Jamie Fox
Using Differentiation as inspiration for classroom learning tools
When I taught in Vietnam for five years, I saw firsthand how real communication barriers affect learning.
Supporting students who didn’t understand my language taught me the value of subtle, fair differentiation that builds confidence without singling anyone out.
Differentiation: this is the challenge of ensuring that students are learning at the same pace. The teacher changes how they teach, what they teach, or how students show what they’ve learned, depending on each student’s learning style, interests, strengths and weaknesses.
BIG potential
but
MORE research needed
After my initial research, I saw strong potential to enhance classroom differentiation using digital learning tools. To identify which tools to develop, I conducted further study through a Likert-scale survey, independent research, and A/B preference testing.
Further Research
After combining my initial research with further surveys, independent research and A/B preference testing, I was left with valuable data on how to enhance the learning environment. After careful consideration, I decided I needed a concept platform where I could build digital learning tools into...
Introducing QUAKE
A unified brand identity makes the tools below feel connected and classroom-ready.
Hopefully one day, I can bring these to life.
A concept education platform that assists students through differentiation and fun.
Digital learning tool 1
Toggled multiple choice
This tool lets teachers discreetly give selected students multiple‑choice answers, making the activity easier for them without drawing attention. A lock feature is included to prevent accidental changes.
Digital learning tool 2
Subtle digital hand
The teacher can then either go down to the student to assist or else encourage the group that the student is in to collaborate more closely.
Important to note: The teacher maintains full control over access and usage of the feature, including who can use it and how often (per student or across the class), helping prevent overuse while ensuring it remains purposeful and effective.
Digital learning tool 3
Character darkening
This is a decent idea. I'm hoping to discuss it more with a potential employer.
Digital learning tool 4
Pre-selected teams / manage seating
Pre-selected teams: Teachers can preemptively set up teams before an activity begins. This feature allows teachers to create groups in advance, saving valuable class time. It also includes a shuffle option that automatically generates random teams, giving teachers flexibility depending on the lesson or activity type.
Manage seating: This option lets teachers define pairing preferences, giving them control over which students collaborate or remain in separate groups. The design supports differentiated learning by pairing students of varying skill levels, fostering peer support while also addressing classroom management challenges such as recurring disruptive seating patterns.
Digital learning tool 5
Collaborative game
Collaborative game: Inspired by Pico Park, this concept asks students to cross a shared platform as a team, reinforcing collaboration and basic physics concepts through coordinated movement. The design encourages communication, turn-taking, and joint problem solving, making successful completion dependent on high levels of cooperation rather than individual skill.
Reflection
Were the Key Findings and Final Insights fleshed out?
The design of the toggled multiple choice and subtle digital hand tool aims to help students feel more psychologically safe, as they can now get more assistance in a more discreet manner.
Toggled multiple choice
Digital hand tool
Key Finding 1
Key Finding 4
Final Insight 1
The pre-selected teams and seating management tool enables teachers to proactively group or separate students, reducing excessive peer reliance. Thoughtful seating choices can foster a calmer classroom environment, giving teachers more time to focus on expert guidance.
Pre-selected teams / manage seating
Key Finding 3
Final Insight 2
Final Insight 3
The character darkening tool provides students with timely support when they need help or when the teacher is unavailable. Again, when it comes to this tool, please pick my brain for more info.
Character darkening
Key Finding 2
Key Finding 4
Final Insight 3
A collaborative game gives students the opportunity to work toward a shared goal, a feature competitors have overlooked, and helps them build collaboration skills essential for real-world careers.
Collaborative game
Key Finding 5
Final Insight 4
Conclusion
Based on this research, there is strong potential to enhance classroom differentiation through thoughtfully designed digital tools. The five teacher interviews revealed a subtle but consistent skepticism toward differentiation, often driven by practical constraints rather than lack of belief in its value.
One of the most important findings, reflected in Final Insight 1, is that students need greater psychological safety to comfortably seek help and show uncertainty. I was also surprised to learn how excessive peer reliance can unintentionally limit access to essential teacher guidance, highlighting the need to balance peer support with expert input.
If I were to extend this work, either in a future study or in a professional UX research role, I would prioritise interviewing students directly to better understand their emotional experiences and barriers in the classroom. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this project, especially creating the digital learning tools above, and it confirms that this is the kind of research driven, education focused UX work I want to continue pursuing.