ONLINE EDUCATION CASE STUDY
Web Application
The Church organization faced the challenge of using a third-party Learning Management System that, despite its basic educational capabilities, failed to offer the interactive and customizable features sought by educators and learners alike. With a mere 15% engagement rate in online courses, the decision to switch to an in-house LMS became a priority.
Stakeholders
Church Leadership: They oversee the project and allocate resources. Interested in increasing member engagement in deeper Bible studies.
Educators / Pastors: Need a flexible and interactive platform to create effective Bible study courses.
Learners: Desire a more engaging and intuitive system to deepen their understanding of the Bible.
Technical Team: Responsible for building and maintaining the LMS, interested in creating a sustainable, easy-to-update system."
ROLE
UI/UX DESIGNER
SCOPE
MAY 2018 - July 2019
PROCESS
Research, interviews, survey, competitive analysis, ideation, prototyping, testing, evaluation.
TOOLS
FIGMA, ADOBE XD
The Problem
The Church organization has been using a third-party Learning Management System (LMS) that is limited in customization and interactivity. This has led to low engagement rates in online Bible study courses and an inability to meet the unique educational needs of its members. The existing system also follows an accreditation model, which the Church has decided not to pursue further. While functional, this third-party LMS was constrained by several limitations:
Limited Customization: The system was not adaptable to the specific learning needs of the Church community.
Low Interactivity: Its lack of interactive features led to passive learning and low member engagement.
Accreditation Focus: The platform was structured around an accreditation model, misaligned with the Church's flexible, community-centered educational goals.
Resource Drain: Ongoing costs for the third-party LMS were significant, delivering limited value in return.
To address these challenges, the Church organization is planning to transition to an in-house Learning Management System (LMS) with the following features and objectives:
High Customization: The in-house LMS will be built with a focus on customization to serve the unique educational needs and cultural context of the Church community. Educators will have the ability to tailor courses, ranging from content to assessment methods.
Interactive Learning: The new LMS will include a variety of interactive elements such as quizzes, forums, and multimedia elements to foster an engaging learning experience.
Community-Centric Approach: Unlike the accreditation-focused third-party system, the in-house LMS will be designed around the Church’s community-centered educational philosophy. Courses can be created and adjusted to foster community discussion and involvement.
Cost-Efficiency: By moving to an in-house system, the Church will have a one-time development cost but will save on ongoing licensing fees, thus providing better value for the resources invested.
Enhanced Member Experience: With a focus on usability and user experience, the new LMS aims to boost course completion rates and deepen member engagement, thereby advancing the Church’s mission of deepening the understanding of the Bible within its community.
The end goal is to create an LMS that not only solves the limitations of the previous system but also becomes a cornerstone in delivering high-quality, engaging, and community-centered Bible study courses online.
Objectives
Increase Member Engagement: Boost member engagement in online courses by 30% within the first year of implementing the new LMS.
Customization & Flexibility: Enable educators to easily tailor courses with at least three different types of interactive elements by the end of Q2.
Cost-Efficiency: Achieve a 20% reduction in ongoing operational costs related to the LMS within the first year.
Metrics
Member Engagement: Measured through user activity logs, course completion rates, and user surveys.
Customization: Track the number and types of customizations made to courses. This can be recorded in the LMS admin dashboard.
Community Engagement: Quantify the number of community-led discussions or forums and measure participant satisfaction through post-discussion surveys.
Costs: Compare the yearly costs of the previous third-party LMS with the operational costs of the new in-house system, including maintenance and any necessary updates.
RESEARCH: COMPETITIVE & SWOT ANALYSES
STRENGTHS
Wide range of courses. High-quality courses from universities
OPPORTUNITIES
Broad Market Appeal
WEAKNESSES
Less customization options and not specialized in religious education
THREATS
Specialized Competitors
Coursera stands out for its wide range of courses and partnerships with top universities, delivering high-quality educational content. However, its focus is broad and not specialized in religious education, and customization options are relatively limited due to the structure set by partner universities.
STRENGTHS
Specializes in religious education. Trusted by strong religious community
OPPORTUNITIES
Academic Recognition
WEAKNESSES
May lack interactive features and can be costly.
THREATS
New Platforms
Zondervan Academic specializes in religious and theological studies, enjoying a strong reputation and trust within religious academic communities. However, it may lack interactive, community-centered features and could be cost-prohibitive for some users.
After completing the competitive analyses, we moved on to validate our findings through multiple avenues: user surveys, interviews, and card sorting exercises. For a smooth and effective data collection process, we leveraged various tools. Optimal Workshop assisted with the card sorting activities, Zoom facilitated remote interviews, and Google Surveys was our go-to for online survey distribution.
In addition to these digital methods, we took the research a step further by conducting in-person interviews with a selection of five church members. This face-to-face interaction provided not only nuanced views but also enriched our comprehension of what users really need and prefer.
