Watson Education Element App
My Roles
Workshop Lead, User Experience Lead, Visual Design Lead
Design Team Size
3
Date
December 2015
Industry
Education
THE CHALLENGE
Education is more than academic performance, Kids need to feel understood and seen.
Teachers have a pivotal role in a student’s development. Academic performance is one of the only measures of student success to that has been tracked throughout the majority of modern times. Very little time is spent, if any, tracking non-academic performance like extracurricular activities, interests and behavioral traits.
THE APPROACH
3 day workshop
2 week feedback loops
12 weeks total
Result: an amazing MVP
We conducted a workshop with the teachers from the Coppell Independent School District at Apple in Cupertino, and listened to their daily activities performing their role as educators. Some of the biggest pain points we observed was the fact that every year the teachers have to start from ground zero to learn about the students in their class.
“One of the most challenging aspects of my role as an educator occurs at the beginning of each school year when I embark on the task of getting to know every student in my class. It’s a time-consuming process that involves not only learning their names but also understanding their individual needs, strengths, and personalities. I often find myself thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be truly remarkable if I had the opportunity to familiarize myself with my incoming class during the summer before the school year commences?”
Student interests, learning styles, and behaviors are often not documented.
Sharing non-academic traits of a student is often only happening in the faculty lunch/break rooms of schools.
These traits can go unnoticed, causing students to feel excluded and unseen, which may result in behavioral problems and hindered learning.
THE VISION
Building a 360 view of the student
Document non-academic related events that occur in a child’s day so that the information is easily shared and communicated with other educators in the child’s learning journey.
A student profile view that gives the educator the 360 view of the student by communicating their interests, learning styles, high level academic performance, and spotlights.
Spotlights from other educators show up on the educator’s class detail screen so that they can engage with the student in a more personal level.
THE DESIGN
One spot to see all the classes you teach and all announcements.
The main screen of Watson Element gave the teacher a view of all classes they teach, high level data about each class, as well as school announcements for the week.
Spotlighting students
This feature stands out as the most compelling aspect of the entire app. It was the pivotal moment during our workshop with the teachers. By using this feature to highlight positive or concerning behavior in students, we can significantly enhance their classroom experience. Providing a comprehensive, 360-degree view of each student allows us to offer the necessary support and create a nurturing learning environment.
Video Loop: If you are on a mobile device and using low-power battery mode, you won’t see the video. You can turn that setting off and refresh the page to view.
Academic learnings
Grades are commonly used to measure academic performance, yet many educational products do not permit teachers to assess a student's mastery of specific learning objectives through observation.
Video Loop: If you are on a mobile device and using low-power battery mode, you won’t see the video. You can turn that setting off and refresh the page to view.
Student profile
The student profile view gives the teacher that 360 view of the student with data points around:
Spotlights
Absences
Teacher Notes
Grades and mastery of learning objectives
Reported interests
Learning styles
Service learning
Video Loop: If you are on a mobile device and using low-power battery mode, you won’t see the video. You can turn that setting off and refresh the page to view.
RESULTS
Changing lesson design and student engagement
If we can engage students we know they’re going to learn at a deeper level. We’re more interested in the rigor and the deepness we can take kids in their learning more than how much we can cover. We want to learn deep.
“Teachers are thrilled about the opportunities Watson Element brings. I’ve had teachers in tears, and the comments I’m hearing are things like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so transformational. It’s not just reforming my day, because reforming just makes my day better. This transforms my work,’” she says. “I think this has the potential to change education the way that we know it today.”
