Job Training Curriculum Project: Final Report

Creating a Learning System at Quest Alliance August 2012 to June 2013 Eva Miller, Design Fellow Design Impact

Š Design Impact 2012

Quest Alliance Creates programs and services to prepare youth for a better future: Quest is a non-governmental organization headquartered in Bangalore, India that designs job training solutions for young people who did not succeed in India’s educational system. English language and vocational training matter, but the true heart of Quest’s approach is life skills and work readiness, with a growing emphasis on active learning methods. Students gain self awareness and self confidence as they learn to see work and education as the path to more a fulfilling life.

Works with partners to deliver programs and services: Quest Alliance creates partnerships with industry, education, and vocational organizations to deliver their programs. They also train facilitators to assure Quest’s educational philosophy becomes reality in the classroom.

Quest Alliance offices in Bangalore, India

© Design Impact 2013

Growth in reach and quality Quest wanted to scale their work to more partners and bring the student perspective to learning

The design challenge

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Create a system for learning that scales Quest needed a curriculum structure that would work across all programs, from a single piece of active learning to an online environment for learners, facilitators, partners, and staff

The design challenge

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PROJECT DEFINITION PHASE

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ONE: Reviewed Quest’s programs and services, as well as their high-level business goals

TWO: Proposed possible projects and discussed with key staff to hear their reactions

Milestones from August to November 2012

THREE: Created project plans that defined design activities, staff and resource needs, and timelines

Š Design Impact 2013

Reviewed…

Quest’s curriculum and quality assessments to understand programs Vision documents and action plans for the next few years Work of past Design Fellow, Ali Maiorano, to build on her foundation Training sessions for both students and facilitators Possible and preferred project ideas with Executive Director Aakash Sethi.

ONE: Learned Quest’s programs and business goals

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PROJECT IDEA: Define studentcentered active learning

PROJECT IDEA: Design a Webbased learning system

PROJECT IDEA: Plan an alumni support system

Work with students using forms like music, drama, and games to create active learning structures

Start with Life Skills content

Focus on students who have completed Quest programs to understand needs

Hand off the process to Quest

Start with facilitators as main audience. Eventually, students, alumni, partners, funders, and Quest staff will use it, too

TWO: Proposed possible projects and got feedback from key staff

Take findings into a roadmap workshop with Quest staff Š Design Impact 2013

PROJECT IDEA: Define studentcentered active learning

PROJECT IDEA: Design a Webbased learning system

PROJECT IDEA: Plan an alumni support system

Staff supported this project

Staff supported this project. Both Quest and Design Impact felt this project should have priority.

Most staff felt this project should be set aside for now

TWO: Proposed possible projects and got feedback from key staff

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Defined…

PROJECT: a Web-based learning system GOALS:

THREE: Defined and planned projects

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Easier to scale Quest programs

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Easier to hand off daily operations to partners and organizations

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Reduce facilitator training burden

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Support better assessment

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Defined…

PROJECT: Student-centered active learning content GOALS:

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Truly active, more relevant to a low-literacy audience

•

A flexible “cookbook” and not a linear set of lessons

•

Reduce facilitator training burden

•

Support better assessment

Both projects soon combined into a single plan.

THREE: Defined and planned projects

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Stakeholder Workshop Discovering the “Voice of the Business” for Quest’s learning system

Developed clear priorities for goals, audiences, and content needs from Quest staff

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STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP: Began with a visual scenario to help staff imagine the system

4

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Desired project outcomes All solutions learning system provide for Quest All opportunities it may offer Any time or effort it might save Cluster similar ideas or needs into business goals Label them Prioritize them

STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP: Established and prioritized Quest’s business goals for the project

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How to evaluate success Think of what success looks like for top goals Make sure you can measure it Consider when or how often you should measure Consider any baseline measures you’ll need for comparison

STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP: Created success metrics for Quest’s main business goals

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STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP: Presented user profiles to help staff imagine audiences

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Who are the main audiences?

Think of all the types of people who might interact with Quest through an online learning system Think of all the types of people you want to reach through this system Cluster similar types into audiences

Label them Prioritize them to surface the main audiences Quest wants to reach

STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP: Found the main audiences for the system

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What content matters most?

