Strategy Analytics’ Podcast UX Soup Explores Distance Learning In the New Normal

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Strategy Analytics – All levels of education are being forced to adapt and transform in the post pandemic world. In a time of distance learning, focus on technology and learning platforms has never been more prevalent. Strategy Analytics’ User Experience weekly podcast, UX Soup has investigated at the impact of distance learning on technology and the user experience, from the perspective of both parents and educators in primary, secondary and tertiary education in the US, whilst they navigate this new normal.

Commented Lisa Cooper, Director and host of UX Soup host of Episode 11: Distance Learning, an Educator’s Perspective, “Educators have been thrown in at the deep end, and they have varying levels of comfort with technology in general; switching their classes to virtual learning online can be daunting. Not all schools and colleges have the IT budget allocated to ensure the upfront access and the support that’s required to facilitate this – for the educators, the parents or the pupils – and it is falling to department staff to spearhead this support in any way they can. Infrastructure is also no small part of this. If all the students in one district need connectivity at the same time, then there are going to be issues that need fixing.”

Commented Derek Viita, Senior Analyst and UX Soup host of Episode 10: Distance Learning, a Parent’s Perspective, “There are a lot of moving parts to a school day. If there’s more than one child within a household then they will likely all have different schedules and different needs. Every child then requires a laptop or tablet to follow their own schedule. Once children have access, it’s a minefield as to which platforms they need to download and use; what access the parents have and/or need; and the many different passwords required to access all these portals. How you contact a teacher also needs to be standardized. Particularly for younger students, parents need one consolidated platform per school, which provides access to all the learning resources the children need throughout the day, with one password.”

Continued Viita, “But issues also exist on the physical side of not being in a school environment and still at home. You can get people acclimatized to logging in and sitting down, but they need to learn to behave at home, in the same way they do in a physical classroom; and that takes time.”

Added Cooper, “Students will also be using different platforms on different devices and no ‘one’ person is going to know how to navigate all of the different user interfaces the students are using when there’s a problem. Furthermore, not all platforms are set up for mobile devices – so functionality is lost from one device to another and can cause confusion. Educators have the unenviable task of identifying issues and providing solutions before they occur; and importantly, not assume that all teenagers are tech savvy. If a task is not achievable in one or two clicks then students get lost, are unable to troubleshoot beyond that initial attempt, and give up. Streamlining processes, offering pre-recorded sessions especially in tertiary settings, and ensuring adequate educator training, are key to successful distance learning.”

About UX Soup

Presenting a short-form podcast that looks beyond the buzz words, Strategy Analytics’ weekly podcast UX Soup, updates industry professionals with developments that will impact the user experience (UX) of personal devices and services in the home, in the car and while mobile. Accessible via popular channels such as iTunes, Google Play Music, and Spotify, its aim is to update, inform and kick-start discussions regarding the most pressing topics affecting UX right now. The podcast will tackle emerging behaviors in augmented and virtual reality, 5G, artificial intelligence, and autonomous driving, along with advancements in the human-machine interface (HMI) like digital assistants, haptics, and gestures.

Source: Strategy Analytics, Inc.

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About Strategy Analytics

Strategy Analytics, Inc. is a global leader in supporting companies across their planning lifecycle through a range of customized market research solutions. Our multi-discipline capabilities include: industry research advisory services, customer insights, user experience design and innovation expertise, mobile consumer on-device tracking and business-to-business consulting competencies. With domain expertise in: smart devices, connected cars, intelligent home, service providers, IoT, strategic components and media, Strategy Analytics can develop a solution to meet your specific planning need. For more information, visit us at www.strategyanalytics.com.

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