In this blog, Chiachi Ming, Research Associate on our Student-centred design project, reports upon working with the Library’s student team to explore how students can feed-forward in the design of their virtual learning environment. 

‘‘I enjoyed how each of the activities was designed – starting from the icebreaker activity (which did induce creativity in me) to the last activity of designing the homepage. Everything was well thought about and extremely engaging as well. I really liked the idea behind the sandwich activity – it was really interesting. In both the sessions I attended, I enjoyed how everyone was equally involved and all the opinions/voices mattered.’’

—— Anonymous feedback from one of the participants

 

Universities are pretty good at asking students how things have gone – we are less good at showing how that has changed things for the better. How might we break the ‘stalemate’ and move forward to turn identified opportunities into actionable solutions? Building on the problem space identified during the co-discovery workshop with the Library Student Team, I designed a co-creation workshop aimed at collaboratively brainstorming ways to make support and communication more accessible and tailored to students’ real needs. We also explored what an engaging and user-friendly interface might look like.

To set the tone of a welcoming and open environment, Adelaide Marshall, the co-facilitator from e-learning team, introduced the icebreaker activity ‘Pattern Ball.’ This creativity-boosting game helped ease participants into space, encouraging relaxation and setting the stage for productive collaboration.

‘‘Liked the introductory activity, it was unique and fun although a little hard at points but that just made it more funny!’’

—— Anonymous feedback from one of the participants

 

Reflecting on the identified Problem Space

I have met students and discussed the challenges they experience with their Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). These helped me identify key problem areas and generate four ‘How Might We’ (HMW) questions to inspire solutions. These questions prompted participants to reflect on their key concerns, leading to a focused discussion on the challenges of accessing lecturer-designed materials and support within the VLE. It became evident that the challenges are not only with the platform itself, but also with how the content is organized and presented within it.

The discussion also explored how Canvas could offer improvements in these areas by enabling more intuitive organization and better access to resources. As the first activity, it prompted critical thinking about both the platform and its support services, encouraging participants to consider alternative ways to address their needs. Unfortunately, due to the limitation of times, we couldn’t discuss all the questions.

 

Divergence & Convergence of Ideas through Visualisation

During the first ideation round, aimed at generating a broad range of ideas, we conducted three key activities: Crazy 8, Rolling On, and Make Your Sandwich.

In Crazy 8, participants rapidly sketched eight different scenarios to improve the user experience of Canvas. In Rolling On, participants were divided into two groups to expand upon each other’s ideas visually. Finally, Make Your Sandwich had participants individually develop one idea in depth, considering factors such as stakeholders, environment, barriers, and the implementation process.

‘‘I like the drawing elements as I feel that I often visually envision things more than see them in words or sometimes find it hard to explain things in words so creative mediums such as pictures help.’’

—— Anonymous feedback from one of the participants

 

These activities highlighted the value of both individual and group work, reminding me of how powerful and productive collaboration can be when it’s properly facilitated. The act of drawing provided an alternative way to communicate and helped students to articulate their views more creatively. The group dynamic not only helped participants shape their own ideas but also encouraged them to actively engage with and build upon the ideas of others, fostering a deeper level of collaboration.

 

Prototyping: Shuffle Cards for the Actual Interface Design

Reflecting on the session, it became clear that our participants have a highly nuanced understanding of and distinct preferences for using the virtual learning environment —insights I couldn’t have anticipated on my own. What are the key elements that make an interface both appealing and user-friendly?

Interestingly, the students independently arrived at similar ideas, developing them into the detail elements using the visual prompt of the other learning platform interface that I had prepared. We also provided small function cards as references, which helped participants refine their concepts. A common theme emerged in this part: both groups emphasized the need for a clear, easy-to-navigate layout, supported by visual cues and straightforward language.

One student in the session suggested they would like to directly interact with the software, drafting their own designs. It suggested that this would provide them with more concrete visuals and ideas, potentially offering deeper insights into the design process. This feedback made me wonder how direct interaction with a technology tool influences cognitive perception of the interface. Even though the amazing sketches illustrated what functions users might want to see for digital learning, the time constraints prevented us from iterating on these prototypes or discussing potential barriers and drawbacks. This leaves me curious about how further exploration could enhance both the design and the students’ engagement with the process.

 

Real Needs Underlining the ideation

There are a few key takeaways as followed:

• Personalisation: students asked for personalised dashboards, featuring tools such as calendars, to-do lists, and note-taking areas for better time and task management.

• Threshold for Learning Materials: Students suggested implementing a function that prompts lecturers to upload relevant files in a timely manner, such as a pop-up reminder of missing files before their submission.

• Clear guidance: User Manual with screenshots or ‘How to’ instructional videos to guide students through the Canvas interface easily.

• Accessible support: Clear and accessible information on available support, including online meeting rooms or physical drop-in space.

• Visualisation: Participants advocated for more visually engaging content, with better infostructure and less text-heavy elements to improve user experience.

• Gamification: Suggestions for greater engagement included features like emoji reactions and virtual platforms where students and lecturers can interact, fostering a more dynamic learning environment.

While I can’t guarantee that these ideas are achievable through the platform and customization, we can explore the underlying needs driving these requests. Why do users want personalized to-do lists? Why do students seek a virtual, interactive platform with peers? Most importantly, what alternatives might offer a win-win for both staff and students?

A key lesson from this facilitation was time management. Feedback indicated that some activities overlapped between brainstorming and developing concrete ideas, and participants felt pressured to generate ideas within limited timeframes. While we aimed to spark creativity in this way, I look forward to refining this approach in the next phase of testing with students and how it could be taken forward to the university board.

The next step will be interviews with a diverse group of students. Topics will be informed with the insights from this workshop. We are seeking to answer the following questions empirically:

• What core information is enough but not too much to be displayed on Canvas?

• What predictability or standardisation is the most important?

• When students say labels aren’t clear – what do they mean and what would be clear (language)?

Chiachi Ming, Research Associate on Student-centred Service Design projects 

School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED)

Connect with Ming on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiachiming 

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