Student design sprint prototype
On behalf of the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) project Board, the digital communications team hosted a design sprint with students to help redesign certain elements of the student portal.
Design sprints allow users to identify their ideal user interface, free from technical and design limitation.
Students came up with designs to improve the way module information was presented, which also included additional features such as integrated calendars, personalised links and emails in one place.
You can read about the main findings from that session on a previous blog post.
The next step for the digital communications team was to design a prototype user interface which captured the solutions students had come up with. A prototype is a first or preliminary version of a product from which other iterations are developed.
View the prototype
Please take a look at the prototype and feel free to contribute anonymous comments or feedback.
The objective of the project team is to deliver a product that aligns as closely as possible to the students’ initial designs. The design may also be subject to change as new features are added, technical input is considered and broader University requirements are taken into account.
Several student designs from the sprint included an overall degree predictor. This feature has not been included in the prototype at this time due to technical feasibility and policy constraints at this stage, however the requirements have been captured by the project and provided to the Proctor’s Office and Registry for information.
One thing that was clear from the student design sprint and from additional usability and survey data was that students would like to see improvements to the presentation of modules and the user journey between modules hosted in different systems (MMS and Moodle). The project team are prioritising this improvement and it is expected these changes will be in place for the start for the next academic year (2019 entry). In the future, the project team aims to implement further changes to the functionality and design of MySaint, including new FAQ functionality and notifications. Students can expect these changes by the end of January 2020.
Another feature that will be released at a later date is a personalised timetable, made possible by timetable system upgrades, due to be in place towards the end of 2020. The new timetable is anticipated to be introduced to MySaint during the academic year 2020–2021. Releasing features over a period of time allows the University to follow an agile, iterative development style and ensure that any changes are data-driven. As such, the design suggestions put forward by students at the design sprint will continue to be developed and enhanced in partnership with students as the University seeks to improve the digital teaching environment.
Please take a look at the prototype and add any feedback you have. If you have any questions regarding the Technology Enhanced Learning project, please email Lindsay Wilson, [email protected].