Small groups work together Sort a deck of over 100 cards with existing and imagined curriculum examples on them 10 are high priority 15 are medium priority The rest are low priority Analyze how the groups agree or disagree on curriculum priorities STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP: Sorted curriculum samples by importance

Š Design Impact 2013

Key workshop findings Save time, then spend it more wisely: reduce reporting and training burden for staff

Use mobile to connect: reach audiences through SMS/text Tell a better Quest story: present student progress beyond numbers Think of this as an active learning “cookbook:” structured, flexible Build capacity: content and software development resource needs STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP: wrote workshop findings and recommendations

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USER RESEARCH AND CONTENT STRATEGY PHASE

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ONE: Conducted diary/field study to understand the daily lives of our initial audience for a learning system: facilitators

TWO: Created a content framework that encompasses Quest’s educational philosophy and clarifies active learning

Milestones from November 2012 to January 2013

THREE: Began to define features of the learning system we want

Š Design Impact 2013

Identified…

Facilitators who match the desired audience from earlier work with staff: “eager/overwhelmed teachers”

Three from the Equip Youth vocational education program and two from Skills to Succeed program Created a paper diary for participants Asked them to keep the diary for 7 days and make 3 entries per day Followed up with a classroom visit and interview ONE: Conducted diary/field study

© Design Impact 2013

Themes from facilitator research Saving time Perfectionism and passion Student-Facilitator bond Keeping students engaged Getting support

ONE: Conducted diary/field study

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Theme: saving time Some neglect home life, many come home late, too tired to prepare for the next day. Most report preparing over 2 hours a day, “memorizing” the lesson. They have many other commitments to their school or center. Travel can take as much as 3-4 extra hours every day.

Product opportunities: materials that follow a pattern take less time to “decode.” In active learning, most of the “content” is provided by the students, which reduces the need to commit a lesson to memory ONE: Conducted diary/field study

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Theme: perfectionism and passion All spend several hours every day to be well-prepared and are disappointed when class goes poorly.

All expressed their love for this work and how rewarding it can be.

Product opportunities: reward passion by calling out extra effort and letting other facilitators see this appreciation. We can help reduce the pressure to be perfect by minimizing process-heavy curriculum and using more active learning, instead.

ONE: Conducted diary/field study

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Theme: studentfacilitator bond Students crave the facilitator’s attention and relaxed classroom atmosphere. They prefer working together, too. Students want validation and connection.

Product opportunities: emphasize group activities. Create continuous feedback to give students attention in a productive way. Support communication among students and facilitators through social tools that can use mobile/SMS technology, but collect conversations in the system.

ONE: Conducted diary/field study

Š Design Impact 2013

Theme: keeping students engaged Students come late or do not come at all, and many can’t focus long on the lessons. The Life Skills workbook requires too much writing, and most come to class to improve their speaking skills.

Product opportunities: connect curriculum more firmly to work preparedness, emphasize English conversation, use more active learning methods, and run student design research sessions to make curriculum more relevant.

ONE: Conducted diary/field study

Š Design Impact 2013

Theme: getting support Some wonder if their organizations know or care what they are doing.

Classes are interrupted. Equipment or online modules are often broken.

Parents may not be supportive. Cotrainers lean heavily on each other.

Product opportunities: connect facilitators online to share issues and ideas, review each other’s work. Add key people at the organization to this community or create continuous reporting to display their progress.

Create success story videos to persuade parents to have patience.

ONE: Conducted diary/field study

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Content Framework Design Sessions Giving structure to Quest’s educational philosophy for our learning system

TWO: Developed content framework and active learning structure

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Researched…

How competitors and related organizations and experts define life skills and active learning Quest’s own life skills, work readiness, English, and retail materials to see what they reveal about its educational goals This research helped us create a first draft of our content framework: Quest’s educational goals We needed this framework as a skeleton for a learning system TWO: Developed content framework and active learning structure

© Design Impact 2013

Santosh

Profile

“I realize I need to change. I have to be more responsible. I have no excuse. I have to make use of this opportunity and break out of my old behavior patterns.”

