OVERVIEW
We designed a performance dashboard for professors to evaluate student preparation and the need for remediation.
Snapshot
Role
- Product Designer
Tools & Tech
- Sketch
- InVision
- Zeplin
Project Duration
- 1 Year
Methods
Strategy
- Lean UX Approach
- Product Ideation
- User Flows
Research
- Task Analysis
- Journey Mapping
- Usability Testing
Design
- Sketches
- Wireframes
- Rapid Prototyping
Brief
The aim was to improve Revel, the 'read a little and do a little' Pearson learning tool, by designing an enhanced instructor experience with flexible assignment management. We also created performance analytics that helped instructors make data-informed decisions, such as how to prepare for class, and which students needed extra instruction assistance.
Challenge
The discovery phase of this project taught us that instructors were overwhelmed by rapidly evolving technology and systems in the modern classroom. It quickly became clear that the solution was to distill information into actionable insights that helped instructors monitor grades while understanding how to interact with students effectively.
Focus
Revel now offers an updated instructor experience based on research in the classroom and feedback directly from instructors throughout the design process. The platform currently provides advanced personalization along with adaptive learning systems that improve outcomes of education in real-time and allows instructors to identify early interventions.
Outcome
Revel has received positive feedback and improved outcome scores since our major update to the platform. Users have responded well to the platform's updated features and redesign. Revel improved students' course grades and exam scores by 5% or more across various disciplines. Numerous research studies have proven students are more prepared.
OUTCOME HIGHLIGHTS
Teammates
- Albert Christy
- Devin Knight
- Jackie Jakob
- Phil Pochrazt
Educators interviewed
262
User research studies
30
Patents filed
2
THE AIM
Part 1: Purpose
What was the problem we were trying to solve?
AIMED TO IMPACT OUTCOMES
Simple & Actionable
Instructors can now see immediately how well their students are prepared for class, average grade distribution, who might need assistance, and where to focus.
EXPLORING ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS
Our team delivered an enhanced Revel experience that was revived to promote better learning outcomes. We built around a framework of welcoming visual elements, along with intuitive information architecture, that provided structure.
Revel now also offers an updated instructor experience based on research in the classroom and feedback directly from instructors throughout the design process. The platform currently provides advanced personalization along with adaptive learning systems that improve outcomes of education in real-time.
Personalized teaching management experience shaped for instructors:
- Published assignments up and running instantly
- Made it easy to recognize and reach struggling students
- Presented pleasant content to keep students attentive
ADVANCED FEATURES WITH LEAN UX
In an effort to streamline our process and directly meet the instructors' necessities, we utilized the Lean UX framework. For the first time, we implemented Lean methods and sprint cycle ceremonies whenever possible within the Pearson organizational & cross-functional team dynamics.
We fostered iterative conversations and propelled progress with an emphasis on collaboration over documentation and deliverables. We focused on the needs of our customers, discovered ways to meet them, and delivered upon the product and engineering roadmap to realistically upscale the solution.
Before & After
GUIDED BY ITERATIVE HYPOTHESIS
At the beginning of each sprint, our team converged on a distinct hypothesis to test and validate. We then prototyped at varying levels of design fidelity with instructors in the second week of sprint work. The hypothesis afforded a precise focus for the particular sprint across our team. For example:
"We believe that instructors will discern actionable insights from class performance with progressive views focused on recency and relevance."
On the last Friday of a sprint, we were invigorated to discuss outcomes and lessons learned with a broad group of stakeholders and partners. We reviewed the designs tested and hypothesis-related outcomes that were validated or not. The feedback from our broader team on demo day, taken in connection with what we learned from instructors, guided the focus of the next sprint.
This simple dialogue helped our team iterate on the top priority work and develop greater confidence along with a shared understanding of the solutions.
COLLABORATIVE AT EVERY STEP
We relied heavily on a collaborative approach to the design decisions made throughout every phase of development. Each sprint, we worked hard to ensure remote teammates felt welcomed in our collaboration gatherings.
Once we fine-tuned these design studio sessions, ideas converged and made it easy to gather feedback from instructors with user inquiry every single sprint.
Every two week sprint, we accomplished the following:
- SPRINT PLANNING: What questions do we need answered?
- IDEATION: How might we solve this specific problem?
- TESTING: What do instructors think?
- DISCUSSION: What did we learn from instructors?
- REVIEW: Collaborate w/ stakeholders on next step discussions
THE WORK
Part 2: Process
How did we arrive at the solution to the original problem?
SPRINT-BY-SPRINT CYCLE
Improved Collaboration
Shared understanding of UXR was valuable component of our team dynamic. We valued ongoing user interviews leaning on prototypes to guide design decisions.
ROUGH EDGES GOT THINGS ROLLING
When prototyping, we employed the lowest fidelity first to test ideas and learn quickly. Paper kept the initial solutions adaptable and promoted a more comprehensive spectrum of responses that helped thoroughly understand the mindset and mental models of our customers who walked into the classroom.
I enjoyed starting with sketches on paper to clarify solutions and captured the essential context for discussions with users. This also provided the opportunity to iterate on many divergent ideas before converging with my teammates.
