EdTech - An Administrator Dashboard

EDTECH | ASSESSMENT PLATFORM

An Administrator Dashboard

Introduction

The purpose of this project is to implement a District Admin Dashboard feature in an assessment platform. This feature is to serve as an intermediary between the District, Schools, Teachers, Students, and their Parents, providing a centralized platform for managing and monitoring educational activities at the district level.

Product overview

The assessment platform aims to streamline communication and collaboration among district administrators, schools, teachers, students, and parents. The District Admin Dashboard feature will empower district administrators with comprehensive tools and insights to effectively oversee and manage educational processes. Key functionalities of the District Admin Dashboard include:

Centralized Data Management: The dashboard will provide a centralized repository for storing and accessing data related to schools, teachers, students, and parents within the district.

Performance Monitoring: District administrators will be able to monitor and analyze the performance of schools, teachers, and students through various metrics, including assessment results, attendance, and participation.

Reporting and Analytics: The dashboard will generate comprehensive reports and analytics on various aspects of the education system, such as student performance, teacher effectiveness, and overall district achievements.

User Roles

The Initial release focused only on the District & School admins, the other roles were prioritized for later

District Administrator

full access

School Administrator

school-specific data

Teacher

Class related
data

Student /
Parent

Student specific
data

User Research

A research was conducted to inform the design and development process by understanding user requirements and ensuring that the feature met their expectations.

Objectives

Identify the key user tasks and responsibilities within the administration.
Understand the current challenges and pain points faced by district & school administrators in managing educational processes and communication across various stakeholders.
Gather user expectations and requirements for the District Admin Dashboard feature, including desired functionalities, information display, and usability.
Explore user preferences for communication methods, data visualization, and reporting formats.

I am not showcasing user interview data in this project to protect the privacy rights of the individuals involved. Revealing sensitive information obtained from user interviews could breach their confidentiality.

Research findings

Pain Points and Challenges:

Overwhelming Data Management: District and school administrators struggle with managing a large volume of data, including student records, teacher information, and school performance data. The lack of a centralized system leads to inefficiencies and data inconsistencies.
Communication Gap: Administrators face challenges in effectively communicating with teachers, students, and parents. There is a need for a streamlined communication channel that allows for easy dissemination of information, announcements, and updates.
Performance Monitoring Complexity: Monitoring and analyzing school performance, teacher effectiveness, and student outcomes is a complex task. Administrators struggle with obtaining comprehensive and timely performance reports, making it difficult to identify areas that need improvement.

Desired Features and Functionalities:

Centralized Data Management: Administrators express the need for a robust data management system that allows them to easily access, update, and analyze information related to schools, teachers, students, and parents within the district. They require features such as user profiles, class assignments, and contact information management.
Performance Tracking and Analytics: Administrators require comprehensive performance monitoring tools to track school, teacher, and student performance. They seek customizable dashboards, reports, and analytics that provide insights into assessment results, attendance, participation, and other relevant metrics.
Reporting and Insights: Administrators emphasize the importance of generating comprehensive reports and insights on various aspects of the education system. They require reports on student performance, teacher effectiveness, school rankings, and district-wide achievements to inform decision-making and identify areas for improvement.

Data Visualization and Reporting Preferences:

Customizable Dashboards: Administrators prefer customizable dashboards that allow them to personalize the information displayed based on their specific needs. They value the ability to visualize data through charts, graphs, and visual representations.
Comprehensive Reports: Administrators desire comprehensive reports that provide a holistic view of school performance, teacher effectiveness, and student outcomes. They seek reports that are easy to understand, visually appealing, and allow for drill-down capabilities.
Real-Time Data Updates: Administrators express the importance of real-time data updates in reports and dashboards to ensure they have access to the most current information for decision-making and monitoring purposes.

Studying the user personas

District Administrator: Gabriel Richards

Gabby is an experienced education administrator responsible for overseeing multiple schools within the district. She has a deep understanding of district wide policies and objectives.

Goals and Responsibilities:

improving overall district performance
ensuring effective communication between schools and the district office
making data-driven decisions.
needs a comprehensive overview of school performance, teacher effectiveness, and student outcomes.

User tasks and their pain points:

1. Data Access and Review

Pain Points:

Difficulty in accessing and reviewing comprehensive data related to schools, teachers, students, and parents.
Inefficiencies in navigating through multiple systems and sources to gather the necessary information.

2. Performance Monitoring

Pain Points:

Challenges in obtaining timely and accurate performance reports for schools, teachers, and students.
Complex data analysis processes make it difficult to identify areas that require improvement.

3. Decision-making and Planning

Pain Points:

Limited insights and data to support informed decision-making and strategic planning.
Inability to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement without comprehensive reporting and analytics.

4. Reporting and Accountability

Pain Points:

Challenges in generating comprehensive reports on student performance, teacher effectiveness, school rankings, and district-wide achievements.
Lack of a standardized reporting system hampers accountability and transparency.

School Administrator: Jefferson Davis

Jeff is a school administrator responsible for managing daily operations, staff, and communication within a prestigious school.

Goals and Responsibilities:

smooth functioning of the school
effective communication
maintaining a positive learning environment
monitor and address issues such as attendance, discipline, and academic performance within the school.

1. Data Management and Updates

Pain Points:

Difficulties in managing and updating school-specific data, including teacher assignments, student records, and contact information.
Challenges in ensuring data accuracy and consistency across different systems and sources.

2. Monitoring School Performance

Pain Points:

Limited access to comprehensive performance metrics, making it challenging to track school-wide progress and identify areas of improvement.
Inefficiencies in obtaining real-time data updates on student attendance, assessment results, and participation.

3. Collaboration with District Administrators

Pain Points:

Difficulties in collaborating and sharing information with district administrators due to fragmented systems and communication channels.
Challenges in aligning school-level goals and initiatives with district-wide strategies.

4. Reporting and Compliance

Pain Points:

Time-consuming and manual processes involved in generating reports on school performance, student outcomes, and compliance requirements.
Lack of standardized reporting formats and tools for efficient reporting and compliance management.