Santosh has a hard time taking anything seriously. School didn’t interest him, except cricket and football. He still plays cricket on weekends with a local team. After 10th level, Santosh didn’t know what he wanted to do. He decided to work for awhile and earn money for his family. But he had problems keeping jobs. He balked at supervisors who insisted he come on time and pay attention to details that bored him. After issues like these, Santosh would quit, thinking he could easily get some other job.

His family loves him a lot, but they’re worried. What will happen to him and all of them, if he keeps quitting jobs? Santosh’s friend did a training program for retail work and advanced twice in one year. Santosh’s mother urged him to ask about it. So, he did, and his friend encouraged him to sign up. Maybe they could work together, and that would be great!

Focused on our main audience for content But Santosh can’t see how this training will help. He’s trying to take it seriously and make a change. He knows is that he needs to earn money. He just doesn’t see what else matters, so he can’t make a plan he feels good about.

Values and behavior Age: 18 years old Education: Completed class 10, but didn’t go on from there. Thought about going to an ITI, but didn’t know which vocation to try.

Family: Lives with his mother and three sisters in Hyderabad. His father left the family when he was 10.

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Motivated by fear of failure. Quits before he can be fired. Gives up quickly or makes a joke out of something to avoid feeling hurt.

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Loves sports and movement. Happiest when he’s active or social.

· ·

·

Technology style: Often texts and calls friends. Follows team scores by SMS. No Internet, but uses Facebook at a cyber because so many friends are on it.

·

! GROUP!FIRST!

SELF'CONFIDENT! !

Staff most wanted to support the “aimless student” like Santosh, who Resists authority and is still angry with his father wants to earn money but doesn’t Easily bored and can’t listen to lectures very long have a clear goal in life.

Goals and needs

Work: Briefly worked at a cousin’s paint factory but left over a disagreement.

Left another job at Big Bazaar because he didn’t like it. Considering a retail training program his friend recommended.

! INSECURE!

“Santosh” arose from our earlier stakeholder workshop with staff.

·

·

We also based Santosh on details Wants to be more responsible and serious about hisresearch, life but needsbut help from some existing figuring out where to start or what’s right for him would revisit him later during user Needs training to be relevant to getting a good job or he loses interest, just like he did in school research with students Wants money more than a job

Wants to life his own life, but only if his mother and sisters are OK

INDIVIDUAL!FIRST! !

TWO: Developed content framework and active learning structure

© Design Impact 2013

Tested…

How staff viewed the draft content framework: categories and educational goals

How they ranked various educational goals in importance for our main user How they rated these goals in complexity for our main user, the “aimless student” Santosh How they categorized these goals themselves, working together in small groups

TWO: Developed content framework and active learning structure

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Refined our thinking After the workshop, we changed the content framework slightly to reflect staff feedback

During the workshop, we didn’t reveal our draft category names and used only colors and images to distinguish groups of these cards But we discovered our proposed category names are largely the same as staff.

TWO: Developed content framework and active learning structure

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Prototyped We ran a workshop using our new content framework to brainstorm classroom activities

Staff experienced active learning through the “Marshmallow Challenge:” teams have 18 minutes to build the tallest freestanding structure they can from spaghetti, tape, and string We made the activity match our proposed structure for active learning: plan, do, give feedback, reflect, learn (apply to the future) TWO: Developed content framework and active learning structure

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Prototyped After this, we used our content framework with staff to generate similar activities

We asked staff to pick a goal from each area in the framework: work topics, thinking skills, social skills, and learning styles For each set of four goals, they brainstormed as many “active learning� activities as they could, and we analyzed the results We discovered we needed better definition around work skills TWO: Developed content framework and active learning structure

Š Design Impact 2013

Defining system features Beginning to see how the system will work and look

THREE: Defined the learning system

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Discovered pain points Staff wanted to respond to Accenture, a partner who may help launch a learning system to support Quest and other organizations they work with.

To discover the features we wanted most and whether Accenture can support Quest’s needs, we worked through pain points with the current Moodle learning system and talked about what features might address each problem.

