flowreader
The Challenge
According to the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 34% of fourth grade students are below basic reading level, and another 31% are below the proficient reading level. A child who struggles with literacy will suffer negative effects well into adulthood. Often, the causes of illiteracy are external, such as socioeconomic disparity and poor access to resources.
How can we support young learners to independently navigate and be successful in their literary education? My mission statement:
“I believe that an immersive, gamefied learning environment gives students the ability to become self-directed in their exploration of a language."
My Role:
I worked on this project alone and was fully responsible for all roles. Roles include:
• Management (weekly reviews and task organization)
• User Research & Analysis (user interviews, white paper research)
• Ideation (storyboards, journey maps)
• Design (wireframing, branding, UI design)
• Lo and Hi-fidelity Prototyping (flow and interactions)
• Usability Testing (iterative design)
Overview
Project Title:
Exploratory Literacy Education App
Purpose:
Conceptualizing a gamefied literacy education app for sixth grade students in the USA
Client:
Job Interview Assignment
Timeline:
Four days
Task:
- Create a basic application user flow
- Create three wireframes
- the selection of activity
- the activity itself
- a tablet version
- Enable a parent/teacher to monitor progress
RESEARCH
User Research
Due to the time constraint of this project, User Interviews were limited to two subjects:
- An eleven year old boy, in fifth grade
- A fourteen year old girl, in high school
Takeaways:
- Younger students are not always able to identify their frustrations
- Students are often externally motivated
- School subjects became memorable when presented in a novel way
- Playing games in class makes students feel engaged and helps them retain information
Two User Personas were generated based on these interviews, and a third persona was synthesized from my personal experience as a second-language instructor and the insights I gathered from white paper research.
User personas
Rosa
Connor
Connor
Rosa represents a student who is not a native-speaker of English. According to the NCES, about 35% of low-literacy adults are citizens born outside of the United States.
Rosa needs:
- Pictographic interface that can be used without the ability to read
- Models of proper pronunciation for support at home
- Review of foundational reading skills such as phonics and sight words
- Lots of animations for deeper understanding
Connor
Connor
Connor
English is his first language, but classroom environments don't interest him much. His parents support him by offering external incentives if he gets good grades.
Connor needs:
- Learning to be fun and exciting
- Information to be presented in a digestible way
- Replayability with different outcomes
- Element of surprise to keep his attention
Avery
Connor
Avery
A little outside our target age-group, Avery was able to articulate and self-reflect in ways younger students cannot. She's a self-motivated student who is close to her teachers.
Avery Needs:
- 1-on-1 interaction with teachers
- Socialization with classmates
- Customizable approaches
- The freedom to ask questions
Design definition
All Four Skills
Exploring Approaches
Exploring Approaches
The design should support all four language skills in the context of literacy. Some notable design considerations include:
- Voice Input for students who can speak but not spell (yet)
- Slow-Mo Audio for self-paced learning
- Animated Text Highlight to guide reader's eyes during audio playback
- Modelled Typing for guided spelling practice
Exploring Approaches
Exploring Approaches
Exploring Approaches
I analyzed several "edutainment" products, including vintage classics like Amazon River and Carmen Sandiego, and newer developments like Blooket and Game Builder Garage. In newer games, there was a sense of energy, surprise, and tactility. Anthropomorphism of concepts was also prevalent.
“As a player, I want learning to feel like exploring the world, and I want lessons to be delightful surprises."
what I learned
Children are motivated externally (but shouldn't be!)
Children are motivated externally (but shouldn't be!)
Children are motivated externally (but shouldn't be!)
When it comes to school, a lot of what students do is mandated to them by parents, teachers, and coaches. Without the freedom to explore their own skills and preferences, children are deprived of the opportunity to become self-motivated. My mission is to help students explore without feeling the pressure to perform.
I need to let go of ingrained thinking
Children are motivated externally (but shouldn't be!)
Children are motivated externally (but shouldn't be!)
As a former teacher, it's hard not to approach this project from a purely adult perspective. The traditional model of "I do, we do, you do" is an ingrained habit, and I sometimes find myself focusing on the procedure of teaching rather than the experience of learning.
Instead of thinking like a teacher, I need to think more like a learner.