverse methodologies to boost student performance.
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Solution
A set of guidelines is given to all school districts. The guidelines offer recommendations and metrics to follow in order to better address student learning gaps.
Our guidelines focus resources on students experiencing the greatest challenges, adapting to local context. School systems need to tailor options to users’ capabilities and to the available infrastructure.
GUIDELINES
The Guidelines offer - Identification information so that each teacher can submit a template, for each class, with grades, number of students and method. Teachers will evaluate the level of student engagement and assessments of expectations. The document is finalized and completed with teacher confirmation (attestation), execution process and submission instructions.
Guideline Features
Design learning environments that conform to the local context.
Design learning models specific to remote and hybrid environments.
Tips on engaging students online.
Student evaluation forms.
Map out a typical day for students.
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Generative Lean Research
REMOTE GENERATIVE DESIGN WORKSHOPS
For this process, we developed a strategy for collaborating with teachers remotely. Using only Google Slides, we were able to design a series of activities for a generative research activity.
Remote Generative Design Workshop
For this process, we developed a strategy for collaborating with teachers remotely. Using only Google Slides, we were able to design a series of activities for a generative research workshop.
Collaborate with teachers to determine which methods increase students' sucess.
Co-ideation for guidelines
Evaluation of different scenarios
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Takeaways for Future Work
Teachers are willing to embrace whatever is necessary to help their students succeed.
Student difficulties, teacher association demands and Department of Education guidelines are different within each district or state. However, what remains consistent is the lack of preparation for effective online education.
Over the summer break, many schools and local districts prepared for a resumption of in-person classes. But, the rise in COVID-19 cases impeded the implementation of those plans. Currently, each district is again embracing different strategies, tools and approaches. Within distinct districts, each teacher we interviewed used a different set of tools or apps. Not all teachers record their class sessions and some teachers even have to send materials by mail to students who live in remote locations.