Empowering English Language Learners
With Interactive Chatbot Technology
Empowering English Language Learners
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Roles:
UX Designer User Researcher Content Writer |
Products Shipped:
B2B native application for Samsung Multicampus, B2C native application for Eggbun Users |
Tools:
CMS (Content Management System), Axure, Sketch, Google Suite, JIRA, InVision |
Due to an NDA agreement, I am unable to disclose the entirety of the development process. However, you will be able to find a brief overview and glimpse of the product development process below. I hope you enjoy this outline of my work. Thank you!
Overview
At the time of my induction at Eggbun Education, the mantra was "incubating language learners" through lessons that feel conversational and intuitive as well as formidable features like informational culture tips, quizzes, and typing racers to deliver a wholesome educational experience. The mascot is an egg bun named Lanny (which a play on the word "gye-lan" (the Korean word for "egg").
Initial Product Screens
Take a look at the following screens to get an idea of what Eggbun Education's products have offered for language learners prior to the English learning application.
Initial Samsung Partnership
We were approached by Samsung's Multicampus branch, an IT educational institute primarily catering the needs of Samsung's corporate employees, to collaborate on a Chat to Learn OPIc application as a pragmatic means of synthesizing Multicampus' oral proficiency test materials with Eggbun's chatbot platform to increase activity and engagement on their digital portals. Intrigued, we started talking about the scope of the project and came to an agreement on moving forward as a team.
Eggbun's office was based in the Eulji-ro branch of WeWork in Seoul, Korea. Within WeWork's vibrant workspace, our team collaborated closely with Samsung Multicampus for an extended period of time.
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Samsung's Multicampus branch provides educational resources for
their employees to vitalize personal and professional development. |
What drew Samsung Multicampus to work with us was our chatbot technology and user-friendly interaction strategies. With the absence of English in our repertoire, we were given an enticing proposition to create an English learning app with our signature style for Samsung Multicampus employees, particularly for those taking the OPIc (Oral Proficiency Interview - Computer).
What is the OPIc, and why does it matter?
OPIc (Oral Proficiency Interview by Computer) is a reputable language proficiency test accepted by commercial enterprises, international organizations, and government agencies as a reliable tool to determine the linguistic capabilities of their personnel.
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OPIc is administered by the ACTFL (American Counsel on the Teaching of Foreign Languages), which has a thorough metric-aligned framework with intricately tiered levels to accurately assess qualifications and abilities of applicants. Samsung uses it to evaluate and promote their Korean employees to advanced positions with more foreign travel and work opportunities, which makes the OPIc a non-negotiable requirement for many of Samsung's team members. Currently, those with intermediate mid - advanced low (IM-AL) level achievements are permitted promotions and international working opportunities.
My Contributions
I was responsible for the following tasks and domains:
-User Research, Synthesis, & Insight Presentations (Internal + External)
-UX Design / Content Flows, Use Cases, & Low-Mid-Fi Wireframes
-Liaising with Samsung Multicampus employees to develop and market the B2B product
-Curriculum Development
-Content Design
-Lesson Curation via Content Management System
-Quality Assurance Tests & Evaluations
-Ideation workshops & product development moderation
-Stratifying features within the B2B and B2C applications
-User Research, Synthesis, & Insight Presentations (Internal + External)
-UX Design / Content Flows, Use Cases, & Low-Mid-Fi Wireframes
-Liaising with Samsung Multicampus employees to develop and market the B2B product
-Curriculum Development
-Content Design
-Lesson Curation via Content Management System
-Quality Assurance Tests & Evaluations
-Ideation workshops & product development moderation
-Stratifying features within the B2B and B2C applications
User Research
We interviewed and surveyed 20 Samsung employees with IL-IH level English language abilities. Each user was given an English level test (brief English conversation) followed by an interview and follow-up survey in Korean. The following research objectives guided our pursuits to identify and address user needs and goals.
Insights
인사이트
01
Users collectively feel awkward speaking in English because they rarely speak it at work and have
few opportunities to talk with native speakers naturally - but they highly desire to do so.
전화를 걸었을 당시 모든 유저들은 주저하는 듯 보였음. 그들은 이것이 직장에서는 영어를 사용할 일이 없고 원어민과 자연스럽게 대화를 할
기회가 거의 없었기 때문이라고 설명함. 영어를 사용할 수 있는 더 많은 기회를 원하냐고 물었을 때 모든 사람이 그러하다고 답한다.
