This case study outlines our project with a Graduate School at a major Australian university, a global leader in teaching and education research, to strategically plan, develop and deliver a mathematics-based assessment tool for use in the classroom.
The Challenge
The client had secured a grant to explore the development of a product which would enable teachers to conduct one-on-one testing of students, to assess their level of learning against the curriculum and assist with future lesson planning. The academic research that informed the logic behind the choice of questions and their weighting was completed prior to the commencement of this project. This unique project presented an exciting opportunity for us to stretch our capabilities in an unfamiliar environment.
The Solution
Adopting a Design Thinking approach, we undertook several intensive discussion sessions to gain a comprehensive understanding of the research outcomes and the client’s aspirations for the tool’s operation and appearance. This approach allowed us to identify the client’s needs and propose high-level solutions that would address their challenges.
The project scope encompassed the development of a Proof of Concept (PoC) to demonstrate the product. The PoC was designed to illustrate how a student, a teacher, and a coordinator within a school would use the system, and how the results could be used to improve learning outcomes for students.
The Impact
The PoC successfully demonstrated the potential of the product. It provided a clear vision of how the tool could be used in a real-world classroom setting to improve learning outcomes. The PoC demonstrated a single subject in a single year level to clearly provide a vision for how it could be utilised for all subjects across all year levels.
Reflections and Future Directions
The final stage of the project involved the development of a formal Technical Recommendations document, developed in conjunction with Microsoft cloud-based providers. This document outlined how the solution could be implemented and what the basic requirements would include.
This project provided us with an opportunity to engage with the education sector and be visionary, helping the client envisage how their research work could be applied directly to the frontline. It also helped prospective decision makers envisage how the solution could benefit the government/public education sector in Australia.
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