EduAssist

Empowering low-income students to achieve higher education through accessible resources and support with EduAssist

Timeline

2 Months

My role

Tools Used

UX Designer
UX Researcher

Figma
Balsamiq
Miro

Team

Individual

Problem

Inadequate Preparation for the Higher Education Exam among Low-Income Students

As an international student with the privilege of affording higher education exams, it is important to acknowledge the challenges faced by low-income students who are unable to access this opportunity. Despite their academic potential, these students are often prevented from pursuing higher education due to systemic inequalities and lack of access to resources. This sparked the question: "How can we remove the barriers and provide equal access to higher education for low-income students?"

Research

I took the initiative to look into the difficulties Indian students experience when studying for the IELTS exam and how they are overcoming them.

I began by determining the target audience, which I determined to be Indian college and university students.

Using online forums and social media platforms, I recruited a random sample of 5 participants to be interviewed. To make the population more diverse, I ensured that the participants were from different backgrounds and regions. I connected with each participant via a virtual meeting platform.

User Interviews

When financial barriers to accessing resources were reduced and equitable access to resources was guaranteed, my interview subjects were more likely to succeed in their goals.

Research Questions:

What are the common challenges faced by students preparing for the IELTS exam?
How do students' prior educational experiences and backgrounds influence their IELTS exam performance?
How does the lack of access to resources affect the success rates of IELTS test takers?
How effective are traditional classroom-based IELTS preparation methods compared to online methods?
How do students perceive the impact of cultural and language differences on their IELTS exam performance?
What is the role of technology in supporting IELTS exam preparation?

Empathy Mapping

This help me gain a deep understanding of the target audience, from their perspective, and to develop key take aways that can inform and guide the design of products, services, or solutions that are tailored to their needs.

Key Take Aways

Preparing for the IELTS exam can be a challenging and stressful experience, especially for low-income students who lack access to resources.
These students often face obstacles such as limited time, money, and support, which can negatively impact their exam performance.
Despite these challenges, low-income students are still determined to succeed and reach their goals, and are seeking out resources and support to help them prepare for the exam.
The role of technology in supporting IELTS exam preparation is crucial in providing equal access to resources for all students.
Traditional classroom-based IELTS preparation methods may not be as effective as online methods, especially for low-income students who have limited access to resources.
Cultural and language differences can also have a perceivable impact on IELTS exam performance for international students.

How Might We?

How might we provide equal access to resources for low-income IELTS test takers to help them prepare effectively for the exam?
How might we address the impact of prior educational experiences and backgrounds on IELTS exam performance?
How might we make traditional classroom-based IELTS preparation methods more accessible and effective for low-income students?
How might we use technology support the preparation process for IELTS exams and provide equal access to resources for all students?
How might we support international students to overcome the challenges posed by cultural and language differences in IELTS exam performance?
How might we create a more equitable and inclusive education system that helps all students, regardless of their income, pursue higher education and achieve their goals?

Persona

Divya

Student, 22 year old

User Story

Meet Divya, a 22-year-old Indian girl who dreams of pursuing higher education abroad. Growing up in a low-income family in India, Divya always faced challenges in accessing quality education and resources. Despite these obstacles, she was an excellent student and always aimed to continue her education overseas.

Goals

To pursue higher education at a top university abroad
To achieve academic excellence and make the most of her academic potential
To gain new skills and knowledge in her field of interest
To gain exposure to different cultures and experiences
To build a successful and fulfilling career

Motivations

Passion for learning and self-improvement
Desire to make a positive impact in her community and the world
To provide financial stability for his family and improve their standard of living
To be a role model for his younger siblings and inspire them to pursue higher education

Pain Points

Lack of access to quality resources and support for IELTS exam preparation
Financial constraints and the high cost of taking the exam
The impact of cultural and language differences on her exam performance
The pressure of performing well on the IELTS exam and achieving her goals
Inadequate support and guidance from family and friends in the process of preparing for the exam

This persona were based on the Interviews which led to Users Goals, Motivations and Pain Points.

Competitive

This competitive analysis compares traditional IELTS classes to online IELTS classes in terms of their effectiveness, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness. The purpose of this analysis is to determine which method provides a better overall experience for students preparing for the IELTS exam.

Site Maps

Having a rough understanding of the solution after creating this site map was helpful to me.

Design Process

Paper Wireframes

I captured user feedback and mapped out high-level feature flows to refine the product design.

Home Page

Joining Classes Page

Enrolled Courses Page

Speaking Practice Page

Practice Tests Pages

Scholarships Page

Book a Demo Page

Feedback

After presenting my sketches to users, I received valuable feedback, from which I distilled four key points.

Consider implementing an OTP on registered email for user login, as it is a widely used method in India.

Replace the "Notify me" button with a "Join class" button for better user experience.

Instead of a sidebar, make all options available to users on every page for convenience.

Add multiple UPIs as a payment method since they are widely used in India.

Low Fidelity Wireframe

I created a low fidelity wireframe to plan and visualize the layout and functionality.

Home Page

Join Classes Pages

Speaking Room Page

Test Pages

Enrolled Courses Pages

Book Demo Pages

Scholarship Pages

Usability Testing

A usability test was conducted on the app to evaluate its design and functionality. Five participants were recruited for this purpose, with the goal of obtaining enough feedback to improve the app's design.

Three participants recommended the inclusion of a chat column within the speaking room, allowing for individuals to provide feedback to the speaker without disrupting their presentation.
The same three participants also recommended the inclusion of a live transcript feature in the speaking room, similar to what is offered by platforms like Zoom or Google Meet, which can be activated with the press of a button.
All the participants advised the implementation of a filtering or searching mechanism on the scholarship page to make it easier to navigate, as manually scrolling through numerous scholarships would be time-consuming.

Inclusion of a chat column

Inclusion of a live transcript feature

Implement filter and search mechanism

Style Guide

I created a comprehensive style guide by carefully choosing appropriate font styles, sizes, icons, primary and secondary colors, and constructing all the necessary design components.

High Fidelity

After conducting thorough user research and iterating on the design, I created a polished high-fidelity prototype that accurately represents the final product.

Link to my full Figma Work File Here

Conclusion + Reflection

Happy dance! 🥳 This was my very first UX project. But more than the final product, I'm incredibly appreciative of going through the whole UX process so I can understand how it works. On that note, a few things I’ve learned:

Iterate as much as possible: During the project, I explored multiple options to find the best solution for student users. I ended up restarting the project three times with nine iterations in total. This helped me to design every aspect of the app with intention.
Be insight-driven: Initially, my project had unnecessary text that did not tie everything into the bigger question of how this app fits into the bigger picture. Cutting down on the copy and focusing on the major points helped me to improve my storytelling abilities.
Embrace mistakes: Throughout the project, I made several mistakes in the UI and uncovered foundational UX problems in the app. Asking for feedback from peers and mentors allowed me to push the app to be the best it could be, and not let my own thinking get in the way of questioning my decisions for the user.
Conclusion: Despite the challenges faced, going through the UX process has been invaluable in providing an understanding of what it takes to create an app. Moving forward, I will continue to iterate, communicate properly in interviews, focus on insights, and embrace mistakes to improve my skills and create better designs.