Reimagining video conferencing
for education
UX | UI
How effective are current video conferencing platforms for educational use?
Online or blended learning approaches have become the new normal in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the urgency of trying maintain formal education during this time and possibly beyond, a number of educational institutions took to using corporate software such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom as an educational tool.
During a brief set by Creo the idea to create a new educational platform for 7-11 year olds was developed. Research during the project found that younger children felt overwhelmed when interacting with a screen full of the faces of their peers, along with the formality of software intended for corporate video conferencing.
With this in mind, the app was developed in a colourful, rounded and illustrated aesthetic. When entering the app, a door is clicked and the user moves through it representing walking in to the classroom. The use of face ID to login was also included to overcome the problem that was discovered of users and family members having difficulty remembering passwords.
Users can personalise their experience by dragging and dropping their friends on to their table and entering the class or using the app in ‘Shhh’ mode if they are feeling overwhelmed, whereby they can focus their attention solely on the teacher with a dimmed screen and reduced audio volume to avoid sensory overload and feelings of panic.
To incorporate important social elements in the app, users can participate in social activities during break times where they can chat with friends, share photos, videos and screens with each other, and even follow an exercise video together in a safe online environment.
