Facilitating the practice of hybrid learning among university teachers: Design of a new interface for the University Digital platform and implementation of recommendations in teaching practice
UX Design · Jacqueline Auriol Training Institute
Summary
At the Jacqueline Auriol Training Institute, I enhanced the impact of the national Hybrid’GMP project, dedicated to the development of hybrid learning for the Bachelor’s programs in Mechanical and Production Engineering (MPE) in France. I designed a new interface for the Moodle platform of the University Digital, specifically aimed at meeting the needs of teachers. This interface simplifies access, management, and creation of educational resources for building hybrid courses. Additionally, I formulated strategic recommendations, which will be implemented in 2025, to accelerate the adoption and development of hybrid teaching within the institution.
Methods
User-centered design, interviews, scientific research, user testing, heuristic evaluation
Tools
Figma, Photoshop
Context
After the COVID-related lockdown, the Ministry of Education decided to promote hybrid learning in universities. The project ‘Hybrid’GMP,’ funded within this framework, aims to develop the practice of hybrid learning for Mechanical and Production Engineering programs in France. The goal of the project is to facilitate and enrich learning through the integration of digital technologies, alternating between online autonomous activities and in-person sessions, thus creating flexible and effective pedagogical scenarios.
Initiatives and actions of the project:
- Digital Educational Resources: Specific digital resources for the GMP curriculum have been made available on the Moodle platform of the University of Digital for constructing hybrid pedagogical scenarios.
- Training for Teachers: Sessions have been organized to train teachers in hybrid teaching methods.
Challenge
One year after the launch of the “Hybrid’GMP” project, an internal study revealed that the initiatives implemented had little impact on teaching practices. Very few educators had adopted hybrid teaching. In light of this finding, the project leaders approached me to identify and propose solutions aimed at encouraging and facilitating the adoption of hybrid learning by teachers. My intervention was thus divided into two main objectives:
Improving User Experience: Optimize the user experience of the University Digital platform to facilitate and encourage teachers to design hybrid teaching scenarios using the educational resources available on the platform.
Understanding and Recommendations: Analyze the teaching practices of educators in the Bachelor’s programs in Mechanical and Production Engineering, their perceptions of the University Digital platform, and hybrid learning, in order to formulate recommendations that promote the practice of hybrid teaching.
My approach
To identify the target teacher profile and establish the recommendations to be implemented
I conducted research on scientific publications to better understand how teachers design their courses, identify the teacher profiles likely to adopt hybrid learning, and gather recommendations to promote this approach. This analysis allowed me to determine which teacher profiles to target for the recommendations and interface development. Following this, I conducted interviews with Mechanical and Production Engineering teacher to explore the benefits and challenges they perceive in hybrid teaching practices. These discussions also provided an opportunity to review the recommendations from my research and tailor them to their specific needs.
To design the new interface for the University Digital platform
I evaluated the University Digital platform interface by conducting a heuristic evaluation and user testing to identify the teachers’ needs and usability issues with the platform. First, I carried out the heuristic evaluation to identify major problems in advance and guide the design of the user tests. The goal of this evaluation was to detect any aspects that could pose usability difficulties, improve the platform’s acceptability to users, compare the current system with its alternatives, minimize error risks, and optimize the platform’s efficiency and productivity.
Afterward, I conducted user tests that involved two scenarios. In the first, the teacher navigated the platform to find a potentially interesting resource. In the second, they were asked to search for a specific resource. I followed up with post-use questions on four themes: usefulness, effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction, to gather the teachers’ needs and opinions about the platform for course preparation or resource search. These tests helped me collect the teachers’ feedback on the University Digital platform, identify potential needs, explore areas for improvement (such as adding new features), and address various comments and feedback on the interface.
Based on the results from the user tests and heuristic evaluation, I was able to identify the teachers’ needs and the platform’s usability issues, which enabled me to design a new interface addressing the identified challenges. During the design process, I collaborated with the development team to ensure the new interface met the platform’s technical constraints.
Target Users
Teachers with a student-centered learning belief
Scientific research shows that teachers’ pedagogical practices are influenced by their beliefs, particularly regarding technology and its perceived usefulness, as is the case with the University Digital platform. These teachers focus on the individual needs and interests of their students, fostering active participation. For them, student understanding is built through sustained engagement, connecting new ideas to prior beliefs. Mastery of skills comes through practical experience with real-world problems. They take into account each student’s current interests, experiences, and knowledge, recognizing that everyone starts at a different point and has unique questions. They create a learning environment where students can identify their own problems and choose how to explore and solve them. In practice, they encourage student interactions and propose active learning activities. Technology is often used to develop higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. Hybrid learning is particularly well-suited for teachers with a student-centered approach. The established recommendations and the new platform interface were primarily designed to meet the needs of this teacher profile.
The New Interface of the Univsersity Digital plateform
Results from User Testing and Heuristic Analysis
User tests and heuristic analysis revealed several usability issues, particularly related to navigation, information, and support. These problems led to a high failure rate among teachers when performing tasks on the platform, such as downloading resources, searching for specific materials, or logging into their user accounts. In response to these challenges, I designed a new interface focused on six key areas of improvement:
- Navigation Bar: Designed a navigation bar that simplifies access to resources from different courses.
- Improved Navigation: Streamlined navigation between pages within the same course section.
- Highlighting Site Functionality: Clarified and emphasized the primary function of the site.
- Help Section: Added a help section to assist users.
