A Psychological Approach to Designing EdTech Products

To create truly effective digital products, it's important to understand the psychology behind user behaviour. Nowhere is this truer than in the world of EdTech where regular, repeated user engagement is often critical to user retention, and ultimately the product’s success. 

By understanding how users perceive and retain information, how they process knowledge and what their personal motivations are, we can create products that optimise the learning process while making it a fun and engaging experience.

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Gamification: Turning Learning into Play

Let’s start with the one we all know… Gamification is the general art of applying gaming principles to improve engagement. It transforms learning into a fun and rewarding experience, and taps into our innate desire for achievement and drive from competition. 

Gamification leverages the power of Positive Reinforcement Theory, where positive behaviours (like completing lessons) are reinforced with rewards. Positive reinforcement also triggers sweet dopamine hits that keep users coming back for more. 

UX Examples:

• Points
• Levels
• Badges - keep rewards variable, rather than being predictable
• Milestones and progress
• Leaderboards - be aware that some people are put off by transparent competition, and always give them an opt out

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Self-Determination Theory: Empowering the Learner 

By giving learners control over their learning experience, we can create a sense of autonomy and motivation. This aligns with Self-Determination Theory, which suggests that people are more likely to be engaged and motivated when they feel in control of their choices.

UX Examples:

• Let users complete their onboarding in a flexible way rather than forcing them down a linear path
• Give them the ability to set their own learning goals and daily training time

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Adaptive Learning: A Personalised Experience

Technology gives us the powerful opportunity to use adaptive algorithms to tailor content and difficulty levels to each user's strengths and weaknesses. The sweet spot lies in the Zone of Proximal Development, which suggests that learning is most effective when tasks are challenging but achievable.

This means that users don’t get bored or frustrated, and don’t start to feel demotivated if the difficulty level exceeds their ability.

UX Examples:

• Repeat challenges in varied ways that don’t feel repetitive, until the user succeeds
• When a user’s failure rate increases, slow down the rate of increasing difficulty

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Social Learning: The Power of Community

Social learning fosters a sense of belonging and motivation. By creating opportunities for users to connect, collaborate, and share their experiences, we can leverage the power of Social Comparison Theory. 

This theory suggests that we are motivated to compare ourselves to others, and social interaction can help us stay engaged.

UX Examples:

• Discussion forums
• Community metrics, such as “You and 100 other people completed this lesson today” 
• Project galleries or showcases
• Group video call capabilities

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Microlearning: Small Bites, Big Impact 

Our brains can only handle so much at once, so microlearning breaks down topics into smaller, easily digestible chunks. This aligns with Cognitive Load Theory, which suggests that our working memory has limited capacity and by presenting information in short, focused bursts, we can reduce cognitive overload and improve information retention. 

UX Examples:

• Break lessons down into 5, 10 or 15 minute bites
• Themed lessons allow information to be grouped in logical ways

Also remember that by asking a user to invest time in using your app, you’re effectively asking them to give up their time for something else. Are you asking them to give up a coffee break, a lunch break or an evening altogether? Make sure your value is worth it or you’ll lose them. 

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Designing for your User

With the psychology under your belt, a well-designed user interface that incorporates these principles is essential for a positive learning experience. Prioritise clarity, simplicity, accessibility and recognisable patterns to make sure your app is easy to use for everyone. This way, your user can focus on learning rather than figuring out how to navigate your app.

But don’t stop there. Creating a beautiful user interface and incorporating motion and moments of joy will take engagement and motivation to the next level.

By combining psychological principles, design best practices and your epic content, you’ll create EdTech products that turn learning into a delightful experience. 

If you need a hand, you know where to find us!
checkin@nowboarding.io

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