Project scope
On March 16, 2020 Governor Cuomo signed an executive order closing schools in NY due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with schools and colleges across the nation shortly following. From here began the world of remote learning, a fairly new space to both teach, learn, and communicate in. For this project my research team and I set out to find how this new space had impacted college students both academically and socially. We then using blended interactions tried to solve some of the various new problems in the remote learning space.
Solution focus
After Class and the Hallway are both live room platforms, that provide students with the opportunity to recreate some of the social interactions that no longer exist in the remote learning space.
Scope of All Data
As myself and many other researchers in my team were college students during the course of this project, we used the connections we had in the college space to survey 1,632 total responses from professors and college students. The survey was our most powerful tool at the time as it gave us the ability to reach a large number of people digitally. Unlike my Laugh Traders project, we did not have the ability to walk outside and talk to people in person. Using social media platforms like Instagram, Reddit, and Facebook helped us to reach a large number of students.
1,632 Responses
The Oncoming Student
From the data we were getting back there was one specific group that stood out to me most, 2020’s graduating class. These high schoolers had just lost almost every fun aspect of their senior year and were now about to enter college in the remote space. Unlike all the other survey participants, these students had no current connections with others at the college as most had never stepped foot on campus. This wave of students needed a way to connect with other students socially, which in turn would help them be more academically successful and keep their mental health strong.
Data Collected
These key takeaways illustrate that college students are not happy with the remote learning methods. The want to create social connections is there but the methods of doing so were lacking.
103 Responses
115 Responses
103 Responses
300 Responses
324 Responses
148 Responses
A Lack of Connection
When analyzing the collected data it was clear that my hypothesis had been correct. College students specifically oncoming freshman felt as though they had lost the college experience. That connection with another student they were so actively searching for was almost impossible to make, due to the remote system in place. Further the ability to ask professors personal questions at the end of class had become very awkward with fifty other students listening in on what you have to say. Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors had already built connections with both students and professors to help them academically, but the freshman class was on an island all alone.
A New Space
From the analyzed data I realized that remote learning had cut out an important part of college socializing, which was as simple as a post class walk. In person when class ended students could slowly get their stuff and leave, talking with other students about the class and moving into other topics; further students who needed academic help could go up to the professor to ask a question 1 on 1. In the digital space students would click a large red leave room button instantly taking them out of the room. No questions, no walks, no interaction.
Hallway Design Fiction Characters
Hallway Design Fiction
Thomas is worried about his first week of college because he is uncertain of how to make friends.
After Thomas is finished with his first class, he presses “leave class.” He feels disconnected from his professor and classmates.
Thomas is redirected to a new room with other students laughing. He is pleasantly surprised and curious what everyone’s up too.
Thomas sees another one of the students drawing on their face. James is intrigued in how he can draw on someone's face back.
Thomas sees that if he selects a drawing tool he can move his cursor or his finger over the screen to draw on other students in the group.
The student with the hat says his name is Aaron and asks Thomas if he would like to play a game with him and other students.
Thomas begins to play a gesture-based trivia game with Aaron and other students. From this interaction he begins talking to another student Rylie.
People who win games unlock special AR wardrobes they can put on themselves during class or when in The Hallway space.
Thomas adds his two new friends Aaron and Rylie on social media and leaves to go to his next class.
Afterclass Design Fiction Characters
Afterclass Design Fiction
Nia is attending her first morning business class. She is very tired and is not looking forward to a her remote learning classes this semester.
During class Nia begins to lose focus and starts doodling as she loses engagement towards the classroom lecture.
Nia’s class is about to come to an end, she feels very unsatisfied with the social experiences provided to her through online learning.
Professor O’Rourke mentions an after class experience to talk about some popular new shows. Nia is curious, she watches Netflix shows all the time.
After leaving class Nia is presented with a screen that offers her with two social opportunities to talk about some new shows with her classmates.
Nia is a huge fan of The Mandalorian on Disney +. Without a second thought she happily taps “Join.”
Nia meets Miranda, a girl in on of her fellow classmates. The two greet and introduce themselves to each other.
While Nia and Miranda start to chat about the show, two other members of the classroom join, Professor O’Rourke and a classmate.
While a classmate is showing off his helmet, Nia realizes that she is actually connecting with her fellow classmates and making friends.
After chatting, the group decides it's time to part ways. Nia mentions if anyone else is watching the new episode tonight.
Later that night Nia is starting up the new episode. She notices a notification that lets her know that Miranda is also watching the episode.
On the following Monday morning, Nia is now excited for class and can’t wait to talk about the episode with her classmates and professor.
Blended Spaces Framework tool
The Blended Spaces Framework Tool helped me to be able to better determine how my design fiction and solution fit into blended interactions. By focusing on how the space would begin in either the physical or digital realm and transition into the other helped to give insight on how students would interact with one another and the solutions.
Low Fidelity Prototype
A low fidelity computer prototype of the AfterClass solution was created in Adobe XD. A major point that this prototype takes is to change the end call button most video conference products use.