THREE: Defined the learning system

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Defined features We wrote a feature list for Accenture that included everything addressing our pain points

We included some features from earlier discussions with Accenture To help make our issues more clear, we included benefits to the business and to our users

THREE: Defined the learning system

Š Design Impact 2013

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THREE: Defined the learning system

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Added clarity We added a few sketches, too.

Accenture may not be the eventual development partner, but Quest showed what they want and could explain why.

THREE: Defined the learning system

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1

2 4

Modeled the system The Quest team needed a visual representation at this point.

3

The content model shows how our new framework serves to organize the system. We added an overall course shape in three phases: get ready, learn, and launch (practical work to get the student ready for job seeking).

Every activity has the same structure in this system: plan, do, feedback, reflect, learn.

THREE: Defined the learning system

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1

My Quest

2

Modeled the system Designed a few initial screens and used them in discussions with key staff to show how all our design activities have come together into a product: the design thinking process

3

4

A “strawman” design like this also helps foster conversation and raise 5 last issues or concerns. Some staff People often disagree, in life and at work. The goal of this activity is to help you learn what to do disagree someone. wanted towhen seeyou room forwith related Conflicts don't have to become a fight between you and others…see more learning resources. Most found the initial screens supported program You have not prepared this activity yet. Prepare now? and partner needs well.

THREE: Defined the learning system

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PROTOTYPING AND TESTING PHASE

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ONE: Ran design workshops with students to understand this audience better and try our activity structure with them

Milestones from March to June 2013

TWO: Finalized our user audiences and content framework

THREE: designed, tested, and refined the system for our initial user audience (facilitators)

Š Design Impact 2013

Created workshopsâ&#x20AC;Ś To understand our students and what they need To test assumptions about what students find useful and relevant We chose four students from the Equip Youth vocational education program and four from Skills to Succeed program We ran workshops in local languages.

Quest staff facilitated and I observed

ONE: Ran student workshops

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Students told us…

Whether our three student “personas” are like people they know or meet in classes

We played audio monologues for each student persona, recorded in Kannada We also gave students a “poster” version of each student persona: Sahir, Sona, and Santosh Students enjoyed sharing personal stories of people they knew, especially friends who remind them of Sahir and Santosh ONE: Ran student workshops

© Design Impact 2013

Students tried…

An activity that fits into our content framework and uses our active learning structure The activity required pouring “toxic waste” from one container to another, from outside a “safe” zone They could use only a few, long ropes and a bicycle tire tube We gave them a simple version of Deming’s Plan-Do-Check-Act quality improvement process to help them solve the problem a bit at a time ONE: Ran student workshops

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Students discussed…

How the activity relates to work and life and what it taught them They impressed us with their insight, lively discussion, and ability to apply the experience to future situations And they enjoyed it! A woman—one of three women in her program— said, “I have spent almost 1-3/4 years here. Only three months are left. We have not shared so beautifully like this before. It is a nice feeling.”

ONE: Ran student workshops

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Students compared…

A lesson from Quest’s existing life skills curriculum with the active learning experience they just had First, we asked what they remembered from that lesson Then we reviewed the lesson in “comic book” format to help them recall what happened. The lesson is mostly stories told by the facilitator Students found active learning far more relevant and engaging

ONE: Ran student workshops

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Students don’t like the Life Skills workbook. It requires too much writing in English. Students want to speak English better. But they can’t complete the existing Life Skills workbooks without a lot of help from the facilitator.

We felt we had more valid student personas and a solid content strategy. We saw and believed in the power of active learning to connect with this audience and build on what they already know.

ONE: Ran student workshops

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Final User Personas and Content Framework Adding detail and freezing these design tools

TWO: Finalized all user personas and content framework

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Rashmi: Eager but Unsure and Overwhelmed

Profile

“It’s all about learning new ways to teach. Innovating myself. But others at my organization, they think, ‘She came, and she does something, and she goes.’”

Rashmi wanted to make things better around her, not just a paycheck. In her human resources training job, she got bored with so many meetings and employees who weren’t interested. So, now she’s a Life/Work Skills facilitator at an industrial training institute. She feels rewarded every time a student expresses him or herself well in class or calls her “Rashmi” instead of “Ma’am.”

