How motivating students
increases ESL Revenues
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, the English as a Second Language (ESL) Teaching industry faced unprecedented challenges. With the closure of physical classrooms and the transition to online learning, ESL teachers and students alike were forced to adapt quickly to a new and unfamiliar landscape. However, the difficulties did not end there. Many ESL students, already struggling to stay motivated in their language studies, were further demotivated by the upheaval and uncertainty of the pandemic.
The impact of this demotivation was felt not only in the classroom, but also in the bottom line of ESL businesses. As students lost their drive for personal growth, ESL revenues began to decline. In this case study, we will explore one innovative solution to this problem: using songs as a tool for learning English. By harnessing the power of music to engage and motivate students, this approach has the potential to boost ESL revenues and create a more positive and productive learning environment.
Project context
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UX Research
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UX Design
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UI Design
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Interaction Design
My role
Process
Design Thinking
Duration
5 months
Business Objective
Increase Revenue
Tools
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Figma
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Miro
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POP by Marvel
The problem
ESL Teaching Industry lost $5.5 Billion In 2020
The value of ESL teaching industry declined to US $3.3 billion dollars in 2020, down from US $8.8 billion in 2019 and the lowest value ever recorded since analysis began in 2002
(The Global Market, 2020)
5% Decline Foreshadowed in ESL Teaching Industry in the coming years
Enrollment in adult education and ESL programs has declined in recent years. Employment of adult basic and secondary education and ESL teachers is projected to decline 5 percent from 2020 to 2030.
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2022)
English learners need motivation and engagement
Traditional English learning methods bore English learners, and a lack of engagement with native speakers are just two of the barriers to their communicating effectively.
(Elearning Inside 2020)
Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash
This led us ultimately to design the following solution...
The Solution
ESong
ESong is a mobile app that provides an enjoyable, additional way for people who love music and want to improve their English listening, as well as enrich their vocabularies via songs.
Let's have a look at the essential flows for users in ESong.
Learning with songs and have more fun
In this flow, users can easily select an appropriate song to learn English with that was recommended for them based on her English level.
This practice will assist users in naturally improving their listening skills and expanding their vocabulary.
When users has finished learning a song, they can enjoy karaoke to not only feel joyful but also recall their learning.
The dictionary is used for more than just looking up the definition of a word
In Dictionary flow, users can not only look up the definition of a word, but also practice saying it, which will help to improve their Speaking ability.
The intriguing aspect is that users can immediately see the outcome of her pronunciation and practice until they achieves the desired result.
Users is not alone
Users is not alone on their journey to learn English with ESong. They has a Community where they can interact with other students and receive support and encouragement.
Not only that, but users can participate in a challenge with their community. What a blast!
More other screens...
Users can add words to their deck that they wants to learn more about.
Users can have fun reviewing and remembering new words by playing educational games.
When users first used the app, they was asked to take a test in order to have the best quality recommended songs that are appropriate for their level.
They can update and see their level after using for a while by retaking a test. That will keep their motivated!
Let's take a look behind the scenes to creation of ESong
After I grasped the problem, I began conducting research to determine who my targeted audience are and to generate ideas for solutions.
Secondary Research
Ed-Tech Supports Engagement
Educational technology (Ed-Tech) opens up a new breadth and depth of resources for instruction and learning. These resources can be particularly valuable for supporting English learners’ engagement in instruction and access to content in many ways.
(National Study of English Learners and Digital Learning Resources, 2018)
Music is an efficient technique provides a relaxing environment learning
Music that provides a relaxing environment for English learners is an efficient technique to enhance language retention, inspire students, and assist them in memorizing many components of the language because of its repeated nature.
(Martin’s research, 2013)
Primary Research
After sending out my screener surveys, I found my target audiences for the user research
Be interested in American accent and American songs
Age between 12 and 40
Mainly intermediate level who want to reach advanced
Own a smartphone
Five participants were recruited for 30-minute remote user interviews to get insights about the problem space.
Now, I’d like to introduce you to the persona we developed based on our user research findings - Elina.
In Japan, Elina worked as a pharmacist. Her family relocated to the United States in 2018 due to her husband's job.
Elina has enrolled in a nearby Community College to begin her studies to become a pharmacist in the United States. However, she has struggled with communication because of a lack of vocabulary, listening skill and confidence.
I don't understand what people are saying because I lack vocabulary and have poor listening skills. I get nervous whenever I interact with others.
Elina Ho
31, Pharmacist
How Might We
teach new vocabulary so Elina feels confident ?
How Might We
assist Elina to improve her Listening Skill in a natural way ?
Ideation
After empathizing with users, I started thinking of ways to solve my users' problems. To do this, I tried Crazy Eights technique, and had multiple ideation sessions.
This exercise pushed my creative boundaries and made me try to think of new perspectives to my design approach
One of my sketching ideas sessions
Information architecture (IA)
The site map and user flows keep track of design process
Following information architecture principles, I made site maps that help users to browse around the content in the most efficient way possible. In addition, I designed crucial user flows to determine the critical path that users will take when using ESong.
Site map
One of my crucial user flows:
Start learning with a song
Design
Sketching externalize internal thinking processes
Sketching using pens and paper not only helped me externalize, clarify, and explain internal thinking processes, but it also improved the effectiveness of my guerrilla testing with participants (using POP by Marvel).
Before
Because wrong and correct choices are only determined by color, someone who is visually impaired may find it difficult to use the app.
Many options may cause cognitive overload
After
Icons are added to make the answer more clear
Minimize information displayed
To map ESong’s content, define the hierarchy of the elements that will be placed on the page, and determine the layouts, I started creating wireframes. To save time and maximize productivity, I used wireframe kits in Figma.
Stay visually consistent and work more efficiently
Before turning my wireframes into high fidelity screens, I determined the visual language I’ll use throughout ESong.
Usability Testing
Here are some problems that users had when learning English using ESong and how I resolved them.
Redesign content to meet user needs
Increasing interaction & reducing response time
Visual hierarchy improves recognition
Lessons Learned
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Validate designs through usability testing and iterate to meet the needs of the users play important role in user-center design.
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Users are dissatisfied when they have too many options and decisions to make. Instead, conduct extensive research to better understand users and employ anticipatory design to make things easier. This will shorten response time while increasing interaction.
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Visual hierarchy improves recognition, making it easier for users to follow and complete tasks.
Thank you for sticking with me until the end of my case study!
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