Cengage

The Challenge

To address the problems with the live application, I asked the users to describe their frustrations and point out any gaps in the user flow. My objective was to develop an intuitive platform that allows teachers and students to collaborate seamlessly on various tasks such as topic discussions, note-taking, sharing, commenting, and reading.

Discover

The primary goals of the research phase were to understand the requirements and pain points of teachers and secondary school students when using digital learning materials.

Comprehensive user research was conducted. This involved interviews and analysis of competitors.

Stakeholder interviews were held to better understand the business needs and requirements.

Specific research objectives included:

• Identifying the preferred features and functionalities desired by both teachers and students.

• Understanding the challenges faced by students when following along with digital textbooks.

• Gathering insights on the note-taking habits and preferences of students.

• Exploring how teachers and students currently collaborate on assignments and share documents.

• Identifying opportunities to improve the overall reading and learning experience for both personas.

Define

The primary personas for this project were teachers and secondary school students. The teacher persona focused on educators who use digital materials in their teaching methods, while the student persona represented tech-savvy students who prefer digital learning resources. These personas helped guide the design process and ensure the application catered to their specific needs and preferences.

To ensure efficient use of time and budget, the project manager opted for an "out of the box" software solution. As a result, I conducted thorough testing of the existing system to identify any errors in the user flow.

Design

Based on the research findings, the design and development phase focused on the following key features and functionalities:

• Responsive Interface: The eReader application was designed to work seamlessly across different devices and screen sizes, providing a consistent reading experience for both teachers and students.

• eBook Integration: The application allowed students to access their course materials digitally, enabling them to follow along during class and easily navigate through chapters and sections.

• Note-Taking Capabilities: Students could annotate and highlight important passages within the ebook, as well as create personalized notes and summaries to aid their learning.

• Document Sharing: The application facilitated seamless document sharing between teachers and students, allowing for collaborative project assignments and efficient feedback exchange.

• Search and Navigation: Robust search functionality and intuitive navigation controls were implemented to make it easy for users to locate specific content within the ebooks.

• Offline capabilities

To validate the effectiveness of the design, usability testing was conducted with a group of teachers and students. The testing involved observing how participants interacted with the application, collecting feedback on the usability, intuitiveness, and overall experience. Iterative refinements were made based on the test findings to ensure a user-centric design.