But it can be lonely, just you and these young people who want answers and can’t focus very long. She is new to this, and, while the Quest training was a good start, she worries that she’s not growing professionally. Sometimes, she has a great idea, like making photo essays using mobile phones. Sometimes, she spends hours trying to prepare a lesson. She wishes she had other facilitators to share ideas or help her when she’s stuck and wants good advice.

She feels a little isolated from the ITI faculty and staff.

Facilitator personas The facilitator personas remain largely the same. We added some detail from our earlier research.

Rashmi needs to feel part of a group that supports her everyday, makes her a stronger facilitator, and helps her discover the next career move, too. Where will all this lead? Rashmi wants a ladder to climb, too, just like the students who leave her classroom a little stronger and ready to take their first step.

Age: 25 years old Education: Bachelor’s in Communication, and Master of Social Work.

Values and behavior ·

Family: Rashmi is close to her parents and lives with them and her two sisters in Bangalore. Next year, she’ll marry Gunjan, who works for a technology company.

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Work: Rashmi worked in human resources in the same company as Gunjan, but didn’t find it very rewarding. So, she’s training underprivileged youth now.

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Technology style: Texting, Web surfing, Microsoft Office, chatting, and even playing a few videogames. She just got an Android smartphone and loves it!

Gunjan wants a Samsung tablet, and she hopes he gets it so she can try it out!

! ENTRY'LEVEL!

EXPERIENCED! !

! TEACHER!

FACILITATOR! !

! LATE!TO!TECH!

EARLY!ADOPTER! !

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We changed the photos and names Believes in the power of personalto identity and interpreting self-respect avoid them literally as Wants to be a coach or guide, not a teacher. She’s open to active the facilitators pictured learning and the facilitator’s role Motivated to serve and change her community

Listens to student problems and need for attention but gets frustrated because she would rather focus on ways she is able to help

Rashmi is the main facilitator audience for the learning system. She Goals and needs hasfacilitators passion the work, · Seeks support from Quest and other andfor colleagues to grow but no in skill. Wants to feel part of a team, not on her own with students experience and needs support · Wants a career path and professional development. She is looking for what comes next and won’t stay in this position unless it leads to better things.

·

TWO: Finalized all user personas and content framework

Wants more interactive lessons or audiovisual support to use with students. If they aren’t doing a task or something creative, they don’t pay attention.

© Design Impact 2013

Rajesh: Cares a Lot, but Struggles to Change

Profile

“So many of these students have no fathers and get only 1 or 2 meals a day. They have dreams, but their parents can’t afford to send them to school.”

Rajesh loves leading a group and telling them stories they enjoy. Even the noise at the learning center doesn’t faze him. It’s good for them to speak up a little! He worries about these young people. How will they manage in life?

Many have no fathers and such broken English! Rajesh prays for them and urges them to take class seriously.

He is not used to being friends with students. It seems unprofessional, and Rajesh wants to be respected in his role. But sometimes he sees into the heart of one of his students and finds a bond. For example, one young man always helps out at the center, even when he should be resting before his night-shift job. Rajesh insists he go home, but is as proud of him as his own children.

Facilitator personas

Rajesh likes to explain everything to the students before they do the activities.

He’s not sure they understand these lessons in life skills. Sometimes, he gets impatient trying to draw out their thoughts and feelings and just tells them what it means.

We also made one facilitator male to reflect this audience more accurately

Values and behavior

Rajesh is not our focus, but we do need to consider the facilitator who Worries about students’ values. They don’t take class seriously. comes from a teaching background Can't drop the "chalk and talk" method and let students drive. Doesn't see active learning as the main way to help these students and struggles to and letisn’t the students lead

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Believes in responsibility, relationships, and spirituality

Age: 35 years old

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Resists growing close to students through conversation and activities

Education: Bachelor’s in Education

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Family: Married for 8 years. His wife works part-time as an office assistant at a bank. They have 2 young children and live with his parents. Very active in his church and loves leading with his choir group.

