Helping Teachers Reclaim Time to Focus on Student Outcomes
Lesson Planning Resource, Achievement Network
Overview
We started without a solution, or even a particular problem in mind. We simply knew we wanted to focus on teachers - thinking they would have the biggest impact on student learning.
Goals
- Enable teachers to improve outcomes for 1 million students nationwide
- Leverage rough ideas and qualitative research to understand what the market needs
Role
Lead UX Designer & Researcher
Tools
Figma, Zoom
Team
1 Product Owner
1 Team of Educational Coaches
Timeline
4 months
Interviews
We spoke with over 30 teachers across the US
We discussed a wide range of challenges and quickly saw the burnout. Teachers everywhere struggling to meet unique student needs and keep them engaged during lessons. As themes emerged, we dug deeper into problems around lesson planning. Teachers shared stories of working late into the night, even during their children's sporting events, just to stay prepared. They described gaps in curriculum and the countless hours spent searching for meaningful content online.
Meet our persona Jada, created for quick re-alignment
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But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ...
But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ... But now I think ...
Our North Star
We carefully refined our problem statement after each new insight, over time we set very specific goals for our solution:
As a teacher, I need immediate and actionable resources that I trust to help me address student misunderstandings, so that I can adjust instruction and provide individual support
3 Imperfect Concepts
Next, we set out to get rapid feedback on rough ideas. None of them perfect, but each helped shape the final solution.
1. Video Library
Teachers liked videos, but sometimes reading was faster or they weren't in a place where they could watch a video.
2. Chat Bot Assistant
Teachers generally didn't care for chatbots, but liked content around student pitfalls and misunderstandings.
3. Mobile App
Teachers liked the library of resources, but lesson planning was easiest done on a computer.
4. Further Refinement
We continued to tweak the solution for another 5 rounds of feedback.
We only stopped testing when the designs received an incredible response:
"I feel like every teacher across the country could use this."
One of the many delighted teachers we spoke with
Solution
Every inch of the resource library has intention behind it, thoughtfully inspired by teacher's favorite resources, built for teacher's fast-paced environment, and based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to support diverse students who might otherwise fall behind.
Each section flows naturally with teacher's lesson planning process.
With a sea bad resources, quality content was key to earning teacher's trust. They found live classroom videos and addressing student misunderstandings especially helpful.
I redesigned highly praised content to be more easily understood and actionable - adding a new layer to guide teachers on how to prioritize their time in the classroom. Old:
We learned that teachers primarily trusted other teachers, so I created a simple solution for the community to provide feedback.
Outcomes
An undeniable differentiator in the education market
Relief! This is what we heard most from teachers, who felt that our concept would free up hours from their busy schedules and come more prepared to help students engage in the classroom.
The success of the project reached Achievement Network's Board of Directors, who were so impressed it sparked a large company initiative to develop the content needed for a working proof of concept.
Pleased with my work, they hired my agency to do the development work for the project while I continued working with them regularly for two years, earning $50,000 in revenue.
"You're a very good listener. If only we had been able to work with you full time - the possibilities would have been endless."
Gillian Kradin
Director of Product
Achievement Network, Client