Diverse Learning Hub
Diverse Learning Hub is an immersive online platform for students with autism and other learning disabilities. At Diverse Learning Hub, students can engage with animated social narratives, interactive activities, and print-outs in order to develop social, behavioral, and life skills.
Individual Project
8/2018-Present
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I founded Diverse Learning Hub in 2018. Since then, I have continued to manage overall operations and strategy.
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I conducted research on target users and the existing market. I interviewed special education teachers and students in order to better understand the needs of the target population.
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I created prototypes based on needs assessments and initial ux research. After testing initial prototypes, I made iterations based on feedback.
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I have now tested the product with 59 special education students. In addition, I interviewed teachers and parents to understand how they experienced the platform.
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I designed the platform based upon user testing data. I am continually iterating based on testing feedback.
Demo Video 📹
Problem 🤔
There is a lack of online resources for students with autism. Autism teachers teach students to deal with emotions and behaviors through social narratives. However, these narratives are traditionally printed and many students with autism are unable to read and therefore cannot engage with the social narratives independently.
Opportunity 👐
How might we create social narratives that can be accessible for different types of learners?
Field Research 🔍
I interviewed 17 special education teachers and found:
Students are most engaged learning through videos
Teachers would prefer an independent option for social stories
Special ed teachers struggle to find interactive online platforms specifically targeted to their students
Design Idea 💡
Immersive social narrative videos specifically designed for students with autism. These videos will help support students in life skills such as dealing with emotions, preparing for change, and functional mathematics.
Prototyping 📦
Our initial prototypes featured animated social narratives to teach students life skills such as coping with frustration or going to the dentist.
Testing 🧪
Of 28 students initially tested, 26 students were engaged when viewing the videos.
Teachers asked if music could be incorporated into some of the videos
Teachers asked for activities to check for understanding and reinforce concepts
Iterations 🔄
When we interviewed teachers after conducting user tests, 6 requested music to be incorporated into the platform. Therefore, we added music social narratives for students who learn best through music.
Interactive Activities 🎮
Teachers requested interactive activities for their students. Therefore, we created companion materials such as engaging interactive activities and print outs for each video. See examples in the video below! 🎥
