CLIENT SUMMARY
Cisco is a telecommunications equipment manufacturer.
Among their products, they have developed Cisco Spark, which is a platform where people can collaborate remotely. This app platform can be downloaded in smartphones and PC, plus they have created the Cisco Spark monitor, which features fulfills the remote collaboration in an interactive HD screen.
THE BRIEF
Adapt Cisco Spark and Cisco Spark Monitor for a Chemistry class.
Envision a Chemistry class with Cisco Spark. Design the class features and interface.
PROJECT TIMELINE AND DESIGN PHASES
PROCESS BREAKDOWN
Together with our project mentor Mr. Jan-Christoph Zoels we shared some disruptive education solutions worldwide, for different topics and students.
EDUCATION BENCHMARK
We came up with existing ways of teaching, clustered them into digital and tangible solutions. We mapped the solutions in successful- failure and teamwork-individual.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
We had the chance to visit Istituto Marceline Tomaseo in order to see how a Chemistry class is performed now at days. We Had a Cart Sorting dynamic where we understood the tools are used, the communication channels among teachers and students, the impact of internet at school, the impact of digital platforms at school and the flow of a 50 mins Chemistry Class.
ASSUMPTIONS
Methodologies: How might we?, axis map to cluster the ideas.
IDEAS
Together with Jan Christoph Zoels, we created 40 ideas to disrupt a chemistry class. Using the methodology How Might We? We created those ideas, answering the previous assumptions.
Ex. How might we promote teamwork?
The images below show some illustrated ideas.
We mapped the ideas in an axis, where we evaluated how those ideas fulfilled the assumptions.
PROTOTYPE FEATURES
- Uploaded essay made by the students as homework.
- Student’s completed tasks.
- Team members and profile.
- Lecture displayed by the teacher during the class time.
The solution of the digital lab is to address the limitations of the students that keeps them from accessing various resources to conduct experiments. So as to make the students curious about the different aspects of the subject and paves the way to correlate between the different topics of the same. The main aim of the plugin includes the concept of working together as a team and accessing the progress, making it easier for both the students and the teachers to keep in track of the proceedings in the day to day learning process.
PROTOTYPE TESTING
We tested the features of the raw prototype at the Istituto Marceline Tomaseo.
Findings: with this prototype, we confirmed the need of a digital space where students can practice all what they learned at school, with laboratory session activities and homeworks. Finding this, then we re-disign 2 more times the interface into a more visual solution.
INTERFACE DESIGN
A plugin for cisco spark where students can do virtual chemistry experiments without worrying about the harm materials.
Behive on Cisco Spark Monitor
Behive on tablets and smartphones
SCENARIOS
We envisioned the way a Chemistry class will be taught using Cisco Spark as part of their tools. See how the interaction student- teacher- monitor makes a more dynamic class, promoting the class participation and team work.
Behive was presented with representatives of Cisco.
Evaluation:
Research
Concept
Prototype quality
FEEDBACK
The assumptions were perfectly performed in the features of Behive. The platform is pretty intuitive and the prototype scenario presents simulates the experience. The presentation time was very short, probably explaining with deep information would be useful to make our project more professional looking.
WHAT I LEARNED
Sometimes the research phase doesn’t have to be super deep, just by visiting one potential user/client or in this case, institution; is enough for the team to have an idea of how the sector is running. This was my first project at Italy. It was a valuable project because it wide my panorama of how education runs there. I learned the importance of a high quality prototype and its interaction simulations using softwares like Premiere and After Effects.
Behive in collaboration with Cisco and Domus Academy.
Team members: Varnitha Rada, Elizabeth Whitaker, Marlenne Escalante, Diana Campos
Project Leader: Dario Buzzini
Project Mentor: Michele Aquila
Project Advisor: Michele Marchetti
Milan, Italy 2018.