Work: Taught high school for 10 years. Now trains students in Life/Work Skills. Goes to community centers, promotes this work and recruits students.

Technology style: Has a mobile phone, sends texts, but prefers just talking to people. Calls his family morning and evening. Uses Internet at home but would rather visit with family and friends, read, or watch TV than be online.

! ENTRY'LEVEL!

EXPERIENCED! !

! TEACHER!

FACILITATOR! !

! LATE!TO!TECH!

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comfortable creating activities ·

Not good at integrating technology into class work

Goals and needs ·

Give students more discipline and desire to work hard. Make sure students come every time, on time, and stop telling lies about why they can’t be there.

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Get parents to be more supportive and push these students

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Be heard and respected as an educator by students and others

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Get help recruiting new students. It’s hard to get the message out about this program and find the students they want to help.

EARLY!ADOPTER! !

TWO: Finalized all user personas and content framework

© Design Impact 2013

Santosh: Aimless but Looking for Direction “I realize I need to change. I have to be more responsible. I have no excuse. I have to make use of this opportunity and break out of my old behavior patterns.”

Profile Santosh has a hard time taking anything seriously. School didn’t interest him, except cricket and football. He still plays cricket on weekends with a local team. After 10th level, Santosh didn’t know what he wanted to do. He decided to work for awhile and earn money for his family. But he had problems keeping jobs. He balked at supervisors who insisted he come on time and pay attention to details that bored him. After issues like these, Santosh would quit, thinking he could easily get some other job.

His family loves, but they’re press him to get work. What will happen to him and all of them, if he keeps quitting jobs? Santosh’s friend did a training program for retail work and advanced twice in one year. Santosh’s mother urged him to ask about it. So, he did, and his friend encouraged him to sign up.

Maybe they could work together, and that would be great!

Student personas

Santosh changed little. We added more family pressures to earn money and get a job.

But Santosh can’t see how this training will help. He’s trying to take it seriously and make a change. He knows is that he needs to earn money. He just doesn’t see what else matters, so he can’t make a plan he feels good about.

Values and behavior ·

Age: 19 years old Education: Completed class 10, but didn’t go on from there. Thought about going to an ITI, but didn’t know which vocation to try.

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Family: Lives with his mother and three sisters in Hyderabad. His father left the family when he was 10.

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Work: Briefly worked at a cousin’s paint factory but left over a disagreement.

Left another job at Big Bazaar because he didn’t like it. Now doing a retail training program his friend recommended.

·

· · ·

! INSECURE!

·

! GROUP!FIRST!

Students said they had many friends Loves sports and movement. Happiest when he’s active social. admitted they like Santosh andorsome Resists authority and is still angry with his father are like him themselves Easily bored and can’t listen to lectures very long

Students explained that someone like Santosh needs to be persuaded Wants to be more responsible and serious about his life but needs help to start and figuring out where to start or what’s right for himstick with programs like Needs training to be relevant to getting a Some good job or he loses interest,students Quest. have urged just like he did in school like Santosh who quit easily to come Wants to live his own life, but only if his mother and sisters are OK back and finish.

Goals and needs

Technology style: Often texts and calls friends. Follows team scores by SMS. No Internet, but uses Facebook at a cyber because so many friends are on it.

SELF'CONFIDENT! !

Motivated by fear of failure. Quits before he can be fired. Gives up quickly or makes a joke out of something to avoid feeling hurt.

INDIVIDUAL!FIRST! !

TWO: Finalized all user personas and content framework

Wants money more than a job

© Design Impact 2013

Sahir: Entrepreneurship before Education “It’s in my blood to set up my own business. We don’t like working under others. For now, it’s OK.”

Profile Sahir is an independent thinker and impatient to be out on his own. He tried, but couldn’t make a good living working at his father’s sweets store.

His brother moved to Delhi a few years ago to get training and experience with More supermarkets. Things have gone well for him, so Sahir decided to try it, too. He stays with his brother’s family while he makes a start.

But Sahir wants to open his own sweets store and only works at More to save enough to do it. For now, he learns what he can about managing inventory and building customer loyalty, because he’ll need that for his shop. He wants to use inventory control technology to limit waste and maybe even offer services through the Web or by SMS.

