Coaching to Fidelity

Project Overview

As the UX Researcher for the Coaching to Fidelity app, my role was to understand the needs and challenges of coaches who guide teachers towards optimal implementation of The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos, or GOLD. The primary goal of this project was to equip coaches with comprehensive tools and guidance to measure fidelity, capture observations, provide embedded strategies, and build action plans to improve outcomes for children in early childhood education settings.

Responsibilities

In this project, my responsibilities as a UX Researcher included conducting in-depth research to gain insights into the specific requirements of coaches, the challenges they face, and their desired workflows. I worked closely with the design and development teams to ensure that the app's features and functionalities aligned seamlessly with the coaching practice and the desired outcomes for children's education.

Design Process

The design process for the Coaching to Fidelity app revolved around conducting user research that catered to the nuances of early childhood education and coaching practices. I conducted interviews, surveys, and usability tests with coaches and early childhood education experts to gather valuable feedback and understand the intricacies of their work.

Using the insights from the research, I created user personas and user journey maps that depicted the typical interactions and motivations of coaches using the app. This empathetic design approach enabled me to prioritize features that catered to the specific needs of coaches and provided them with efficient workflows.

Throughout the design process, I conducted iterative usability testing sessions to validate the app's usability and identify areas for improvement. The feedback gathered from these tests guided the refinement of the app's interface and interaction flow, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience for coaches.

Key Features:

The Coaching to Fidelity app offered a comprehensive suite of features to empower coaches and improve teacher implementation. Some of the key features I researched and recommended include:

1. Teacher Observations: Coaches could schedule and document teacher observations within the app, facilitating a structured approach to measuring fidelity.
2. Multimedia Documentation: The app allowed coaches to capture photos, videos, or audio documentation during observations, enhancing the richness of the feedback and coaching support.
3. Embedded Guidance and Strategies: Coaches received embedded strategies to use with teachers based on the observed practices, fostering continuous improvement and best practices.
4. Action Plans and Goal Setting: Coaches could build and share detailed teacher action plans, setting specific goals for improvement and tracking progress.
5. Fidelity Scoring and Reporting: The app provided automatic fidelity scoring and reporting tools to track teacher improvement and drive positive outcomes for children's education.

Impact and Outcome

The Coaching to Fidelity app had a significant impact on early childhood education by empowering coaches with the necessary tools to guide teachers towards optimal implementation and best practices. The platform's user-centric design and comprehensive features provided coaches with efficient workflows and valuable support.

By prioritizing the needs of coaches and early childhood education experts, the app became an invaluable resource for improving outcomes for children. The seamless integration of fidelity measurement, documentation, embedded strategies, and action planning streamlined coaching practices and promoted a culture of continuous improvement.

As the UX Researcher on this project, I am proud to have played a role in creating a platform that elevates coaching practices and boosts outcomes for children's education. The Coaching to Fidelity app stands as a testament to the power of user-centered design in creating solutions that positively impact the field of early childhood education and support the growth and development of young learners.