class creature

overview

we are currently seeing the impacts on socialization in our schools due to increased technology usage, especially following the covid-19 pandemic. students are struggling to connect with each other, their teachers, and lack the confidence to ask for help when they need it. with technology and artificial intelligence becoming more and more integrated into school curriculums, we need to find an effective response to this problem before they become even more separated from each other.

initial research

i explored already existing education apps that inspire collaboration, such as kahoot and peardeck, to see what aspects were already encouraging socialization, and what could be improved. while these apps were fun to use, they both required additional work for teachers to add their own content.

i also explored successful teaching methods post-covid, specifically project based learning (pbl) and gamification. both of these methods have been gaining popularity as they allow students to work together in groups and feel more connected to their coursework.

after my initial research, i landed on my final research question: how can we maintain socialization and development within highschool students if we continue to integrate technology and ai into daily education practices?

user research

to answer this question, i conducted user research. i reached out to current high school teachers and students, and received very similar responses from both groups.

overall, attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. students are drawn to their phones or laptops during class, and often find themselves getting distracted. however, teachers do appreciate the useful aspects of tech, such as making some aspects of collaborating easier.

group discussions and activities get the most engagement in the classroom, but require planning and organization beforehand from teachers, which isn't always realistic for them to do often. covid impacted educators just as much as it did students, so it isn't realistic to expect additional work on their end.

potential solutions

in brainstorming potential solutions, i experimented with adobe firefly to quickly visualize my ideas and bring them to life. with my research showing me that group work is most effective in allowing students to socialize, and trying to make this experience as easy as possible to implement in today's classrooms, i explored 3 possible directions: a fidget toy stationed at each student's desk that would track stress levels and notify teachers when breaks or group collaboration was necessary, a gamified lesson plan that would use ai to transform teacher's lessons into a game for students to play and learn from, and a virtual pet that would interact with the students and allow them to learn about and connect with each other.

final direction

i ended up creating a class virtual pet. with this direction, students can all have something to bond over, a beginning point of collaboration. fittingly, the experience is named "class creature." the class pet, a frog, is simple and cute, allowing it to adapt to any medium it needs to.

originally, i was going to include coursework very specifically in this experience, with the pet possibly being involved in quizzes, lessons, and more. however, as i began formulating this plan, i realized that students needed something completely separate from work to fully focus on individual healing and building confidence. by separating this experience from academics, students are allowed to have a purely fun, non-stressful experience, meaning socialization isn't dependent on their success in the classroom. the goal is for this tool to focus on building confidence and socialization outside of classwork, so that students can then bring these newfound social skills with them when encountering more intimidating aspects of the class.

logo and style guide

the final logo is two c's, an abbreviation of class creature, in the shape of lily pads to connect with the pet frog. the type pairing is clean and friendly, aiming to be accessible and easy to read for students, and inviting to interact with. the color palette also builds off of warmth and friendliness, with warm oranges used to contrast with the green of the frog.

deliverables

final deliverables include a selection of screens that a class could potentially interact with, cards that would bring a physical element into the classroom and allow students to connect with the virtual pet, and a fidget toy.

the application would be projected on a virtual whiteboard in the classroom, allowing the entire class to participate together. each student would get their own deck of cards, each with their own opportunity to engage with the virtual pet. these cards would be scanned, and would be included in the virtual pet's world. this allows for the personalization of the experience; the pet will be able to directly relate with students' interests, as well as using their ideas for accessories to be added to the world. the fidget toy is another element to allow students to get excess energy out of their systems, and to feel more connected to the virtual pet.

reflection

i have never had the opportunity to research a project in so much depth before beginning to design, and it provided me with such invaluable perspectives that deeply influenced the final product. i ended with a design proposal that i am passionate about, and that i think would actually foster positivity and connection within the classroom. socialization has been a struggle for students and teachers in the past few years, and they deserve an experience that will build their confidence and allow them to grow.