Student personas

At More, he likes when colleagues are on his side against troublesome customers. And he’s happy when it’s really busy, and he can help people. But when it’s slow, he’s bored and wishes he were closer to his goals.

Values and behavior

Sahir seemed like a very minor persona to us

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Negative, uninspiring education experiences so far.

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Believes that not having a formal education means it’s best to start your own business and values independence

But students connected strongly with him and know many who want to Anxious to transform his/her life and finds solutions through friends start businesses right away or family and what they recommend

Age: 21 years old

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Education: Completed Class 9, then dropped out. Didn’t see how it would help him become a businessman, which is his dream.

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Finds it tough to come back to study habits and struggles with this

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Big psychological change in moving from home to working in Delhi.

Lacks tolerance for the rules and norms of a work environment

Family: Comes from a village outside of Delhi where his family runs a sweets store. He lives with his brother’s family in Delhi now.

Work: Worked for his father. Now works for More supermarkets and takes courses in English, life skills, and retail training. He does not like retail work.

Technology style: Uses mobile a lot and wants a better one. Works off stress by watching movies and playing video games. Uses cashier systems, but wants to learn about inventory control and making Web sites for his business.

! INSECURE! ! GROUP!FIRST!

Goals and needs

One student has already tried starting three businesses and failed each time

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Focused on earning more money quickly. Wants to stop depending on his family and start helping them and himself

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Wants to work for himself, not others

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SELF'CONFIDENT! !

The students say that Sahir needs to get more skills and and experience before Wants opportunities to learn technology applications systems that could support his business trying to run a business

INDIVIDUAL!FIRST! !

TWO: Finalized all user personas and content framework

© Design Impact 2013

Sona: Can’t Make It Without Support “Many cannot reach their dreams. They need somebody’s help, which many people do not get.”

Profile Sona liked school as a young girl, especially reading and music. But she had a harder time in high school. The subjects bored her, and she couldn’t respond well in class or memorize for tests. She lost interest. Failure began to make Sona shy and insecure, so she left school for awhile. Her father encouraged her to try again. Maybe something different would work.

Sona felt good that her father believed in her and looked for ideas. Her aunt lives in another city and suggested a vocational school there. Sona looked into this and wanted to do computer studies. She could start working in client services at an IT company and who knows where it might lead? She imagined a future where she can rely on herself and make her family proud.

Student personas

She asked to join the ITI. Her mother wanted her to stay home and take a job.

But her father said she should go. Sona’s aunt said it was no trouble to come and stay. But the first thing Sona did when she moved to her aunt’s home was get a café job to earn money while she goes to school. She wants to pay her father and aunt for their help.

Sona changed the most. She is not married with a child now.

Age: 17 years old Education: Left school in Class 10, but is trying to get a 2-year degree at an ITI in computer studies. She hopes to work in client services for an IT company.

Family: Left her parents and lives in another city with an aunt to pursue her training. Her mother is against this, but her father wants her to try Work: Works a job in a coffee shop while going to school to help pay for the help she gets from her aunt.

Technology style: Uses her mobile for music, photos, texting, and talking.

Internet at school only, but keeps in touch with friends back home on Facebook. Loves computers and wants to learn as much as she can about it.

! INSECURE! ! GROUP!FIRST!

SELF'CONFIDENT! !

INDIVIDUAL!FIRST! !

So far, the computer training is challenging but fun, and Sona is learning Life/Work Skills, too. The facilitator and other students care about her struggles with school and living far from home. All of this helps Sona feel less shy, and she asks for help and advice more now. But she is embarrassed and worried about her English skills and wishes she had more ways to practice.

She is willing to sacrifice and work hard for her dreams and must have at least one person encouraging her

Values and behavior · · ·

One woman in our workshops left home to live with an aunt in another Afraid to make mistakes in front of others.

Lacks confidence in herself city to get more education.

She also Loves learning to do new things, but doesn’t like memorizing facts. works at a job.

Motivated to reach her dreams. Willing to work hard and do difficult things to reach them.

