Kumu Connect
Empowering Hawaiian CS Education through Culturally Informed Tools for Teachers
August 2023 - Present | My Role: (1) Lead UX Designer, (2) UX Researcher
The Context: Hawaiian Immersion Language Schools
Hawaiian Immersion Language Schools bring culturally relevant, place-based education to life, a practice proven to improve student engagement & learning by connecting lessons to students’ lived experiences & heritage.
The Challenge: Resource Gap for Endangered Languages
Immersion Language Schools of endangered languages face significant challenges due to the lack of resources to support culturally relevant teaching. For subjects such as Computer Science, there are even fewer resources. This disparity disrupts students’ education, diminishing engagement and learning outcomes.
The Goal: Community-Informed EdTech for Teachers
This project aims to empower teachers in delivering culturally relevant CS lessons through community-informed tools, to support educational continuity in Hawaiian Immersion Language Schools.
UX Research
Understanding partner school’s place-based values, target user needs, & the educational context in Hawaiʻi
Contextualizing UX Research Methods:
Desiring to make a positive impact, our approach centers on Hawaiian viewpoints, looking at standard UX methods with a critical lens and learning from Indigenous scholars about appropriate research methodologies.
We used integrated approaches that rethink traditional research methodologies, focusing on practices that elevate indigenous knowledge systems, promote equity, and foster co-creation with the community.
User Recruitment
Relationship Building
Competitive Analysis
Context Building
Field Observations
School Visits
Interviews
Talk Story
10
People engaged in talk story
21
Hours of classroom immersion
4
Volunteer activities
Trip #1: Immersion and Understanding
Five-day visit to our partner school and local community sites on Oʻahu.
Engaged with teachers and students in their classrooms and local community centers, focusing on building trust and understanding the educational context.
Observed cultural education activities (e.g., hula, ukulele lessons) to gain a deeper appreciation of Hawaiian place-based education.
Visited significant local and cultural sites (e.g., Waikalua Loko Iʻa, Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Gardens) to better understand the context of the community.
2
Trips to Oʻahu
14
Days conducting research
Trip #2: Deepening Relationships and Identifying Assets
Second five-day visit in November 2023 to further engage with the school and attend the Schools of the Future Conference.
Observed classrooms, identifying teaching methods, digital and physical resources used, and how cultural elements were incorporated into lessons.
Participated in a CS curriculum working session with Kaiapuni teachers, helping define lesson structures and content that are culturally relevant and supportive of both English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.
Attended the Schools of the Future Conference to learn about Hawaiian education, specifically how emerging technologies like AI are being used.
Data Analysis
Examining qualitative data to identify trends within observations, interviews, and existing literature.
Data Collection: Observational data through written notes and post-visit synthesis conversations. We did not record or take notes during Talk Story sessions, to respect the community's privacy and history with outside researchers, emphasizing relationship-building over data gathering. Instead, we set intentions beforehand of what topics weʻd like to cover, and then recorded and coded research post-visit synthesis conversations.
Affinity Mapping of Qualitative Data: Collaborative analysis of data, including observations and talk story, to find themes and pain points.
Assets Database: Tools, platforms, and methods commonly used by teachers at partner school
Findings
Grappling with conflicting needs of teachers & school system, identifying pain points, & defining design requirements.
Conflicting Needs: After our second trip, a challenge emerged, highlighting the discrepancy between the immediate needs of our primary users—the teachers—and the ambitious goals of the Hawai'i Department of Education (HIDOE).
Teachers: In Search of Immediate Solutions
Teachers, facing high turnover rates and the frequent need for stand-in educators, have to focus on urgent needs. Given the immediate challenges, the idea of integrating computer science (CS) education seems overwhelming and secondary.
Vs.
Stakeholders: Mandating CS Education
In contrast, HIDOE is mandating CS education across schools next year, aiming to prepare students for future challenges. This ignores teachers' current realities; Teachers value CS ed but do not have the time or resources to focus on this looming issue.
Bridging Conflict: Providing immediate, practical support to teachers while subtly paving the way for the gradual incorporation of CS education.
We pivoted our approach to embrace a hybrid design methodology that combines asset-based design principles with the contextual adoption of new technologies.
Asset-Based Design: Leveraging the existing resources, tools, and practices within the school community, ensuring that solutions are grounded in the reality of teachers' daily experiences and the school's current capabilities.
Contextual Technology Adoption: Thoughtfully incorporating emerging technologies into the solution, recognizing the external pressures to integrate CS education.
Collaborative Development: Continuously engaging with teachers and staff, we worked together to design interventions that not only fit the school's needs but also respected the cultural context and addressed the broader educational mandates.
This hybrid approach aims to create a sustainable, culturally sensitive solution that bridges the immediate needs of teachers with the strategic objectives of the HIDOE, ensuring that the transition towards integrating CS education is both manageable and meaningful.
Findings & Design Recommendations: Synthesis of data, resulting in primary findings related to stand-in teacher experience and design recommendations for a solution.
