Product
Bringing the Ideas
to Reality
Xplorer Lab Key Features
01 Virtual Chemistry Experiments
Using the AR chemistry lab unit, students perform varied virtual experiments, interactively manipulating chemicals to observe real-time reactions, and thus enriching their comprehension of chemical concepts.
02
Engaging and Interactive Interface
The AR chemistry lab unit's user-friendly interface, verified as more engaging than online simulations by users, uses interactive tools to engage students. This stimulates curiosity, critical thought, and deep subject engagement.
03 Comprehensive Learning Objectives
Xplorer Lab's virtual experiments, in line with Next Generation Science Standards, allow students to explore diverse topics for a comprehensive chemistry understanding.
04
Bridging the Resource Gap for Equity
Xplorer Lab addresses the challenge of limited lab resources in underserved schools by providing high-quality virtual lab experiences, enabling students to explore advanced scientific concepts and develop crucial STEM skills.
Student Feedback
We tested the final prototype of Xplorer Lab with 5 middle school students
Xplorer Dashboard Key Features
01
Real-time Stealth Assessment
The real-time stealth assessment system on the teacher dashboard can track and visualize students' help-seeking behavior in the AR chemistry lab, helping to identify areas of struggle during assessments.
02
Visualized Student Performance
This feature provides clear visualizations of student performance, including grades and completion rates, enabling teachers to make data-driven instructional decisions.
03
Struggle Identification
& Call to intervention
Based on the insights gained from the learning data dashboard, teachers can customize their instructional approaches to better support student learning. The dashboard enables educators to provide timely interventions, personalized feedback, and tailored resources to address specific challenges.
Our Design Process
Overview:
Our first stage was developing a lo-fi prototype to test the primary visual design and user interaction concept.
Goal:
Our testing aimed to validate the assessment flow's intuitiveness and academic correctness, with focuses on content—specifically, the law of conservation of matter.
Insights:
UI and Interaction:
Placement, size, and visibility of interactive elements are crucial in AR interfaces; avoid information redundancy and keep labels simple for middle schoolers.
Onboarding and Feedback:
AR lab experiments require realistic presentations and age-appropriate instructions with instant feedback.
Need for More Problems:
Employ the predict-observe-explain model for better concept understanding.
Real-world Simulation:
Make AR lab experiments realistic, and teach the consequences of improper behavior.
Key Design Decisions:
Our initial lo-fi prototype successfully tested content fidelity, needing further visual refinement. Key revisions included improved UI, clear onboarding instructions, and a more immersive AR environment.
Lo-Fi Prototype
Overview:
Stage 1: We developed a mid-fi prototype using a video format to gauge the fit of our AR assessment flow within a simulated environment and test user content comprehension.
Stage 2: After iterating the design based on our feedback, we undertook another round of user testing with the Figma prototype to affirm the intuitiveness of the assessment flow, understand user help-seeking behavior, and refine product features.
Goal:
Initial testing indicated the video format, while offering a glimpse into the AR environment, limited user interaction and felt rushed, leading to requests for immediate feedback after each section.
Insights:
Interacting with Prototype:
Students struggled with system interactions like scrolling or weighing and desired control over zoom functions.
Assessment & Understanding:
Chemical terms were challenging for students, leading to incorrect answers and suggesting a lack of concept understanding.
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Key Design Decisions:
Stage 1: After gathering feedback, we revised the mid-fi prototype, imported the content into Figma, and introduced interactive features to validate the intuitive assessment flow in the next testing round.
Stage 2: To enhance usability, we added floating labels for equipment, a button for anytime instructions, full names for reactants alongside abbreviations, and immediate feedback for user performance.
Mid-Fi Prototype
Overview:
We refined our prototype based on user feedback, implementing features such as equipment labels, an instruction button for on-demand guidance, and immediate feedback. The finalized design was then developed into a hi-fi prototype in the Unity game engine.
Goal:
Our aim is to confirm the assessment flow, user interface, and user experience designs' efficacy, as well as to assess the Unity prototype's effectiveness.
Insights:
User Interface and Interaction:
Hints remained unnoticed, but students expressed willingness to use them if aware. AR object interactions were deemed engaging and appealing.
Content and Instructions:
Immediate feedback and explanations were highly valued for improving concept understanding. Clear instructions were critical for guiding students and preventing confusion.
