littleBits Code Kit

An introductory physical computing kit for elementary & middle schools

littleBits is a hands-on learning system of electronic building blocks that allows students of all ages to create with technology.

Code Kit breaks down the wall between the physical & digital worlds by having students build & code their own electronic inventions and games.

For this product my team developed a new coding app, three new Bits for the littleBits hardware library, a standards-based CS curriculum, and a collection of educator resources.

Official littleBits Product PageOfficial Educator Resources Page

MY ROLE
Product Owner, Design Lead

RESPONSIBILITIES
Product Timeline
Design Strategy
User Research
User Experience
Curriculum Development

TEAM
Ryan Mather
Sarah Page
Erin Morrow
Nick Santos
Chloe Varelidi

WHY CREATE A CODE KIT?

For littleBits

Previous littleBits kits fit well into the Design Engineering curriculum, but the company was missing out on expanded funding for Computer Science
(more)

littleBits’ previous education kit focused on Engineering Design standards. The platform didn’t have the necessary tools Computer Science Standards, a rapidly growing area in elementary and middle school education. Creating a companion kit that expanded into Computer Science education could greatly increase the available market and help purchasers leverage new funding sources.

For Educators

Educators want options for teaching Computer Science that expand beyond the screen and into the physical world
(more)

For Students

Most students aren't engaged in the CS curriculum because the traditional projects and lessons don't relate to their creative interests
(more)

Highlights from the Design Process

User Participation

Educator Advisory Council

We recruited a team of 12 educators in the New York City area, ranging from elementary to high school and spanning, public, private, after school, and special-needs focus areas.

We met with them monthly for focus groups, testing sessions, and co-design workshops. They also contributed lesson plans and starred in our educator onboarding videos.

Classroom Visits

Biweekly classroom visits were one of my favorite parts of the design process. Kids excitement and radical honesty make for very enlightening testings sessions.

User Insight

Many Computer Science Educators Are New to CS and Are Unsure of Where to Start.

Science teachers, math teachers, and librarians are adding to their responsibilities by taking on the CS curriculum in their schools. This is often new territory for them which can be a source of worry and insecurity.

Journey Mapping

For novice technology teachers the path to successful implementation can be complicated.  We learned quickly that teaching tools (the Bits, the Coding App, and the Lessons) were not enough. In order for implementation to be successful, we needed to build a clear and concise map to success.

I started by leading the team through an exercise, mapping out the educator and student journeys from first unboxing all the way to educators mastering the tools and developing their own lessons.

Building an Educator Onboarding

Using this map, we built a collection of resources that introduce educators to their kits, helps them prepare for the lessons, and supports them throughout their teaching journey.

User Insight

Kids ignore written instructions...even in the classroom

Like everyone else in the world, kids don’t read instructions. They will however, spend hours watching Minecraft tutorials on YouTube and are naturals at pausing and scrubbing through a video to adjust the pace and find the content they want.

Experimenting with Interactive Instructions

We knew from previous projects that kids ignored physical print instructions whenever possible. Before getting too deep in the coding app development, we wanted to test if a more interactive digital experience would change this. To test it, I built a quick (and very low-fi) click through prototype with drawings and keynote slides. The kids were more engaged than with instructions in a booklet, but often clicked through without reading. They were eager to, “get to the fun part.”

Shift to Video

We quickly shifted and started experimenting with animated GIFs and video instructions. The change in student engagement was dramatic. The video below demonstrates our revised onboarding activity

© Dave Sharp 2020