Professional Learning on Demand Hub for ThinkCERCA
CASE STUDY
Client/Company/Project Type
Client: ThinkCERCA
Project Type: Educational Technology, LMS Development
Landing Page: thinkcerca.com
Project Date
October 2022 to August 2023
My Role
As the designer and frontend engineer, I was responsible for the UI/UX design and technical implementation of ThinkCERCA's Professional Learning on Demand Hub. My role involved performing competitive UI/UX research on popular EdTech platforms, translating educational objectives into an engaging online platform, integrating courses with multimedia content, and enhancing the user experience with custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript features. I collaborated extensively with the CEO, product management, content design, marketing teams, and HubSpot experts to ensure the platform met both educational and technical standards.
About This Project
ThinkCERCA, a leader in personalized literacy platforms, aimed to extend its impact on education through the Professional Learning on Demand Hub. This platform was designed to provide educators with on-demand access to professional development courses, focusing on implementing ThinkCERCA's argumentative writing and critical thinking frameworks into classroom instruction. Built on Hubspot and Impulse Creative's HubLMS, the project required a meticulous design approach to align with ThinkCERCA's established design system, while incorporating new functionalities to enhance learning and accessibility for educators.
The Challenge
The main challenge was to create a research-informed, engaging, and resource-rich online learning environment that seamlessly integrated with ThinkCERCA's existing digital ecosystem. Specific challenges included:
Consistency with ThinkCERCA Design System: Adapting the new platform to reflect the established aesthetic and functional standards of ThinkCERCA's brand.
Integration of Multimedia Content: Implementing a variety of course materials, including text, video, and quizzes, in an accessible and interactive format.
Custom Features Implementation: Enhancing the prebuilt HubLMS template with custom code to introduce essential features such as video transcriptions and a course finder tool.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Balancing the technical possibilities with the expectations and requirements of diverse stakeholder groups, including educational content creators and marketing professionals.
The Solution
The development of the Professional Learning on Demand Hub was approached with a focus on three key areas:
UI/UX Design: Leveraging ThinkCERCA's design system, I crafted a cohesive and intuitive user interface that facilitated easy navigation and engagement with course materials. This ensured that educators could focus on learning without navigating complex interfaces.
Custom Development: To address the gaps in the prebuilt HubLMS template, I developed custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript modules. These enhancements included a real-time video transcription feature to improve accessibility and a dynamic course finder to help educators quickly locate relevant training materials.
Collaborative Workflow: I worked closely with ThinkCERCA's leadership, content, and marketing teams, as well as HubSpot integration specialists, to ensure the platform's development aligned with educational goals and technical specifications. This collaborative approach allowed for the seamless integration of multimedia content and the successful implementation of new features tailored to the educators' needs.
Results
User Feedback: Positive feedback from educators highlighted the platform's ease of use, accessibility of content, and the value of the new features, such as video transcriptions and the course finder.
Reflections: The project underscored the importance of user-centered design in the development of educational technologies and the potential of custom web development to enhance prebuilt systems.
Next Steps and Lessons Learned: Future enhancements will focus on expanding the course offerings and further personalizing the learning experience. A key lesson was the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration in achieving a balance between design aesthetics, functionality, and educational impact.
