Chat for learning environments
My Role
User Experience / Product Designer
Deliverables
Figma mockup, Miro with testing synthesis
Tools
Figma, Miro
Use case
Chat is one of the most used features for students to participate and ask questions during virtual classes, but it also requires additional effort for instructors to monitor all activity within.
Our goal was to conduct quick usability tests to validate key opportunities and pain points, as chat is a common pattern across several digital platforms, we focused on understanding specific needs in learning environments.
Understanding the problem
With the current limitations of the feature, it was necessary to upgrade the chat capabilities to provide a competitive and better experience in online learning environments.
A prototype was tested to gather feedback on the main features to be included in the feature:
Filter options.
Pin message.
Mark messages as question.
Send private message.
Send chat message
Type questions.
Mention participants.
To understand which layout would be easier for users to understand, an unmoderated usability test was conducted.
Exploring and creating
Eventually, the final PoC version was designed according to the recommendations based on the test results and the UI library to be delivered to the development team.
In parallel, a feasibility check was conducted with stakeholders to define the scope and possible release dates to launch the feature to end users.
Takeaways
Although chat features are quite common in various social and online tools, when it comes to virtual learning environments, user needs are unique as the primary goal is to focus on the online classroom and how students and instructors interact to get the best experience.
It is important to understand how this communication will affect both the teaching from the instructor's side as well as the learning part from the student's side.