NextStep
Early detection of learning disabilities and support for students
*Awarded Excellence in Poster Presentation at NMIMS Symposium
OVERVIEW:
NextStep is an IoT solution created for the early detection of Specific Learning Disabilities in the classroom to provide students with support.
The aim of this platform is to increase collaboration between teachers, parents, and professionals by providing personalized intervention plans and progress tracking.
MY ROLE:
User Research
UI/UX Design
Prototyping
TEAM:
Meryl Roberts
Adele Ann Pinto
Sarah Anil
DURATION:
8 weeks
1 / 10 people are estimated to having to have some form of learning disability
Around 10-15% of the Indian population has some form of reading disability like dyslexia, dyscalculia or dysgraphia.
Because of the lack of early diagnosis, many children struggle to keep up in school, leading to academic difficulties and challenges in their future careers.
*Source: Indian Journal of Psychiatric Nursing, Industrial Psychiatry Journal
The Research
We began this project by widely researching all learning disabilities developed in early childhood and later narrowed down to Dyslexia (Mainly affects reading and related language processing skills.) and Dysgraphia (Mainly affects writing skills and can involve the physical act of writing or the mental activity of comprehending.).
This was done to cater to language based symptoms within the time constraints.
After conducting secondary research, interviewing parents of children with SLDs and professionals involved, we learnt about the steps taken to create a support plan for these children. By outlining the diagnosis and treatment process currently followed in India, we identified many gaps in how help is administered.
What We Got From The Data
Key stakeholders we needed to involve:
Based on findings from our research, we narrowed onto some key insights:
1
Cost of SLD treatment and support can be overwhelming. Balancing a career while caring for a child with SLDs can be stressful and may lead to feelings of hopelessness and disengagement. Such pressures can contribute to delayed or inadequate support for SLD students.
2
While psychologists and developmental paediatricians often act as referral points, their networks may be limited, leading parents to navigate a complex process. This can result in decision fatigue and may delay or prevent parents from seeking necessary specialized services like occupational therapy, or speech therapy.
3
Educating students about learning disabilities relies heavily on teachers. If teachers are not adequately trained on the topic, they may teach incorrect information, which can lead to increased bullying of SLD students. This not only affects the students' well-being but also harms the school's reputation.
So how might we develop a support system for children with Learning Disabilities like Dyslexia & Dysgraphia by early detection & providing interventions in education?
Ideating
While thinking about how to solve this, we went in 3 ways: diagnosis-based, treatment-based and system-based concepts.
We decided to focus on System-based Concepts to enhance the entire support ecosystem for students with learning disabilities.
The architecture and task flows of the entire platform were drawn out that connect all the stakeholders.
Our Solution
For Teachers
In the classroom, NextStep lets teachers scan students’ written work using an OCR engine. Using AI, parameters like spelling errors, letter reversals, skipped words, and more are evaluated.
The platform helps teachers identify students who may require additional support.
For Parents
Through the mobile app, parents can access detailed progress reports, receive suggested intervention plans, and communicate directly with teachers.
For Professionals like Psychologists
The system’s scheduling tools, resource library, and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) generation capabilities enable professionals to deliver customised support to students.
NextStep connects parents, teachers, and psychologists, ensuring every child gets the support they need.
Reflecting
What I Learned
Empathy in research
While conducting interviews and observational studies, I learnt how important it is to put oneself in the shoes of the users. In a sensitive topic such as this, it is important to actively listen, foster emotional intelligence, and put any assumptions aside.
Collaboration across disciplines
This project taught me the importance of working closely with multiple types of users. Each stakeholder brought unique perspectives and challenges, and it was necessary to find a common ground between the needs of all to create a unified solution.