Unit 2 - Step 3 - Identify Key Insights (adapting a current prototype for more effective use by EFL students)(Focus)

Goal: Identify insights from users that are most helpful for creating an engaging learning activity.
Take a look at your notes post-interview (or post reading the student profile) and identify some key insights that seem especially important. These user insights will be important as you develop your lesson idea. Think about the following:

• What stood out to you in terms of learner values, preconceptions, opportunities and constraints?
• opportunities 
• students are genuinely open to and supportive of seeing the prototype - digital lesson plan - further developed
• the digital lesson plan offers them 
• much richer selection of resources to choose from to learn about concepts outside of class
• an opportunity to recreate a sequence of in class activities outside of class
• students provided some insightful feedback on how the prototype could be improved (addition of certain resources to address perceived needs)  
• preconceptions 
• anything tech is seen by default, as an improvement on the traditional ways of learning in the classroom; they are either naively open to using tech for learning.. even if they may not see a return on their "investment" .. or .. being overly friendly
• constraints 
• students do not know a lot of the basics of what is possible with edtech; they count on instructors to show leadership and model what is possible 
• student perception of needs tend to be focused only on access to resources (simple perceptions of how they think it is best to learn become apparent)
• .... but they are still perceptive ( i.e. the suggestion that they have new vocabulary practice made available to them prior to a class, perhaps even the day before if possible) 
• students are often limited to viewing the digital lesson plan on the small screen of their mobile phone   
• learner values? 
• anytime, anywhere access to vetted resources 
• have experienced engagement and competition in their studies and want more of it
• some students will hunt for and explore what is put in front of them ... even if they are not directed to do so (i.e.how they discovered the listening activities on the lesson plan without direction from me) 
• Is there anything that seems particularly important or unimportant?
• specific observation
• students think nothing of sharing the digital lesson plan with their friends
• students will explore all resources (intended or not intended) that are made available to them on the digital lesson plan
• general observation
• how important it is to have end users validate or check one's design assumptions .. or in other words ... to have one's design assumptions tested by end users 
• Did the discovery process reveal anything surprising?
•  yes
• student request for access to an index of digital lesson plans
• students discovered the links to listening practice activities (in my reading class)  and are using them 
• students are using the digital lesson plan 
• to recall announcements 
• to recall / recreate sequence of learning activities outside of class to help them study 
• to go back to practicing vocabulary exercises 
• Was there something the user (meaning the student) said that especially resonated with you?
• students perceived many of the same values that I assumed the digital lesson plan was addressing 

Unit 1 - Step 3 - what was challenging about the step / what would I do differently?

Discuss problem-finding with your classmates in the forums. Share what was challenging, what you’d do differently, etc.

Challenging? How about biggest takeaway! Biggest takeaway for me was just how important it was to get good, indepth information. That could only be accomplished when the task of questioning was done in an as unbiased and non prejudicial way as possible. I do recall my earlier assumptions that the student's problems had more to do with attitude and lack of ability but once I began to question with what I hoped were well meaning questions - not loaded questions - the responses I got appeared open and sincere and quickly contrasted with my assumptions. Underscored the need to realize a non threatening, supportive environment for this probing to take place in .. if I was to have any success in getting sincere, meaningful and indepth responses .

I also found it challenging to probe and yet be non threatening. A measure of that success could be found in the degree to which I could probe without judgement .. measured in the quality of output that I did get. The output made it much more clear to me what sort of issues the student was encountering. It also made it clear just how many blindspots the student had on the issue.

What would I do differently?
Realizing now how important this step really is... I might want to conduct yet another follow up interview to collect still more information... to probe areas that seem to be major issues and see how the student responded - if they perceived the problem(s) in the same way.

Unit 1 - Step 3 - Select Specific User Problem (Focus)

User - male, 19 years old, student 

• a student who is often late for his morning class 

focus?

• morning or bedtime routine
  advice to finding problems / opportunities 
  
  

  • General notes from video 
  • examine how someone sets to work / why they came to work? values that drive them to work (motivation) 
  • find gaps in the user's knowledge / understanding  where there could be a solution 
  • analyze how they feel about what they are doing 
  • present your ideas .. they may not even be aware of possibilities that you see 

  
  

  • Specific example - student 
  • reinforce what he values / goal that he is striving for 
  • make it visual
  • make it a priority never to be forgotten 
  • (i.e. Accounting graduate 2020 - accountant 2022 made into a logo; posted in the car) 
  • negotiate with father for supporting you in achieving your goal, lessen or shift work commitment so you can get more sleep 
  • share logo; include him in logo .. a partner 
  • learn simple time management techniques - to maximize already limited time.. carve out time for you and your needs 

  
  

  1. Take out your notes and your completed Interview Template. Reflect on the interview and what you learned about your user. What stood out to you? 

  • What are some specific problems that the interview revealed?
  • gaps in user experience 
  • negotiating
  • self / time management; respect for what you value (i.e. prayer, family)
  • goal orientation / visualization 

  
  

  • Think about gaps in the user’s experience, meaning areas where the user could benefit from a solution.
  • negotiating w/ people to earn their support / respect
  • manage time .. too many demands ..
  • manage distractions / time killers / technology 
  • clarify purpose / long term goal to ensure you make it your focus 

  
  

  • Consider areas for exploration that especially resonate with you. 
  • negotiating w/ people to earn their support / respect 
  • father / brother 
  • need for sleep and time to achieve your goal
  • manage time .. too many demands.. in too short a time
  • learn ways to prioritize so that you address your needs / goals first .... cost / benefit analysis 
  • task lists 
  • deadlines
  • manage distractions / time killers / technology  
  • identify where you are losing time
  • phone calls 
  • mobile phone chatting 
  • gaming 
  • clarify purpose / long term goal to ensure you make it your focus
  • visualize .. manifest it so it is always around you
  • logo 
  • poster 
  • shared with father / brother   

  
  

  • Key takeaways are what designers often call these revealed problems, gaps, and areas for exploration.

  
  

  2. Write at least five key takeaways on sticky notes (or just small pieces of paper). (padlet)

  • Make sure all of the information is in front of you.
  • Cluster sticky notes with similar ideas on them to look for patterns or recurring threads. 
  • Check out the takeaways from our example interview. You can use the same template to organize your thoughts. 
  •  

  3. From these takeaways, identify specific problems your user has.

  • sleep deprived
  • long distance to drive to and from class 
  • risking accident driving without enough sleep
  • risking losing the term due to lateness or absences from class
  • demands being made of him with work when he gets back from school .. thus late to bed  

  4. Select one specific problem you want to design a solution for using one or more of the following criteria (or others that you come up with) to make your selection: most urgent, most interesting, most unexpected, time, materials, desired outcomes, etc. 

  • most urgent? 
  • sleep deprivation

  
  5. Capture that problem in a problem statement.  Example: User’s food gets cold on her way to work.
  
  

  • user is sleep deprived yet driving long distances and risking losing the school term