Spork
Challenge: How might we provide tailored support to neurodivergent students struggling with executive functioning skills to help them meet their academic goals?
Tools Used: Figma, Canva
UX Design
Accessible Design
Research
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Setting Preferences
Indicate when you feel most productive for studying and when you want to be reminded of upcoming due dates
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Study Questionnaire
The questionnaire helps Spork recommend study tips tailored to each student based on current studying habits, learning styles and indicated areas of improvement.
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Student Profile
Responses from the study questionnaire and preferences set are saved in the student’s profile with the ability to update as needed.
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Syllabus Upload
Students will upload their syllabus into Spork and Spork will extract the due dates listed. Once the list is confirmed by the student, Spork will add the due dates to the student’s calendar.
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Calendar
A complete calendar will have the student’s class schedule, when assignments are due, and when they will be receiving reminders for upcoming assignments.
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Class Profiles
Spork will also use the uploaded syllabus to create class profiles. Each profile will have when the class is, when office hours is and the instructor’s contact information for easy reference.
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Task Generation
Spork includes task generation where a student can input what task they want to complete and using AI as well as the information gathered in the onboarding experience on study preferences, Spork will generate an action plan for the student. The plan includes time estimations for the student to get an idea on how best to manage their time
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Task List
The task list generated for the student using AI, can be synced into the calendar automatically to easily schedule study sessions. The task will also be uploaded to their task list
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Feedback
After a student completes a task, Spork will periodically check in with the student to see how things went and if the student wants to change anything with their study plans
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Chat
If a student indicates that they want to change their study plan, they can chat with Spork’s AI assistant, Sporky. Typically the student would have to go through a series of trial and error to find something that works for them but now the student and Sporky can work together to build a study plan that works.
For my thesis project, I wanted to understand how neurodiversity plays a part in the experiences of students in university. I interviewed learning designers, professors, and students about their experiences. In my research, my goal was to understand what challenges were prevalent in and out of the classroom and what students were currently doing to address them.
Research
In my secondary research, I found that when students move into higher education, the amount of support systems available drastically decreases. The lack of resources available meant that a lot of neurodivergent students were left feeling unsupported and this negatively affected their lives both in and out of the classroom. Many students described negative effects on their mental health and self-esteem as they tried to meet academic expectations.
After conducting a first round of interviews with students, I spoke to several professors and learning designers to get their perspectives on the issue. In my research I found that:
“I can’t focus, I’m always late, and I’m always tired. I have low self esteem because of my neurodivergence and have a lot of frustration about how it affects my schoolwork. I get really anxious about my performance.”
There are numerous challenges with receiving university-provided accommodations
Many universities rely on an official diagnosis to provide accommodations for students; however, there are many reasons why a student may not be able to or want to receive a diagnosis including financial ability and stigma. Additionally, even if a student manages to receive accommodations, there are many situations in which a student would need to advocate for their needs to take full advantage of their accommodations. Many students feared being discriminated against or looked down on by a professor for needing accommodations which caused stress and anxiety that prohibited them from using their accommodations and from seeking the help they needed.
Professors play a crucial role in creating neurodivergent-friendly environments
Many students (both in my interviews and from secondary research) agreed that communicating with professors about their needs was crucial to improving their experiences in the classroom. However, in my interviews with professors, many of them expressed that they felt unable to provide more support to their students who had accommodations through the university. Part of the process of receiving accommodations is to notify the professor of what accommodations a student has, but after receiving this information, professors were often unsure what to do next. Additionally, professors felt that they weren’t completely familiar with what neurodiversity was and, therefore what accommodations they could make in their classrooms. It wasn’t that professors didn’t want to help; it was that they weren’t exactly sure how to go about it. This often resulted in a communication gap between professors and students, where the professor wants to help but isn’t sure how to approach the student, and the student wants the help but isn’t sure how to advocate for themselves.
It’s also important to note that if a student didn’t have accommodations through the university, which we’ve already established is difficult to obtain for many students, the professor felt unable or restricted in providing accommodations without the paperwork to support it.
“I wanted actual programs in place that would support neurodivergent students to actually learn skills that would make them feel better”
“If you ask any professor, they’re like ‘yeah, I care about all the students equally. I want them all to succeed.’ but they don’t necessarily know what it means to get them to achieve that success”
Students want more than what accommodations could provide for them
For students who were able to obtain accommodations through the university, many of them felt that the accommodations they were receiving were not addressing what they actually needed in order to make their university experience work for them. The most common accommodation that students were receiving was exam/assignment time extensions. However, in my interviews, many students expressed wanting to learn more about how to manage their time, their emotions and overall adjusting to university life. Accommodations were falling short of providing essential skill development that would lead to a smoother transition into university.
“I was trying to get accommodations before I was diagnosed and it was next to impossible”
Taking all of this into consideration, it may not be surprising to learn that neurodivergent students are graduating at a lower rate than their neurotypical peers. All of this inspired me to understand how we can provide tailored support to neurodivergent students struggling with executive functioning skills to help them meet their academic goals.
What I learned
Design considerations for neurodiversity
This project was my first look into designing a UI/UX while prioritizing neurodiverse brains. I used universal design principles as well as neurodivergent design playbooks to get examples for how best to present information and interactions. Ultimately there are a lot of design considerations that are beneficial for all users and for every project I approach in the future, I will always be reminded of what I learned here.
Acknowledging the gaps in my understanding
As designers, I think we are used to being trusted to know best after conducting research and interviewing folks. Designers are often expected to be the experts and have all the answers. In some cases, although that can be true, I think this project is a prime example of when expertise needs to be handed elsewhere. As I said in the disclaimer, I don’t identify as neurodivergent therefore I took a lot of time to listen and learn from those who did. Designing is about breaking down power structures. I was not going to be the expert in this case. I wanted to make sure that I was honoring the stories of the people I interviewed.
Working within the scope
I learned so much from my time working on this project and ultimately, if I had another month, year, or decade to work on this project I would do it differently. Ultimately, I had six months to work on this and only 8 minutes to summarize the work I did but truthfully, I could talk about this project for hours. I also quickly understood there was a lot of work to be done within academic systems in order to put forward the changes I wanted to see. I also want to acknowledge that Spork does not solve the majority of the challenges that neurodivergent students face in academic environments but equipping students with any resource is a step in the right direction.
Acknowledgements
I want to give a special thanks to my mentor, Stephanie Boron for sharing her story with me, guiding me throughout this project and for the amazing amount of support and encouragement she gave me throughout the project. Her passion for neurodiversity advocacy is endlessly inspiring.
I want to thank all the students who took the time to speak with me to share their stories, give feedback on prototypes and fill out surveys for me. This would not have been possible without the help of all of you.
I also want to thank my cohort, the class of EDI 2024, for the mutual support and help as we all completed our projects side by side. Congratulations to all of you on all your work and accomplishments!