Teacher's platform
Easing the remote onboarding process of language teachers for online teaching.
The Problem
The company experienced a business expansion, and new teachers needed to be trained remotely. It lacked an onboarding framework
to deliver tools, information, and company values.
HMW help language teachers acquire teaching skills
and knowledge in a remote setting?
The Company
Expath GmbH
A Berlin-based language school that works with a pool of freelance teachers.
Before the pandemic, it used to train ca. 100 teachers for 8K per year.
Introduction
In response to the uncertainties presented by Covid-19, many companies had to make themselves comfortable with the remote setting - the new normality.
The pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation and had
a significant impact on companies' business practices.
The Company
Expath GmbH
A Berlin-based language school that works with a pool of freelance teachers.
Before the pandemic, it used to train ca. 100 teachers for 8K per year.
An online platform
The solution
The online platform will:
-
Support teachers in the skills and knowledge acquisition process.
-
Deliver company culture and company values.
-
Foster relationship bonding among teachers.
Meeting the school
Project goals
Goal #1 - Adjust the current on-site onboarding format to the remote setting
Goal #2 - Communicate company values and culture whilst ensuring relationship bonding among teachers.
Role specific
teacher training
Tools, information
and company culture
Team building
activities
Learning about the company
On-site onboarding: 1 week / 3 pillars
The first part of the onboarding is a teacher training which provides teachers with the skills and the resources necessary to pass a trial lesson. After successful completion, newbies are onboarded on the freelancing role and the company culture. In addition to this, it is also a precious opportunity to meet fellow teachers and get to know each other.
Learning about the teachers
May I introduce you Brian?
In order to gain a broader perspective, I conducted 25 user interviews with both, teachers onboarded on-site before the pandemic and those who were onboarded online during the pandemic.
I focused on understanding the differences in terms of:
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Timing and schedule
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Training materials and resources
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Attitude toward technology
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Psychological implication of the pandemic
User Journey
putting my self in Brians'shoes
All the insights I collected helped me ideate Brian journey during the onboarding and hiring processes. I highlighted his goals and
his thoughts, as well as his feeling and the pain points he experiences. Touchpoints with the platform will help him reach his goal.
Turning scribbles into a prototype
Constructing the solution - User flow
With all my research, goals and conclusions/processes in mind, I started building the platform. Starting with some rough sketches on paper, I drew up some ideas on the whiteboard, able to see and adjust user flows and navigation quickly. Finally, a representative happy path Brian would go through in his jorney.
With all my research, goals and conclusions/processes in mind, I started building the platform. Starting with some rough sketches on paper, I drew up some ideas on the whiteboard, able to see and adjust user flows and navigation quickly. Finally, the most representative happy path Brian would go through in his jorney.
Trying it out in the real world
User testing (8 ppl) a mid-fidelity prototype
After this, I took the sketched screens into Figma to bring them to life in mid-fidelity form. In each iteration, the website's functionality was streamlined to the point where assumptions could be tested. Participants completed the task and found the process straightforward (no usability issues)
Two adjustments were needed:
Change #1 - The learning unit
Is it easy to scan information?
An example of the mid-fi prototype evolution can
be seen in the design iteration of learning units.
Before
After
Change #2 - Dropdown vs horizontal "swipe"
A more flexible layout
The drop-down option was not the best choice because some learning units can be content-heavy and the content would be displayed on a very long page. Horizontal layouts, instead, introduce users to smaller chunks of information, that users can access through a button.
It is true that people expect to scroll vertically for additional content but adding a visible arrow to advance through content and some breadcrumbs (section 1/3), will help users understand how much content is left.
After
Horizontal layout
Drop down version
Before
From findings to feature
Key insights from user interviews
Teachers reported that remote work has many benefits, such as self, time management, and flexibility to adjust their own schedule.
Result: They'll follow a self-paced learning method to complete 8 onboarding units. All units have been reshaped to follow the same structure as their trainer-led counterparts.
Insight #1
Remote work
The switch from the paper world to a digital setting is challenging but teachers are willing to learn the latest tools for online teaching.
Result: The platform will include a section dedicated to professional development and one dedicated to teaching resources.
Insight #2
Upskilling
One of the takeaways of the training on-site is the possibility of meeting colleagues, which is not possible during the pandemic.
Result: The platform will include a community in which teachers can interact, share knowledge, as well as join groups and events.
Insight #3
Mutual exchange
Getting closer to reality
Interaction design
After giving the UI of the mid-fidelity prototype a facelift, I animated the prototype so that it was a closer reflection of how our users would use the website. In this video we see a user flow that highlights Brian's touchpoints with the platform.
Introduction
In response to the uncertainties presented by
Covid-19, many companies had to make
themselves comfortable with the remote
setting - the new normality.
The pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation and had a significant impact on companies' business practices.