Usability & Reflection

If you are here, it is because you are interested in embarking on this incredible journey of reviewing some of the results of the usability tests of the Kindergarten Research Writing Inquiry course. This analysis will examine the participants' reflections and explore how the lessons can be nuanced based on our student's and educational staff's preferences and needs. The course has been designed to facilitate research writing among the youngest children and to empower teachers and parents in the educational process. Join me on the journey to discover how we can improve together.

Five kindergarten teachers, one reading coach, and one reading specialist underwent usability testing. They were the right people to conduct this evaluation. Besides being potential course implementers, they hold profound knowledge and experience in the kindergarten curriculum. Their comments added essential elements, given that they can value their insight into the teaching environment and their pedagogical skills by enabling us to get suitable, efficient feedback. In this respect, the parents' perspective could have helped refine this process for the future. These parents are key players in supporting students with their learning at home. We also welcome insights regarding how the course works in practice with the students. Watching them work through the content and adapt to the materials provides immediate feedback we can use to make changes to ensure the course meets their needs for a typical classroom environment.

Data were gathered via the Google Docs platform, significantly influencing both the usability tests and the results. Since this is an accessible and popular platform, participants could easily work through the survey quickly and efficiently regardless of their prior technological experience.

Furthermore, with Google Docs, data collections and visualization are provided in a structured form, whereby analysis of the results is further easier. It allowed immediate access to responses because of the cloud storage. On the other hand, for future tests, we could seek tools that would allow participants to attach audiovisual responses, like audio or video recordings, instead of just text, which would provide more complete and detailed feedback.

Publication Final Draft

The feedback from the participants in usability tests has been a great lesson regarding the "Research Writing in Kindergarten" course design and functionality. A number of participants appreciated the overall structure of the course, where modules are easy to locate and navigate. Because of the presentation in task list format, new users can easily find their way through it and get to work on their assignments. That provides real meaning to the clear and accessible organization in online learning environments. The conceptualization of modules with the use of a calendar was very appealing. Instructors and learners can then plan their time accordingly, hence making learning more organized and structured. The feedback section at the end of the course was considered critical. As one of the participants noticed, this tool helps to personalize the learning of each student. It involves parents in the process so that they may realize their responsibility for their child's school performance. The opportunity for parents' feedback allows for meaningful collaboration between School and Home. Participants underlined the possibility of adding more resources as a main course design feature. This reflects a range of learning styles and provides options to make it easy for the students to find what they need in one place. Participants enjoyed the fluidity between schedule and modules; the structured course design was identified as an effective tool for teachers to upload documents and students' resources. This also emphasizes clarity and specificity in the design to be maximally usable. In general, participants found this course highly applicable for kindergarten students, which means that the approach taken within the course is appropriate and relevant to the classroom.

There have been many changes in the course design for Research Writing in Kindergarten post-usability testing to fix problems and improve user experience. Feedback on ease of navigation led to a reorganization of modules to more accurately represent logical and sequential flow, intuitively and efficiently taking educators and students through the content. Positive reviews on the usage of the calendar will be followed by giving it a more central position and further simplifying its use. The links will be attached for respective modules, which can be used for easy planning and progress tracking. To meet the need for diversity in learning, the resources section is expanded by adding other options and additional tools that will allow the teacher to tailor the learning experience to the needs of the students. Provided are enhancements in the Feedback portion: templates and examples to help the parent or student give constructive feedback so that their feedback is delivered comfortably and empoweringly. Based on the feedback about design clarity, instructions within the modules have been revised. More detailed and visual explanations have been added to facilitate straightforwardness in learning objectives and tasks. Some elements and resources will be removed because they either will not provide significant value or serve as a source of confusion. Such simplification would allow us to present the course more concisely and make it more available. The continuous user feedback will lastingly ground regular course reviews, including any emerging usability issues resolved rapidly and effectively. This will keep us abreast of designing an efficient and hospitable learning environment for participants. Importantly, how we got to do these enhancements through feedback has been pleasing in their effect on users.

The usability testing process and subsequent implementation planning have significantly impacted the “Research Writing in Kindergarten” course and the student experience. The reorganization of modules and optimizing the calendar have made navigation more fluid. Educators and students can easily access resources and activities, reducing frustration and allowing for a more focused learning experience. With more resources and personalized learning, students can engage with the content that best suits their interests and ways of learning. In this itself, it will motivate them and make them more participative during the writing process.

The enhanced feedback section will engender a sense of community between the students and their parents. It develops collaboration and mutual support in that the fact that the parents can comment on their child's learning has helped improve learning performance. A regular review process based on continuous feedback established a cycle of improvement to ensure the course evolved according to the users' needs. The impact is an active and sensitive environment that walks hand in hand with the emerging realities of teaching and learning. Consequently, the changes enhanced participants' confidence and satisfaction for educators and students. Among the positive remarks within the suggestions, one suggested that participants felt more supported, motivated, and better prepared to meet learning challenges.

"Research Writing in Kindergarten" is specially designed to help students go through the process of research writing and give all families and students equal resources and support through English and Spanish. The student and parent training is a full-fledged module with video tutorials and audio-visual resources, which acquaint them with the course platform and content. These trainings have hands-on ways to access the resources, technological tools, and ways to engage in learning actively. To that end, support issues will be given through a technical support system that might be in the form of online and face-to-face sections. This will provide an opportunity for both parents and students to personally get hold of and ask questions or resolve technical problems in regards to access to the course and the Schoology platform itself. Being a Title 1 school, we would be providing some other connections with the school and community in an effort to bring access to a device and internet connection for access to families in need. This could include a device loaner program or calling local organizations to help extend resources.

Research Writing
Kindergarten Course

Usability & Reflection
Video

Final Compilation

Conclusion.

As we move forward with implementing the “Research Writing in Kindergarten” course, it is critical to recognize that the success of our initiative depends not only on a solid curriculum design but also on a robust support system that addresses the diverse needs of our students and their families. Through creating a dedicated training module and audiovisual resources and establishing accessible technical support, we have made significant steps toward removing barriers to learning. “Research Writing in Kindergarten” builds on our ability to create a learning environment in which every member of the educational community feels supported, valued, and committed to continued growth. We are excited about these efforts' positive impact on our students and their development as research writers.