Goals and needs · · ·

TWO: Finalized all user personas and content framework

Giving Sona support is the main Needs someone to care, listen thing. to problems, andneeds help her face She to issues feelorsomeone she loses the courage to try she succeeds Wants to improve her English,cares but feelsthat she can’t get better practicing Wants learning experiences that lead to a job with a future

with students like her. Does better with bilingual instructors.

© Design Impact 2013

Content framework We created a final version of the content framework We presented this as a Content Development Kit for easy use Definitions for each educational goal are clear and measurable We used our workshop activity as the sample activity in the kit Questâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s content team now owns the work and several curriculum writers are using the kit TWO: Finalized all user personas and content framework

Š Design Impact 2013

Sign%in:% default Notes

My Quest

1.

Sign%In%Form.%

2.

Social%Media%Sign%In.%

Sign% in% to%MyQuest 1

Name or email address Password 3.

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I% forgot% my% password New%to%MyQuest?%Join% now 2

you testing can: Sign% in% with%Facebook ModelingOrand the learning system

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Seeing how3it will work for our users Š% 2013%Quest%Alliance:% % LMS%Wireframes,% version% 3.5

Fri%May% 03% 2013

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

Policies:% % Page% 2% of% 25

Š Design Impact 2013

My Quest 1

Modeled the system

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We focused on the facilitator role in these sketches of our learning system, but noted where the view is similar or different for a student user Learn activities and how to

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present them

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2

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3

Ready to set up MyQuest and learn to use it?

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

© Design Impact 2013

Tested our work We created enough wireframe sketches to walk through the main facilitator tasks in the application.

We ran four usability tests on these initial designs with facilitators who fit our target audience Two work in the Skills to Succeed job training program, and two work in the Equip Youth vocational education program

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

Š Design Impact 2013

Tested our work We used a lightly clickable version of the wireframes for the tests and recorded the sessions.

The main issue we discovered is that people who speak English as a second language skim and scan for meaning and do not read screen text.

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

Š Design Impact 2013

Refined our ideas There’s an “orientation” process to take facilitators through the site the first time

Added an orientation approach to other key areas of the site to help facilitators learn how to use the online materials

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

© Design Impact 2013

Refined our ideas We made labels more direct and clear. Facilitators were sometimes confused about what activity to do next in our tests or couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find items we thought were easy to spot.

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

Š Design Impact 2013

Refined our ideas Made visuals more prominent and recommended more videos and imagery to help users understand.

Added more emphasis to educational goals. One activity can explore many educational goals, and this is new for facilitators.

Recommended an orientation approach for first visit to an activity page to make sure the facilitator knows how to review educational goals and not just the activity instructions.

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

Š Design Impact 2013

Refined our ideas Broke up content-dense areas and put the materials on more screens to make it easier for facilitators to focus on the right things.

Emphasized keeping displays compact and hiding detail until the user is ready to view it.

Print and phone options tested well.

Facilitators do want to be able to read or view items in a portable way.

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

Š Design Impact 2013

Refined our ideas Made any processes or controls easier to understand visually. Buttons are prominent and status is clear.

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

Š Design Impact 2013

Refined our ideas Looked for ways to save time and still increase assessment This self-assessment process replaces the Life Skills workbook. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shorter, has the same structure every time, and requires less writing.

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

Š Design Impact 2013

Refined our ideas Looked for ways to save time and still increase assessment This self-assessment process replaces the Life Skills workbook. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shorter, has the same structure every time, and requires less writing.

THREE: Modeled and tested the learning system

Š Design Impact 2013

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After refinements are approved, the design is ready for final prototyping, testing, and development can begin. Quest now has a blueprint for their learning system.

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This project shows the value of systems thinking and the design process. We learned, defined, and modeled a system for educational support that meets business goals and user needs. The content strategy we created is valuable to Quest as a concrete expression of their educational philosophy. The learning system that is built upon that content structure can easily scale to many users and partners. Assessment is built in and student needs are at the heart of the content approach.

Final thoughts and next steps

© Design Impact 2013

Thanks.

Contact: Eva Miller eva.miller@d-impact.org www.d-impact.org

Š Design Impact 2012