Final Reflections

Authors: GyuEun Park, with AnnaB, Miaojun Xu and Yu Zhao

After continuous site visits, data collection, and in-depth analysis, our team reached the conclusion that the students’ approach to reflection is cursory, and the lack of intrinsic motivation results from understanding written reflection as a stressful, difficult task.

Recognizing documentation and reflection as integral areas in education, we worked together as a team to create a solution that operates with the aim of helping students understand the processes as rewarding, integrated, and natural. Three principal methods, visualization, customization, and scaffolding, were used to develop a platform could help middle school learners develop individual, intrinsic motivation to reflect on their processes.

Our solution EureKAS aims to tackle the students’ challenges through steps that serve different functions: 1) the emojis, a form of global digital communication and playful abstraction that provides an entry point for reflection, 2) the interactive progress bars that help define learning goals and reflect on individual progress, and 3) the in-depth reflections that can be generated using various media to encourage rumination. The platform presents the students with various options, aiming to provide a sense of agency for students even while working within a structured layout. Further flexibility was implemented through “Playground,” an inspiration board that students can build and return to.

We took the mission of Kentucky Avenue School into careful consideration, recognizing its commitment to ensure that students acquire the skills and knowledge they need to be successful both in their schooling and throughout their lives. EureKAS aims to reinforce the values the school places on honoring each individual’s differences and using technology as a tool for fostering creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Each section of the platform serves a unique function that entails varying levels of complexity and consequently requires a highly considered process of scaffolding. Designed and implemented to address the students’ challenges in varying degrees, all sections were deemed necessary by our team and the review panel. As a result, potential future iterations are expected to be additive or transformative, rather than subtractive.

One potential feature that could add a subtle yet powerful layer to the platform is the “EureKAS!” button. The simple action of clicking would encourage the students to acknowledge and record a joyful moment of discovery. Additionally, the feature would reinforce the identity of EureKAS as a reflection tool that is suitable in a project-based learning environment that prioritizes creativity, which is inextricably linked to moments of innovative discovery that deserves celebration.

EureKAS is a vehicle for visualizing learning. Therefore, further reflections and iterations of its formal, design elements are necessary. Each and every visual cue and placement must be intentional to simultaneously create a natural interaction and push the students, ultimately optimizing the experience. This would be possible through two main methods: trial and error processes enabled by usability testing, and searching for inspiration and learning from existing works.

The current design of EureKAS echoes those of existing platforms. This characteristic establishes a sense of familiarity that is beneficial in introducing its features and functions to students but acts as a barrier in creating a unique identity. Further investigation into design choices would be necessary.

The design case presentation critique revealed to us that EureKAS’ context of use and shareability require further scrutiny. We further explained how we envision the tool to be used in a broader context in KAS in this report. Meanwhile, observing the classes at Kentucky Avenue School may provide insight into student and instructor experiences that our past interviews and testing did not reveal. A thorough analysis of the data would allow us to create the instructor version of EureKAS, which would provide our team with the chance to further consider the needs of the teachers at KAS, who ultimately were the overlooked stakeholders in our project.

As a team, it would also be beneficial to reflect on the ways in which EureKAS or the ideas it represents can be implemented not only in Kentucky Avenue School but also outside of it, in other educational environments.