- Features for Logged-In Users: Redesigned features available to teachers once logged in.
- Preview and Download: Made it easier to preview and download resources.
Final design
Changes Implemented
New Menu
This new menu allows users to search for a resource at any time via a dropdown that provides access to various hierarchically organized educational content. It also includes a search bar to locate specific resources and a direct access button to the site’s help page. Previously, the platform had no menu bar, forcing users to navigate solely through page links, which complicated their experience, as revealed by the user tests. This new menu is designed to simplify access to important pages by minimizing the number of clicks required.
Addition of a Navigation Menu and Breadcrumb
A compact navigation window and a breadcrumb trail have been added to the training and educational resource pages to streamline navigation within and between the various layers of the structure. The platform features a complex hierarchy with numerous sub-layers, making it essential for users to easily locate themselves and navigate back at any time.
Restructuring of the Homepage
The homepage has been restructured so that the initial elements explain the site’s purpose and include a direct access button to the help page as well as a login button. This modification primarily targets new users, providing them with all the necessary information, as tests showed that they did not understand the concept of the site. The login button informs new users that they can create an account and allows regular users to log in quickly.
Restructuring of the Login Page
During user testing, teachers encountered difficulties logging into their accounts because the information regarding the different login options was unclear. The structure of the page has therefore been modified to clarify the available options. Additionally, the ‘log in as an anonymous visitor’ feature has been removed, as it offered no added benefit and caused confusion among users.
Addition of a Dashboard
In the old interface, the features available after login were not prominently displayed and generated little interest among users. The new interface introduces a dashboard on the homepage, allowing users to directly view their favorite pages and history, thereby facilitating navigation to frequently accessed pages. This dashboard is also available in a minimized version on other pages of the site, providing quick access at all times. Additionally, the ‘add to favorites’ button has been redesigned to be more visible.
Addition of an Action Block and a Download Button for Resources
During user testing, the majority of users struggled to download a resource due to the button being poorly visible. In the new interface, a dedicated action block, including the download option, is now displayed on the preview page of each resource. Furthermore, a download button has been added directly beneath each resource on the course page, allowing for quick downloads without navigating through the preview page.
Other changes
The new interface also features a complete visual redesign with harmonized colors, revamped icons, clearer help and error messages, and an improved page structure.
Recommendations to Foster Hybrid Learning
The data from interviews and scientific literature have allowed for the formulation of recommendations to facilitating the development of hybrid learning among educators in the Bachelor’s in Mechanical and Production Engineering program. Here are the established and prioritized recommendations to encourage the adoption of hybrid learning among teachers:
Implementation of training
Training Content:
Introduction to Hybrid Learning: Overview of hybrid learning and the features of the University Digital Platform, including concrete examples tailored to the specific disciplines of the attending educators.
Interactive Discussion: A dedicated time for educators to engage with the trainer, discussing the benefits and challenges associated with this learning method and the use of the platform.
Scenario Development Exercise: Educators will participate in an activity where they create hybrid learning scenarios relevant to their respective disciplines.
Organization:
Group Division: Educators will be grouped by common or related disciplines to facilitate collaboration and idea sharing.
Trainer Qualifications: The trainer should be an educator who actively practices hybrid learning in a similar or related discipline, ensuring relevance and expertise in the training sessions.
Implementation of Pedagogical and Technological Support
Type of Support:
- The person in charge of support should cover both pedagogical and technological aspects.
- Easy accessibility, preferably in person or, if not possible, remotely via videoconference with scheduled time slots reserved.
If Possible:
- Within the pedagogical teams, an experienced teacher in hybrid learning and technologies should be designated to support the other team members.
Development of a Community of Teachers Practicing Hybrid Learning
Local Community:
- Organization of conferences and seminars to share experiences.
National Community:
- Organization of conferences, seminars, and videoconferences.
- Creation of a committee representing this community to propose pedagogical projects based on feedback from teachers.
Development of Educational Resources on the Platform
Increase in the Production of Educational Resources: Enhancement of the production of educational resources for all disciplines of the Bachelor’s programs in Mechanical and Production Engineering on the University Digital plateform.
Implementation of a Compensation System: Establishment of a remuneration and time-release system for teachers who create resources.
Development of Appropriate Technological Access
- Arrangement of rooms equipped with technological tools to enhance face-to-face courses. For example, classrooms set up for group work where each student group can have a tablet as support.
Reflection on the Project
Future Perspectives
The recommendations can be further explored in the future. My intervention aimed to establish an initial list of recommendations to explore for the project leaders with a view to developing hybrid learning in their training. Additional tests and interviews on each established recommendation could enhance their effectiveness.
Regarding the new interface of the University Digital plateform, a series of user tests would be beneficial to refine the new interface. Regular feedback from teachers on its usage would help improve its long-term effectiveness.
Lessons Learned
This project allowed me to apply a rigorous methodology to a complex project involving various factors and objectives. I worked with many stakeholders, including project leaders, teachers, and the development team, to successfully carry out my intervention.
What I Would Have Done Differently
- Interviews vs. Scientific Research: Although reading scientific papers was helpful in finding potential recommendations, I should have allocated more time to the interviews, which proved to be more conclusive in defining recommendations.
- Interface Design: During the design of the Université Numérique platform interface, I spent a lot of time on minor details. It would have been more relevant to dedicate part of that time to conducting user tests of the new interface to make further improvements to the final design or to mock up certain missing pages, such as the profile page or the search results page.