The survey results reveal a tech-savvy congregation generally comfortable with online learning, as evidenced by the majority of respondents scoring 3-5 in terms of frequency and ease of navigation. A strong preference for Bible Studies emerged, claiming 40% of content interest, suggesting this should be a focus in the new LMS. When it comes to platform features, interactivity stood out as crucial, emphasizing the importance of a user-centric design. Quizzes and downloadable resources also garnered attention, indicating that a well-rounded, multifaceted approach to feature implementation would resonate most with our user base.
pain points
Confusion about where to find resources
Outdated material
Lack of engagement
Inflexible learning paths
Unresponsive customer service
Difficult mobile interface
Slow response to queries
Lack of forum engagement
No tailored content
desires
Intuitive layout
Up-to-date courses
Interactive lessons
Customizable learning paths
Vibrant online community
Seamless mobile experience
Personalized learning recommenda-tions
Quick and constructive feedback
Reliable and fast tech support
behaviors
Skipping modules if lost
Engage more with current topics
Browsing forums for more info
Ignoring content if too rigid
Sharing more if community is active
Use platform less if not mobile-friendly
Sticking to familiar topics
Exiting platform if feedback is slow
Seeking alternative platforms
Meet the Users: Personas
As part of our comprehensive user research, we've identified four key personas who represent the diverse user base of our in-house LMS system for the church. These personas embody the varied needs, motivations, and pain points of our users, providing invaluable insights for tailoring the LMS experience.
EXPLORATION & IDEATION
In this pivotal stage, we move beyond conceptual sketches to create detailed, high-fidelity mockups of our Learning Management System (LMS). These are not merely aesthetic layouts; they are data-driven designs deeply influenced by the insights we've gathered from our user research and competitive analysis.
Each component of our mockups, from the intuitive "Home View" to the user-friendly "Unit Page," is crafted to meet the unique needs of our various personas. Whether it's the less tech-savvy Traditional Tom or the digital native Young Yara, we aim for a seamless user experience that caters to our diverse church membership. Features like personalized course recommendations, easy-to-navigate interfaces, and engaging, interactive modules are integrated with each persona in mind.
In marrying the research data with high-fidelity design, we set the stage for an LMS that is not only functional but also engaging and aligned with the church's mission to deepen biblical understanding through online courses.
USABILITY TESTING
For this project, an interactive prototype was designed using Figma. The initial round of usability testing was both moderated and conducted in-person, with participation from five members of our church community, each representing a different user persona. The participants were presented with specific scenarios and tasks that aimed to replicate real-world use cases for the new LMS platform.
Scenario: You've just logged into the web application for the first time. Your goal is to understand what the learning management system offers and to enroll in your first course on biblical studies.
Task 1: Navigate through the onboarding process. While doing so, please verbalize your thoughts, particularly focusing on how well you understand the platform and its features.
Task 2: Browse the course library and choose a course on biblical studies that interests you.
Task 3: Enroll in the selected course and start the first lesson.
During these tasks, detailed notes were taken to capture the users' experiences, frustrations, and suggestions. The findings will be used to refine the high-fidelity mockups and make data-driven decisions for further iterations.
After concluding the usability tests, the collected feedback and observed behaviors were categorized using affinity mapping. This technique helped in clustering similar comments and concerns raised by the participants. Insights from the mapping process were then used to inform further iterations of the design.
Key Takeaways:
Navigation: Users often stumbled upon the right course category by chance rather than a clear understanding of the navigation structure.
Onboarding: While users found the onboarding process informative, there was a consensus on the need for simplification and better contextual guidance.
Enrollment: The course enrollment process was universally understood, but participants suggested additional features like previews and course ratings.
The affinity map helped us see patterns that were not immediately evident, offering valuable guidance on which areas of the user interface needed most attention. These insights will be pivotal in revising the high-fidelity mockups and planning the next development phase.
User Interface Design
In this phase, we transitioned from wireframes and prototypes to high-fidelity mockups. The design palette was kept consistent with the Church's branding guidelines, using shades of blue, white, and gold. All the design decisions were informed by our previous research, the usability testing results, and the personas we developed.
The interface was designed to be intuitive and accessible for all age groups, particularly focusing on those who are less tech-savvy. A minimalist approach was taken to keep the user interface uncluttered and focused on learning. Features like ‘One-click enrollment,’ ‘Progress tracking,’ and ‘Interactive Quizzes’ were incorporated to keep engagement high and offer a more dynamic learning experience.
Key design deliverables:
High-Fidelity Mockups: These were created using Figma, providing a near-final look at how each page of the web app would appear.
Design Specification Document: This includes all guidelines, hex codes, typography, and other design elements for the development team.
Interactive Prototype: Created using Figma, this allowed stakeholders to experience the web app flow.
All these deliverables were shared and reviewed with stakeholders for final approval before moving into the development phase.
Retrospective
The journey of creating an in-house Learning Management System (LMS) for the Church was both challenging and rewarding. We started with a vision to provide an interactive and user-friendly online platform for deeper Bible study. In the end, the project successfully met its objectives while incorporating invaluable insights from our community.
Challenges
User Diversity: Catering to a wide range of tech-savviness among our church community was a considerable hurdle.
Content Creation: Striking a balance between depth and accessibility in course material required multiple iterations.
Resource Constraints: As this was an in-house project, there were limitations in terms of available resources and timelines..
Lessons Learned
User-Centric Design: Always start with the user. The inclusion of various research methods and usability testing was crucial for the project’s success.
Iterative Process: Initial setbacks were beneficial for the long term, as they drove home the importance of an iterative design process.
Community Collaboration: Continuous feedback from the Church community helped refine the product to better serve their needs.
Future Recommendations
Ongoing User Testing: To ensure that the platform evolves with its users, regular usability testing is recommended.
Content Update: A roadmap for regularly updating and expanding the course catalog.
Accessibility: Future iterations should include more accessibility features, such as subtitles and voice-over capabilities, to cater to all church members.