F1. Stand-in teachers have varied backgrounds and levels of expertise
Informed by: observation • talk story
D1. Accommodate range of backgrounds/expertise
F2. Frequent need for stand-ins creates discontinuity in learning
Informed by: observation • talk story • lit review
D2. Serve as a centralized resource for teachers
F3. Most teachers do not feel confident teaching CS
Informed by: talk story • lit review
D3. Feel approachable & not overwhelming
F4. Teachers are open to new tools that improve efficiency
Informed by: conference • observation
D4. Demonstrate immediate practical application
F5. The ʻŌlelo branch has fewer teaching resources
Informed by: observation • talk story
D5. Use language & references relevant to ʻŌlelo branch
F6. Place-based schools lean on low tech solutions
Informed by: conference • lit review
D6. Align with existing teacher expectations
The Solution
Co-designing an AI-assisted tool that connects to subs and generates place-based sub plans.
Concept Sketches
ClassCompass
ClassCompass is an AI tool designed to support substitute teachers by customizing lessons and providing real-time, place-based explanations suited to the substitute's expertise and the class's specifics, such as grade and subject.
User Feedback - Users found this idea very appealing and valuable for guiding a stand-in teacher through a place-based lesson, but it had a fundamental flaw: official substitute teachers do not often have access to a laptop, making this solution inaccessible to them.
Class Coverage
A platform for swift communication and resource sharing, facilitating sub-to-teacher arrangements with AI-assisted, editable lesson plans based on proven student success.
User Feedback - Users found this idea to be the most believable, with the easiest on-boarding, and thought the service would help mitigate miscommunication and save time.
Smart Search
A tool that streamlines class material prep using existing, teacher-made ʻŌlelo resources and generates worksheets based on teacher inputs like grade, topic, and preferences, including student and teacher versions.
User Feedback - The concept was viewed as unique but less practical due to the prep time it demanded from subs. Users explained that teachers typically have a sub binder with these worksheets, although not if a teacher's absence is unplanned.
User Flow
Concept testing led us to focus on the user flow of requesting a sub and preparing a sub plan, specifically when a teacher is unexpectedly unable to come to work. This plugged into the existing practice of sub binders, and did not require official substitute teachers to have access to a laptop.
We held 4 feedback sessions to explore this user flow, with overall positive feedback on the relevancy of this intervention. Further details were gathered on existing practices, and the minute pain points within this flow.
Wireframe
Initial Prototype and User Testing
We created a prototype of two core tasks: (1) Creating a Coverage Request and (2) Creating a Sub Binder, along with a “think aloud” exploration of the home page. We conducted usability tests with 10 teachers and support staff at our partner school.
Create a Sub Binder
Scenario: Kumu Milani unexpectedly is unable to teach his morning Technology classes. He has submitted a sub request and you have agreed to cover but Milani did not have time to create a lesson plan for you.
Task 2.1: Using this platform, show me how you would ask the AI to create a lesson plan that teaches students about the different parts of computers. Again, please voice your thoughts as much as possible.
Task 2.2: Show me how you would change the Computer Literacy activity. Can you please ask the AI to turn the 10:25 AM activity into a game?
Next Steps
Prototype Development: Leveraging user feedback to inform the creation of the next iteration of functional prototypes.
Reflection:
Reflecting on this project from my journey as a UX designer, I've gathered insights that, while personal, I believe could resonate with others in the field. This experience has been a humbling reminder of the lessons I've carried with me—from my days as an ESL tutor understanding the power of culturally relevant education, to my involvement with Veggie Mijas, where I was introduced to decolonization efforts. It has reinforced my commitment to co-design with communities, ensuring that our collective efforts lead to solutions that are not just useful but meaningful.
Decentering Western Perspectives: This project has reinforced the need to decenter Western perspectives in designing educational technology. Applying this concept in the context of Native Hawaiian education has deepened my appreciation for the nuanced ways in which technology and culture intersect. It's about more than just adding cultural elements to a platform; it's about fundamentally rethinking how we define technology's role in education from the ground up.
Prioritizing Trust: Building trust with the community has been paramount—more than any research objective. This project has been a constant reminder that trust is the bedrock of meaningful collaboration, especially when it comes to co-designing with communities.
Hyper-Local HCI and the Power of Specificity: The concept of hyper-local HCI has truly come to life for me through this work. It's underscored the idea that designing "for everyone" often means designing for the majority, which can exclude marginalized communities. My experiences have taught me the power of specificity in design—creating solutions tailored to a particular community's needs can lead to impactful and resonant outcomes.
This project has been a journey of learning, not just about the community I've had the privilege to work with but also about myself as a designer. The insights I've gained—on decentering dominant narratives, prioritizing trust, and the nuances of culturally integrated technology—have not only shaped this project but also how I approach design as a whole.
In sum, this experience has enriched my understanding of what it means to be a UX designer in spaces where technology, culture, and education converge. It's a reminder that our work is not just about creating functional tools but about crafting experiences that honor and reflect the multifaceted lives of our users.