Gamified Group Sessions

Other Contributors:

Jessica Loredo (Illustrations); John Bowie & Sarah Bosak (assisted facilitation of informal usability testing)

Study Island is a K-12 online test prep and practice solution. One feature of this product is Group Sessions, which is a way for a teacher to conduct an interactive learning activity with their whole classroom at once. In early 2018, we began the process of creating two new modes for group sessions: Challenge Mode & Race Mode. These were meant to be much more gamified and fun for the students, providing motivation to learn.

I started working on the experience by doing some competitive research, followed by some simple mockups. We continued building on these with frequent design reviews within the UX team as well as within the development team. Once we got the flow of the experience figured out, I started to work on the visual aspects, with help from my teammate Jessica Loredo. We used some existing assets, including Study Island’s mascot character (Taco the Crab) and island-themed backgrounds. There was also a decision to have two separate themes for the modes, so they were easier to differentiate: challenge mode got the classic island theme, where race mode got a new space theme. Creating the robot & alien versions of Taco the Crab was one of my favorite parts of this process!

I worked with developers as they got to adding the visuals, providing SVGs and other file types as needed, as well as advice for responsive design. While Study Island as a whole is not compatible with anything smaller than an iPad, we tried to make sure that this feature would allow students to compete on their phones. I also worked on some really fun CSS animations, including a streak bonus animation, a countdown to start things off, and a “waiting” animation featuring Taco the Crab as a clock.

As soon as the feature had been developed, we took it to a local school for some informal usability testing. The students loved it, and had no trouble figuring out what to do. We made a few very minor changes based on this, and released it in early 2019.

After the release, we went back and added one extra bit of functionality that was super fun: I got to design some certificates! These were printable one-page documents to reward students that came in first, second, or third place.

This was one of the most fun projects I’ve had the opportunity to lead. I especially loved moderating the informal usability test with students and working on the CSS animations. I also feel like this gave me the opportunity to learn and grow in my visual design practice.

Challenge Mode Screenshots

In challenge mode, the questions only show up on the teacher’s board, and each student must select an answer choice on their own device. The timer is universal for everyone participating.

Race Mode Screenshots

In race mode, every student sees the question and answers on their own device, and they can move at their own pace. The teacher’s screen displays a dynamic leaderboard while students answer.

Checkpoint Mode Screenshot (Original Mode)

This was the original mode of group sessions that existed in Study Island. It has now been rebranded as “checkpoint mode,” and is presented as a non-competitive alternative to the gamified modes.