RESEARCH & Design
Enhancing Educational Impact through Research and Design for Oppia
CLIENT
ROLE
tools
Duration
Oppia is a platform that provides accessible online learning designed to meet the needs of under-resourced learners worldwide.
Background
Oppia is an open-source community focused on creating interactive educational content. I contributed by addressing several design and user experience challenges, utilizing pre- and post-test surveys and other resources the team provided. My role involved analyzing issues, designing solutions, and enhancing the platform's overall user experience and engagement.
In this project, I took a flexible, adaptive approach rather than following a strict design framework. My process included:
Research and Analysis: Clarifying core issues by examining client needs and using user feedback to uncover pain points and needs.
Collaborative Ideation: Working with the Oppia team to create clear, accessible, and engaging solutions.
Iterative Refinement: Continuously improving based on ongoing feedback.
Practical Implementation: Focusing on real-world impact through user feedback to measure effectiveness.
This adaptable approach allowed me to remain responsive, delivering practical and effective solutions for users.
Problem
Oppia faced challenges in evaluating the effectiveness of its financial literacy lessons aimed at students aged 7-14, and needed to ensure the lessons met educational goals.
Objective
Evaluate the effectiveness of Oppia’s Financial Literacy lessons for students aged 7-14 and identify areas for improvement.
Solution
I conducted a moderated, in-person study with 4 students (ages 11-14), assessing their understanding of financial concepts before and after completing 4 financial literacy modules. I collected qualitative and quantitative feedback and provided actionable recommendations based on my analysis.
Research Methodology
Type: Moderated (In-person) study
Participants: 4 students (ages 11-14)
Process:
Pre-Test Survey: I assessed participants' baseline financial knowledge.
Lesson Engagement: I moderated participants through the study when they were taking lessons.
Post-Test Survey: I measured changes in understanding after lesson completion.
Research Analysis: I compiled a detailed report that highlighted strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, demonstrating the lessons' impact on enhancing financial literacy skills.
Problem
Oppia needed interactive science lessons on "Food & Nutrition" to broaden its offerings and help students understand dietary principles and healthy eating through engaging content.
Objective
Develop interactive lessons on "Food & Nutrition" under the Science category for Oppia, aimed at enhancing students’ understanding of dietary principles and healthy eating.
Solution
I created an engaging, interactive lesson plan incorporating UX writing techniques, a skill tree, and a well-crafted story with relatable characters, to make the concepts of food and nutrition more accessible and engaging for students.
How I arrived at the Solution
IMPACT
My approach, leveraging UX writing techniques, enhanced student engagement and retention through interactive and narrative-driven content.
Problem
Oppia needed art assets to aid student engagement and comprehension.
Objective
Design art assets for interactive lessons on "Food & Nutrition" to enhance visual appeal and clarity, in line with Oppia’s guidelines.
Solution
I designed art assets using Inkscape, a vector-based design tool I had never used before. Despite being new to the tool, I was able to create assets that fit within Oppia's specifications for size, format, and visual style.
How I arrived at Solution
Learning Inkscape: I quickly learned the software through online tutorials, applying what I learned to create the art assets.
Some of the art asset
IMPACT
The newly designed assets improved visual engagement, making complex topics easier to understand through clear illustrations.
Problem
Some existing lessons contained content overload, missing visuals, and limited guidance, creating barriers for young learners
Objective
Conduct a review of Oppia’s lessons from a pedagogical perspective to ensure content is suitable for students, and propose improvements to enhance accessibility for learners globally
Solution
I carried out a UX audit, identifying key issues such as reading overload, missing images, lack of solution tabs, and inadequate visualizations in concept cards. I provided solutions for each issue, including content restructuring and the addition of images and visual aids.
How I arrived at the Solution
My Process:
Leveraging UX audit and UX writing skills, I conducted a comprehensive review of some lessons on Oppia's site. This involved evaluating content, interaction, feedback and hints to ensure they were effectively tailored for learners. I then compiled a detailed report with actionable recommendations aimed at enhancing accessibility and usability for learners worldwide.
Key Findings from Research & Audit
Reading Overload:
Issue: Some lessons contain too much reading material, which may overwhelm or bore students.
Solution: I proposed breaking up the content into smaller cards, adding practice questions between readings, or removing unnecessary words.
b. Missing Images:
Issue: Some questions require images that are not present, potentially causing confusion for learners.
Solution: I created art suggestions to fill in the missing images, helping to clarify the content.
c. Lack of Solution Tabs:
Issue: Some questions do not include a solution tab, which is essential for guiding learners on how to solve problems.
Solution: I recommended adding solution tabs to provide essential guidance and support for learners
d. Lack of Visualization for Arithmetic Concept Cards:
Issue: Some concept cards do not include visualizations, which are essential for teaching arithmetic problems.
Solution: I suggested incorporating more visual elements into the concept cards to enhance students' understanding.
For access to the full review report, please contact me directly.
IMPACT
Improved Engagement: Addressing these issues reduced cognitive overload and enhanced student engagement.
Enhanced Accessibility: Implementing these suggestions helped the lessons more accessible and user-friendly, benefiting a diverse range of learners
I conducted an in-person study which led to a 97.5% improvement in financial literacy skills among participants.
I leveraged UX writing techniques to design narrative-driven, interactive content that significantly enhanced student engagement and retention.
I created new visual assets , which improved visual engagement and made complex topics easier for learners to understand.
I conducted UX Audits on Oppia's existing lessons to identify and address cognitive overload issues, resulting in more accessible and user-friendly lessons that benefit a diverse range of learners.
Takeaways
Working on Oppia's educational content emphasized the critical role of integrating thorough UX research, audit, and writing. By addressing issues such as reading overload, complex wording, and missing visuals, I discovered how targeted improvements can significantly enhance lesson engagement and accessibility. This experience reinforced my belief in the transformative power of user-centered design, research, and strategic content development to elevate learning materials and enrich the overall user experience.
"Mariam’s observations and suggestions have played a crucial role in improving the quality of our Science & Financial Literacy lessons, which will soon be launched. Her contributions are set to benefit future learners and enhance their educational experience"
-Aanuoluwapo Adeoti. - Oppia Foundation