Prototyping the Future of an Online University
Client:
Athabasca University is an accredited online university based out of Athabasca, Alberta, Canada. They offer flexible distance learning with world-class courses, undergraduate, graduate programs, and professional development. Founded in 1970, it is one of four comprehensive academic research universities in Alberta, and was the first university in Canada to specialize in distance education.
Role:
As Manager, Digital User Experience I lead the conceptualization and design of the Ella's Home prototype which was utilized to imagine the future of possible for Athabasca University in response to the IMAGINE strategic plan under the leadership of former university president Neil Fassina.
Problem:
Athabasca University was undertaking a complete re-design of their systems, processes, and organizational structure. After more than 20 years of delivering online distance education to Canadians, software and systems were beginning to falter, interfaces were becoming dated, processes were cumbersome, and the university was under significant financial pressure. A new generation of students were taking to social networks, online forums, and rating sites to express discontent with their experiences at Athabasca. It was time for some much needed upgrade to the experience Athabasca was delivering.
Solution:
The Provost developed a written plan for a learning concept termed "Ella's Home" which contained a thoughtful written imagination of what an online university could be in response to the IMAGING strategic plan put forth by former president Neil Fassina. In effort to imagine the possibility of what this learning experience could look like, I developed a prototype for the future of learning utilizing a React UI dashboard as the basis for the front-end design. The goal of the exercise was to incorporate all the thoughts and visions in the strategic plan and Ella's home documents to build out an accessible visualization of what this experience could actually look and feel like for students. This prototype helped inform the University's decision to adopt the D2l Brightspace platform to deliver educational curriculum with a stronger user experience that was previously offered. The video below provides a walkthrough of the medium fidelity prototype.