ROLE
USER RESEARCHER
EXPERIENCE DESIGNER
MISSION
HELP STUDENT GETTING WHAT THEY NEED FROM CRITIQUE
TIMELINE
SEP 2023 - DEC 2023
THE CHALLENGE
Our design engages with the topic of critique at the City of Bridges high school, a Progressive school in Pittsburgh, and how to make sure that students are able to get everything that they need from the process. City of Bridges has a personalized, project-based curricular environments. In class, students often receive feedback from both peers and teachers, in both verbal and non-verbal formats.
However, students can easily lose track of important feedback amidst fast moving conversations and may fail to gain valuable insights from those less inclined to share verbally.
“Everyone’s paper’s better than mine, how am I supposed to give feedback?”
"I find it difficult capturing things in verbal feedback."
HOW MIGHT WE QUESTIONS
"How might we better support students in knowing what questions to ask and taking the initiative to gather helpful feedback and guidance on their projects? And relatedly, build confidence in their ability to manage any critique received in a growth-oriented manner?"
THE DISCOVERY
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY
For our contextual inquiry, we spent some time with Randy, the principal of CoBHS, and Olga, the English and Art teacher, asking questions about the existing feedback process at the school, as well as observing Olga’s writing workshop. We then did an affinity grouping exercise, to better understand the connections between all of the information that we had gathered.
This was then developed into an identity model, to synthesize all of the information into a more concise format. Creating this model helped us to unfold some of how Randy and Olga approach teaching at CoBHS, and their perspectives on the critique process.
FOCUS GROUP ACTIVITY
Our team facilitated an hour-long focus group session at CoBHS, involving a group of 5-10 students from different grades. Our interest was in understanding what the current process of critique is, any stresses or challenges involved, and where they might see opportunities for improvement.
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DESIGN PROBE
Design probe allows us to engage participants in a fun, informal way and stimulate conversations surrounding our target topics. We gave students a set of prompts to complete over a period of time in their natural environment. We found that the students are confused about how to take action with the feedback, and that they receive a lot of positive feedback but don't know how to move forward.
INTERPRETATION
To solve these observed issues, each member in our team generated five speculative design concepts. These visual 'design proposition' snapshots offer us a space for imagining new possibilities, trying to make things more quirky, engaging, and creating new ways of interaction. Some of them become the prototype of our later stages of design.
RESEARCH INSIGHTS
01
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL
It appears that both providing and receiving feedback from teacher or peer can evoke anxiety and unease. Implementing scaffolding and exercise on interpersonal skill could make the critique space feel more equal, ensuring that every individual's voice contributes to the conversation.
02
VARYING STANDARDS FOR CRITIQUE
There is a need to establish specific structure or expectation for students when it comes to giving feedback across various subjects and types of work to ensure the consistency and depth of the feedback provided.
03
1V1 INTERACTION
Students love in-person feedback conversations, appreciating its personal, immediate, and engaging nature. Implementing a dedicated scheduling and communication system could better facilitate one-on-one interactions by streamlining the process and enhancing organization.
04
A potential design challenge we can address pertains to the seamless capture of verbal feedback, which allows students to maintain the natural flow of their conversations and act upon the feedback at a later time without interruptions.
CAPTURE VERBAL FEEDBACK
THE DESIGN
CONCEPT IDEATION
Our team conducted a storyboard speed-dating session at CoBHS to collect diverse perspectives, prompt quick reactions, and foster creative discussions. In each session, we rapidly presented our storyboards and facilitated open discussions.
In ideation phase, each group member write down 10 ideas in sticky notes and share it verbally with others. We then turn the most popular ideas into 6 storyboards.
Students voiced various thoughts on feedback, anonymity, and technology. In terms of tracking feedback, some wanted a tangible record while others preferred a digital format. While intuitive and customizable technology was welcomed, a balance was needed to prevent in-class distractions and the loss of learning opportunities. Many students were uncomfortable with AI use and preferred human-driven feedback.
SOLUTION
​From our storyboard speed dating analysis, we decided to move forward with the idea of the feedback binder. We introduced a recording feature on the notepad, enabling it to capture both written and verbal feedback. This caters to the needs of students who prefer verbal communication or struggle with expressing themselves in class. Moreover, it mitigates concerns about technology overload in classrooms, as the notepad functions as a physical tool, which offers a flexible analog format, making it easier for students to handle critiques and determine the next steps for enhancing their work.
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LEARNER EXPERIENCE MAP
To visualize the learner's journey of using our product, we create a learner experience map, with a set of interaction and communication channels (rows) with key touchpoint descriptions that define the full user experience.
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PROTOTYPE DEMO
USER TESTS
User testing revealed positive reactions from both students and teachers towards the Livescribe pen, appreciating its novelty and practical utility in the classroom. Olga was enthusiastic about creating specialized worksheets for different classes.
User testing at CoBHS, in Olga’s literature class
Final prototype presentation
REFLECTIONS
The concept received mixed reactions, with positive feedback on potential integration into CoBHS and the Livescribe pen's versatility. Concerns included its cost, accessibility, and actual improvement over current systems. There was a need to clarify design interventions beyond worksheets and demonstrate added value over traditional methods, emphasizing clear digital integration. Backend usability was questioned, suggesting Google Drive for simplicity or a more robust platform. Enhancing onboarding, managing digital sticky notes, and refining the interface for different educational contexts were identified as crucial next steps.