Users collectively feel awkward speaking in English because they rarely speak it at work and have
few opportunities to talk with native speakers naturally - but they highly desire to do so.
전화를 걸었을 당시 모든 유저들은 주저하는 듯 보였음. 그들은 이것이 직장에서는 영어를 사용할 일이 없고 원어민과 자연스럽게 대화를 할
기회가 거의 없었기 때문이라고 설명함. 영어를 사용할 수 있는 더 많은 기회를 원하냐고 물었을 때 모든 사람이 그러하다고 답한다.
02
Users undergo heavy amounts of stress when learning English, as well as trauma associated
with having to memorize things constantly and everything having one answer.
인터뷰를 했던 모든 IL 학습자들은 그들이 영어를 배울 때 모든 것을 암기해야한다는 스트레스에 시달릴 뿐만 아니라 정답은 하나 뿐이라는 생각을 갖고 있다.
Users undergo heavy amounts of stress when learning English, as well as trauma associated
with having to memorize things constantly and everything having one answer.
인터뷰를 했던 모든 IL 학습자들은 그들이 영어를 배울 때 모든 것을 암기해야한다는 스트레스에 시달릴 뿐만 아니라 정답은 하나 뿐이라는 생각을 갖고 있다.
03
The greatest roadblock for IL & IM level users is lack of confidence due to fear of
being wrong due to the lack of practical English education in realistic contexts.
IL & IM 학습자들의 가장 큰 장애물은 영어를 쓸 수 있는 기회가 없어서 생긴 실수에 대한 두려움과 자신감 부족이다.
The greatest roadblock for IL & IM level users is lack of confidence due to fear of
being wrong due to the lack of practical English education in realistic contexts.
IL & IM 학습자들의 가장 큰 장애물은 영어를 쓸 수 있는 기회가 없어서 생긴 실수에 대한 두려움과 자신감 부족이다.
04
IH level users are particularly cognizant of the fact that they need to make mistakes in order to improve - so they are more confident and comfortable with speaking English, whereas IL level users are afraid of making that jump because they fear failure.
IH 레벨 학습자들은 실력 향상을 위해서는 실수를 해야한다는 사실을 인식하고 있음. 이것은 그들이 영어를 사용하는 것에 더 자신감을
가지고 편해질 수 있도록 도움을 줌. 반면에 IL 학습자들은 실수에 대한 거부감이 있어 영어로 말하는 것 자체에 두려워한다.
IH level users are particularly cognizant of the fact that they need to make mistakes in order to improve - so they are more confident and comfortable with speaking English, whereas IL level users are afraid of making that jump because they fear failure.
IH 레벨 학습자들은 실력 향상을 위해서는 실수를 해야한다는 사실을 인식하고 있음. 이것은 그들이 영어를 사용하는 것에 더 자신감을
가지고 편해질 수 있도록 도움을 줌. 반면에 IL 학습자들은 실수에 대한 거부감이 있어 영어로 말하는 것 자체에 두려워한다.
05
Users cumulatively desire to learn English in a personable, reliable, and practical context that allows them
to proceed at their own pace to reduce anxiety and build confidence with immediate feedback.
학습자 개개인의 학습 속도와 레벨을 반영해 줄 수 있고 자신감을 갖도록 도와주고 영어에 대한 거부감을 줄여주는 영어교육법을 원한다.
Users cumulatively desire to learn English in a personable, reliable, and practical context that allows them
to proceed at their own pace to reduce anxiety and build confidence with immediate feedback.
학습자 개개인의 학습 속도와 레벨을 반영해 줄 수 있고 자신감을 갖도록 도와주고 영어에 대한 거부감을 줄여주는 영어교육법을 원한다.
The Problem
English language learners in Korea struggle to improve their fluency because fear, trauma, and futility attribute to
the fact that English has been presented to them as a mandatory product rather than a form of expression.
"I have trauma from all of the memorizing and standardized tests telling me that
every English question only has one answer." - IL user
the fact that English has been presented to them as a mandatory product rather than a form of expression.
"I have trauma from all of the memorizing and standardized tests telling me that
every English question only has one answer." - IL user
Shipped Deliverable Screens
Through extensive collaborative and individual efforts, we were able to release a B2B product in partnership with Samsung Multicampus under their leading product requirements and guidelines, followed by a B2C version that was uniquely ideated, refined, and tested to fit the intentions of our brand and needs of our user base. Following is a collection of screens from the B2B and B2C releases of the Eggbun English application.