User Testing: Formative Assessment of Design

It is common practice that teachers create formative assessments to improve student understanding and their instructional methods. Similarly, designers test to improve their product. My Problem of Practice is that teachers are using instructional materials that impose a language barrier for English Language Learners (ELLs), which encourages them to memorize rather than understand scientific concepts. In the process of developing a creative solution to this problem, I developed a prototype. My prototype is an experiential lesson that is part of a larger gamification scheme that spans over an entire science course. Before rolling out my product, I tested the prototype to gain valuable insights on what worked and what needs to be improved or changed. These steps that I took to validate my product is part of the design thinking process.

Watch the video below to see how I tested my prototype.