Kiwi teacher’s User Centered Design approach wins over students (and Microsoft)
Posted on | April 27, 2009
A geography teacher from an Auckland school is hailed as the ‘most innovative teacher in the world’. Delivering lessons via students mobile phones.
Nathan’s approach:
- Understanding his audience
- Observing their behavior
- Building empathy with their needs
- Harnessing their input
…and ultimately innovating learner experiences in an education system stymied by tradition.
Here are some cues from the article as to how a User Centered Design approach helped him reach this great outcome:
“No matter how much technology advances, high-quality teaching will always be linked to having a good relationship with students”
‘learning through information technology and student involvement. Students helped – by telling him what they felt was most appropriate or interesting’
There’s a video on MSN charged with Nathans enthusiasm for the way he’s been able to respond to the needs and behaviours of the students, by the power of observation.
He says the students who inspired the new method have embraced the technology and experience.
Pass rates have risen from 50-60% up to 80-90%. Hard to argue with that sort of result.
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