How might we make an online interaction in class feel more natural?
As a UX lead at Columbia's Developer Student Club, I conduct weekly design meetings where I'm collaborating with other students on ideating a online learning experience that suits Columbia students.
Here, we focus on the question of how we might we make interaction in class feel more natural. Our research has shown that this is an aspect about online learning that students care about the most. We identified the following problem areas as part of a "natural conversation in the classroom" that we based our ideation of solutions on:
- Asking questions/raising hands - how does one indicate that they wish to ask a question?
- Chat function is often disruptive
- Social cues, group interaction and conversational flow - how do we make sure we have the social cues to not interrupt others while they speak?
Right now, we're sketching first solutions based on our insights. Our goal is to not re-create the in-person experience online, but find new ways to make online-lectures feel more natural and intuitive for students and faculty.
Stay tuned for more!
