Academic Project
Zoom Edu: Making virtual learning more engaging for students
4 weeks
Introduction
ZOOM EDU is a reimagined video communication platform, building on the foundation of ZOOM, tailored for educational settings. It introduces gamified elements to boost engagement and interaction in virtual classrooms. This platform not only enriches student learning experiences but also provides teachers with innovative tools for more dynamic and effective teaching.
My Role
User Research, UI Design, Motion Design
Tools Used
Figma
Miro
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe After Effects
The Problem
University students were less engaged with virtual learning.
In the transition to virtual learning during the pandemic, university students have faced significant engagement challenges with video communication platforms like Zoom. To get a deeper dive into the problem we observed, we started our exploration by conducting initial interviews and identified four key issues:
Easily Bored and Get Lost
Low Participation
Weak Connections
Lack of Classroom Atmosphere
Easily Bored and Get Lost: Students frequently experience a sense tedium due to the constant switching among multiple platforms for syllabus, class materials, emails, course recordings, and assignments. This fragmentation leads to diminished interest and focus, hindering their ability to stay engaged with the course content.
Low Participation: There is a notable decrease in student involvement in discussions, students feel less compelled to contribute to or be involved in the learning process.
Weak Connections: The shift to virtual learning has disrupted the traditional student-peer and student-professor relationships. This weakening of connections diminishes the sense of community and belonging, which is crucial for a supportive and interactive learning environment.
Lack of Classroom Atmosphere: The absence of a physical classroom setting has led to a diluted academic atmosphere. Without the cues and interactions that a physical space provides, students often feel disconnected from the essence of a classroom, further contributing to disengagement.
These factors collectively contribute to a less effective and satisfying educational experience, indicating a urgent need for an innovative solution that addresses these specific challenges.
How might we redesign Zoom to actively enhance student engagement, foster stronger connections, and recreate the interactive atmosphere of a physical classroom in a virtual learning environment?
The Solution
Zoom EDU, tailored for university settings, provides an interactive class experience for university students, aiming to motivates them to participate more actively in virtual classes.
Upcoming & Recorded Meetings
streamline the learning experience by conveniently reminding students of upcoming classes and providing easy access to past recordings. No more wandering among syllabus, email, Blackboard, and Zoom.
Waiting Room
provides an opportunity for students to get to know each other by moving closer to others' circles, simulating the social dynamics of a traditional learning environment.
Lucky Spin
a gamified in-class activity enabled by professors could help draw students' attention in a fun way.
Activity Report
generated based on chat frequency and instances of unmuted speaking, helps students gauge their engagement levels in virtual learning environments.
The Process
Generative Research
◦ Deciding to Redesign: Insights from Our Competitive Analysis
In our competitive analysis of video communication platforms, we closely examined their business strategies and key success factors. A notable gap emerged in this review: the absence of gamification elements in current offerings. This presents a significant opportunity for our redesign of Zoom. By integrating gamification into Zoom EDU, we have the potential to uniquely position ourselves in the market and address a clear, unmet need for more engaging and interactive virtual learning experiences.
Strong
Medium
So So
Program
Market Share
Functional Diversity
Practicability
Accessibility
Gamification
Zoom
Google Meet
Microsoft Teams
Meet Butter
Cisco Webex
GoTo Meeting
◦ Gathering User Perspectives from Our Extensive Interviews and Surveys
We have gathered extensive insights through 28 in-depth interviews and over 100 responses from our survey that provides a comprehensive understanding of user needs and preferences in the virtual learning environment.
28
User Interviews
100+
User Survey
◦ Breaking Down Data: Affinity Mapping Unveils Keys to Interactive Learning
Through a three-round affinity mapping process, we analyzed our research data. Initially, we organized 203 data points (yellow stickys) into categories (21 blue stickys) and further distilled these into 11 key insights (pink stickys). This analysis revealed critical insights: students seek ways to enhance engagement and communication, ideally in brief sessions before classes. Additionally, a strong desire is to gamify the classroom experience to make learning more interactive and enjoyable.
Ideation & Design
◦ Mental Models as a Design Tool: Mapping Student Activities to innovate
To explore further design opportunities, we mapped out a range of potential activities undertaken by students in virtual classes. This helped us to understand their daily virtual learning journey in detail. Based on this mapping and the key issues identified earlier, we then ideated new features for Zoom EDU.
◦ Flow Chart
Utilizing flow charts has streamlined team communication and accelerated our testing process.
◦ Sketches & Wireframes
We developed rough sketches and wireframes for rapid iteration and testing within the team.
◦ The final Interactive Prototype
After three rounds of design iterations informed by user testing feedback, we've arrived at our final prototype.
Evaluative Research
◦ Usability Testing informed iterations
We conducted usability testing with 8 testers to gain varied insights on our solutions.
90%
participants successfully completed assigned tasks without confusion. They appreciated the dashboard's design, finding it intuitive and user-friendly.
Some participants found the chat function in the waiting room confusing. We refined this feature based on their feedback to enhance clarity and usability.
Connect