We allocated the majority of the first week to considering numerous diverse paths and lent little time to perfecting sketches. The two-week sprint cycles encapsulated their own stressors. We'd been accountable for determining what to solve, how to solve it, and how to best build out a testable prototype flow for eagle-eyed professors in less than two weeks. Time was a driving motivator.
UNCOVERED THE STARTING POINT
Discovery
—
The remainder of the first week was committed to outlining ideal test flows and developing a shared understanding of the prototype we aimed test.
The team contributed idea outlines during timed design studio activities using rough sketches.
SHAPED THE FRAMEWORK
Definition
—
I'd evaluate the possibilities and then repeat with more in-depth details blocked out paper prototypes with markers.
Followed the navigational direction
This is where we uncovered the flow that worked best for instructors to be most efficient
OUTLINED NAVIGATION FLOW
Monday and Tuesday of the second week were devoted to polishing the test prototypes and capturing all of our assumptions in a script that our team used to guide the feedback conversations in user interviews with instructors.
The entire team listened in on the remotely moderated tests held on Wednesday and Thursday. By the end of the second day, we all had a shared understanding of validated assumptions along with modifications needed.
Sample review of significant insights uncovered with paper prototypes:
- Tell a clear story w/ "Temperature Check" as fundamental element of the flow
- Clarify and simplify data displayed, progressively reveal details as needed
- Highlight data most suitable to where instructors are in the course lifecycle
- View results and completion data by student and assignment organized lists
REDUCED FRICTION
Helped save vital time for educators.
The designs emerged iteratively based on a never-ending loop of user feedback that helped deliver a personalized teaching experience based on realistic outcomes. Throughout the year, we interviewed instructors across many different disciplines using both in-person and remote for feedback at many different stages of agile discovery UXR and design delivery.
262
Educators interviewed
30
User research studies
2
Patents filed
ACCELERATED OUTCOMES WITH DATA
It was important instructors were presented with details they needed most for action. The grades view clearly flagged vital information about students' performance and content to review in upcoming class sessions with students.
The assessment detail pages highlighted class-wide performance and knowledge gaps, including questions that students found challenging based on 'correct on first-try' calculations. These deep-dive details concentrated on the overall score and assignment progress with scannable learning outcomes.
DATA POINTS THAT LED TO OUTCOMES
Actionable info
—
The assessment detail pages highlighted the class-wide performance and knowledge gaps, including questions that students found challenging based on 'correct on first-try' calculations. Those deep-dive details concentrated on overall score and assignment progress along with scannable learning outcomes.
USED INSIGHTS TO CONNECT WITH STUDENTS
Ongoing lessons
—
Throughout the experience, a direct messaging system allowed the instructor to reach out to particular students about their grades and submissions - including batch emails to struggling cohorts.
THOUGHTFUL ENHANCEMENTS
The reimagined gradebook surfaced essential grade statistics associated with each assignment. The improved flagging system highlights student submissions that need to be graded along with challenging content to be evaluated and possibly incorporated into a lesson during an upcoming class.
Visual design elements implemented throughout the process:
- Automatic & straightforward: Easy to learn and use
- Practical & helpful: Enabled information design
- Actionable insights: Meaningful use of color
- Simple visualizations: See what's important
THE RESULTS
Part 3: Outcomes
What were the initial lessons learned?
SHIP PROGRESS TO LEARN OFTEN
Redefined & Improved
Adopting the Lean UX design process gave our team autonomy to better understand problems. We uncovered and solved for real user pain points.
WHAT WERE THE BIG LESSONS?
From start to finish, the inclusive and collaborative design methods enabled our team to study the problem inside and out, examined various ideas, failed quickly, and iterated to serve customers and the always-evolving classroom.
As cross-functional partners, we worked quickly and collaboratively to get something, anything, in front of the user for validation as early as possible.
This is how we strengthened and delivered innovations to help users identify:
- Struggling Students:
Answering the question: "Who is struggling in class?"
Quickly identify which students are having a hard time with specific material or other who aren't completing homework
- Challenging Content:
- Answering the question: "What content is difficult?"
- Class-wide performance, time spent, & questions answered
We eliminated deliverable waste and steered toward the most basic MVP for testing that fueled continuous discovery. Our rapid learning cycles outfitted the team with info to better adapt and respond with change to provide true value.
"It's good feedback if I want to ask a student 'what's up?' We want to contact students that are falling behind, so this would be extremely useful."
Sociology instructor
IMPROVED WAYS OF WORKING
Clear comms
—
Collaborated early with developers on potential solutions to bring a technical perspective on solutions, which would help inform new ways to solve problems based on feasibility limits.
"Feels like a modern piece of technology. Not only is it data-driven, but it's user friendly. The interface is clearly direct, so it's not intimidating."
English instructor
THE DAY-TO-DAY
Part 4: Behind-the-scenes
How did we have fun along the way and keep the creativity flowing when solving complex problems?
Keep it light
Throughout the design process our team was named 'HMS Belafonte' and many collab sessions were themed by the intrepid spirit Steve Zissou exuded throughout 'The Life Aquatic.' Below is a sampling of sprint and design studio decks.
