Online Learning Portal

May 2021

During my first year at the University of Plymouth, I was given the opportunity to design an educational artefact based on a scenario of my own creation. I chose to focus on young carers and the unique challenges they may face in accessing and engaging with education. This led to the development of my concept for an Online Learning Portal (OLP) - a supportive digital space designed to help bridge some of those barriers.

Planning the Project

To get started, I created a detailed scenario that helped identify the key features and accessibility considerations I would need to include in the portal. I followed this up with a mind map, which I used to sketch out the structure and functionality of the site. This early planning helped me ensure that my design choices were informed by the real-life needs of young carers.

A colorful mind map titled "EDST410 Online Learning Portal Design" at its center. Branches extend to different sections: "Subjects Page" (purple, top left), "Lessons Page" (pink, middle left), "Attendance Page" (dark red, bottom left), "Contact Teachers Page" (light red, very bottom left), "Notifications Page" (orange, top right), "Contact Students Page" (yellow, middle right), "Home Page" (light orange, middle right), and "Book Online Drop-Ins" (teal, bottom right). Each branch has associated text boxes describing features and functionalities of the online learning portal. The overall layout is dense with text, detailing various aspects of the portal's design and user experience.

I used MindNode to create a mind Map to help me organise my ideas for the basic outline of the website.

Presentation of the Artefact

As part of my assignment, I created a PowerPoint presentation that outlined my aims for the Online Learning Portal. This included:

My rationale for choosing the topic
The intended features of the portal
Visual concept mockups I designed to represent how I envisioned the OLP looking and functioning.

This presentation was submitted as my final artefact for the module.

Please note the test login and password have been removed for keeping the site secure and was only used to present my idea to the class.

Building the Portal

After completing the planning and presetation stages, I began developing a working version of the Online Learning Portal. With limited coding experience I opted to use WordPress to bring my concept to life. This allowed me to focus on structure, layout, and user experience while still applying some technical skills in web design and accessibility.

Reflection

This project was a valuable introduction to user-centred design, and it helped me grow in both creativity and empathy. It was one of the first times I translated a theoretical idea into a practical, digital artefact - a process that sparked my interest in instructional design and digital learning tools.

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