Amidst the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional in-person learning has given way to online education. While certain institutions smoothly embraced this shift, others encountered obstacles during the adaptation process. In response to these challenges, my friends and I initiated a personal project to design an innovative, interactive learning platform tailored to meet the diverse needs of both graduate and undergraduate students. I acted as the project lead throughout the entire process.
Project Description
Tools Used:
Problem Statement
The shift from traditional face-to-face learning to online education due to the COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges for students and institutions alike. While some seamlessly transitioned to virtual platforms, others faced difficulties, leading to a widespread declaration of academic years being conducted purely online. As students strive to adapt, they grapple with creating conducive learning environments amidst household responsibilities, time-zone disparities, and the need for self-motivation. Moreover, The increase of students refraining from turning on their cameras during online classes to conserve bandwidth has resulted in reduced interactive learning. Consequently, there is a pressing need to address how to enhance interactivity in virtual classrooms that mirrors the physical experience as well as assess the engagement of lecturers and instructors in this online learning landscape.
Objectives
To design an interactive system for the learner
To design an assessment method for the classes
To design a classroom management system
Observation
Interviews
Desktop Research
Surveys
Persona
Affinity Mapping
Research Methods
In our research, we conducted a thorough examination of established systems like Google Classroom and the University System, supplemented by interviews with students and lecturers. With permission from the faculty, we observed classes within the School of Computing and Informatics at the University of Nairobi, encompassing both undergraduate and graduate levels. Subsequently, we engaged in affinity mapping, a process that assisted in the understanding of usage context.
Persona & Affinity Mapping
Qualitative Analysis
Findings from Research
Facilitation of Both Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning: The eLearning platform should enable the uploading of pre-recorded class sessions to accommodate asynchronous learning.
System Issue Reporting Feature: The e-Learning platform should include a "report a problem" button or section. Users, including students and teaching staff, can use this feature to report any issues encountered while using the system.
Technical Assistance, Support and Tutorials: Recognizing the lack of aid for users, the e-Learning platform should offer assistance. This could be in the form of video tutorials or an FAQ section addressing commonly asked questions about the system. To address learners' struggles with technology, the system should provide feedback and tutorials.These resources aim to help both learners and instructors navigate the platform and handle various technological challenges related to learning.
Enhancing Interactivity: Acknowledging the perceived boredom in learning sessions, the system should incorporate interactive elements. Ice-breakers and small games can be integrated to add engagement and foster knowledge retention.
Media Library for Demonstrations: The e-Learning platform should feature a media library to host demonstrations and additional educational content.
Virtual Board for Specialized Units: Units requiring elaborate demonstrations, such as Math, should have access to a virtual whiteboard within the platform. This feature is identified as critical for a better understanding of specific subjects.
Solution
The proposed solution was to design an online learning platform named E-Masomo that would cater to the specific needs of undergraduate and graduate students. Recognizing that both groups have similar yet distinct requirements, the platform would offer separate logins for each category. Furthermore, the design of E-Masomo would incorporate the features that were recommended based on user research. This approach ensures that the platform effectively addresses the specific demands of both undergraduate and graduate students, providing them with a personalized, interactive and optimal learning experience.
Figma was the tool of choice for creating the wireframes in our project. The design we came up with was specifically tailored for desktop and laptop users. In order to enhance usability, we decided to keep the wireframes in various shades of grey. This decision was based on valuable feedback from our usability testing, where users strongly recommended that the colors of different classes should vary within a specific color scheme. For instance, if an undergraduate student is enrolled in a cognitive science class, the pages associated with that class would be displayed in different shades of blue. As a result, we plan to incorporate this colour variation feature during the system's implementation phase.
Learnings
Online learning has provided a great deal of flexibility for learners and instructors. However, many of us have been missing out on the interactions and engagement that a physical classroom offers. Despite efforts like turning on cameras and engaging in games, it simply isn't the same as being able to experience someone's gestures and expressions in person. With the advent of COVID, online learning has undergone a lot of adaptation, and there are still many nuances to be explored in order to improve virtual interaction.