UX Researcher Intern (2023)
Exploring how students collaborate, communicate, and study to uncover pain points and guide smarter product decisions.
01. Research Focus
Understanding students’ mental models of collaborative learning
Studies have consistently shown that students learn more effectively in collaborative environments than when studying alone. Nuubi is a mobile app designed to foster peer-to-peer support through Q&A forums and group chat, using gamification to boost engagement.
I joined Nuubi as a UX Research Intern, where I worked alongside two other interns to support the UX design team. Drawing from my neuroscience research background, I helped lead early discovery efforts to identify student needs and behaviors.
Problem
While Nuubi’s product was grounded in academic theory, the company lacked direct insight into how students actually perceived and engaged with collaborative learning in practice.
My Role
As a UX Research Intern, I partnered with two researchers to lead early-stage discovery efforts. Leveraging my neuroscience research background, I helped define research questions and identify patterns in student motivations and behaviors.
02. Research Methodology & Findings
It was imperative that we understand how students feel about collaborative learning. Studies may report that group learning is highly beneficial but if students have a negative feeling towards it, they may feel less motivated to do so.
Using a survey to reveal the unknown
To better understand student’s mental models, we began with an online survey (Google Forms) that explored their learning preferences, study habits, and attitudes toward group learning. For projects in the early discovery phase, I often start with a survey to uncover high-level patterns and themes worth exploring further.
The insights gathered from the survey not only help validate assumptions but also serve as a foundation for crafting more focused and meaningful interview questions. In this way, surveys act as a directional tool, shaping the next phase of qualitative research.
Analyzing survey results
We collected responses from approximately 90 students, including those currently enrolled in universities or bootcamps, as well as recent graduates.
Participants rated their agreement with statements about studying using a Likert scale. To uncover patterns, I segmented the responses by study preference (Always study in a group, Always study alone, Mostly in a group, Mostly study alone) and used Python to clean, organize, and visualize the data.
While the small sample size limits the generalizability of findings, we still observed meaningful trends suggesting that study preferences shaped how students responded to various statements.
Interviewing students to better understand their study habits
Our survey responses revealed a clear difference in responses between students who prefer to study alone or groups. We wanted to understand the reasons behind these differences.
To explore these questions, our team developed a set of questions around three main themes: study habits, communication, and course platforms. Rather than strictly following a script, we used these questions as a guide to encourage open-ended conversations.
This flexible approach is one of the reasons I always advocate for user interviews when time allows as they often uncover rich, nuanced insights that quantitative methods can easily miss.
Affinity mapping to identify key themes
After completing our interviews, the team used FigJam to organize insights and standout quotes from each participant onto digital sticky notes. We then collaboratively grouped similar observations to identify common themes across interviews.
This process helped us uncover key pain points, which we used to develop student point-of-view statements and generate How Might We (HMW) questions to guide the next steps in our design process.
Consolidating our findings to present to the UX design team
Our team compiled key insights from the research and synthesized them into a clear, actionable presentation for the UX design team. The goal was to ensure our findings could directly inform design decisions and align the product direction with students’ needs and behaviors.
03. Lessons learned
Applying my research background to UX
This was my first role at a company since completing my UX/UI design bootcamp, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would I enjoy it? Would my academic research background translate to the real world?
Although the research methods were different, I found myself comfortable identifying what needed to be done, gathering insights, and analyzing results. The positive feedback I received from the CEO reaffirmed that my neuroscience background gave me a strong foundation for UX research.
User interviews are invaluable
This project reaffirmed something I’ve always believed...there’s no substitute for talking directly to users. Everyone has unique experiences, and I genuinely enjoy learning about them. Through interviews, I was able to uncover meaningful insights and identify pain points that wouldn’t have surfaced through surveys alone.
