Keenan Jackson - Factor and Solve for Zeroes

Factor and Solve for Zeroes

MobyMax Math

Responsibilities: Project Lead, Curricular Developer, Media Producer

Target Audience: Students working on common core standard HS.A-REI.B.4 at the foundational, intermediate, or extension level.

Tools Used: Google suite, Affinity Designer, Microsoft Office suite, Slack, MobyMax in-house LMS

Budget: Small

Employer: MobyMax

Year: 2018

Background

MobyMax is a leading EdTech company that develops instructional and assessment products for K-8 classrooms. With contracts covering over 80% of school districts in the US, they are recognized as one of the most awarded EdTech companies. During my time at MobyMax, I served as a curriculum developer and math design lead for project Math 2.0, which aimed to update their flagship math instructional product.

Analyzing the Challenge

A key priority for the Math 2.0 project was to enhance the alignment between the skills targeted and the way competency was measured. During our analysis, we discovered certain misalignments that required user interface solutions. One such issue was related to a skill focused on "Finding the zeroes of a single-variable equation by factoring." Our legacy problem format, which utilized multiple-choice templates, posed a challenge. It only allowed a single set of answer choices, which made it difficult to measure both the factoring process and the zeroes' solutions with just one answer set. We had to decide whether to display the outcome of the factoring, the zeroes, or a combination of both. Unfortunately, the solution used in the legacy problem did not capture the full essence of the skill, which was to both factor and solve.

Researching the Solution

To find an effective solution, we conducted informal interviews with former middle school teachers, many of whom were curriculum developers on our product team. These interviews helped us understand the ideal user flow to measure this particular skill. Together with our interviewees, we created wireframes that eventually converged into a cohesive design.

Implementing the Solution

The solution we devised was to import the hotspot problem template from our lower grade levels and adapt it to simulate a multiple-choice experience while allowing for a multistep construction. This innovative use of the hotspot problem template for upper grade needs was highly praised by the product team's director of curriculum. We went through several design iterations, adhering to our company style guide, before arriving at the final design.

The Result

The new hotspot multistep format proved successful, resulting in a problem set that was now better aligned with the skill, "Finding the zeroes of a single-variable equation by factoring." Building on this achievement, we applied the hotspot problem type, used as a multistep simulated multiple-choice format, to similar use cases across upper-grade level content.

By optimizing the UI/UX to accurately measure the desired skills, we enhanced the overall learning experience for students using MobyMax's Math 2.0, thereby contributing to the company's reputation as a top-tier EdTech provider.

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