Google Classroom
An add-on feature that enables users to categorize grades by topic.
ROLE
TIMELINE
UX Researcher
75 Hours
UX/UI Designer
OVERVIEW
Over the years, Google Classroom has continued to evolve and improve with new features and functionalities being added to enhance user experience. Today, Google Classroom is utilized by most school districts and colleges. It has become an essential tool for many educators worldwide, helping them keep track of student progress with ease and confidence.
PROBLEM
One of Google Classroom’s many advancements is that you can categorize by topic to create sections on the website’s platform that will organize assignments, tests, quizzes, and resources by those topics. However, this feature does not allow users to categorize grades by topic. As a result, users are only able to view an overall grade that totals up the class average and individual student averages for all of the topics combined. There is currently no way to filter individual grades for each topic (i.e., percentage/grade for Mathematics or percentage/grade for Writing).
THE GOAL
To design an intuitive and accessible feature for Google Classroom that enables educators to categorize and filter student grades by topic, providing a more detailed and actionable view of student performance. This feature will empower teachers to track student progress in specific subject areas, make data-driven decisions, and communicate progress effectively with students and parents.
RESEARCH
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
To evaluate how grading and organizational features are handled across different educational platforms, I conducted a competitive analysis. The goal was to identify strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in existing systems that could inform the design of a more effective grading feature for Google Classroom.
USER INTERVIEWS
Some key findings:
Individuals in the age bracket of 45-70 mainly utilize one tried-and-true app.
Most people use a district provided grade-book as their grading app.
Main features utilized by users:
Graphs and charts
Digital progress monitoring
Data recording sheet
Formulas to average grades
Main problems noted by users:
Unable to transfer data to Student Information Systems (SIS)
Formulas can take some time to figure out and need constant readjusting
Difficulty separating grading subsets to retrieve an overall grade for one subset
PROBLEM STATEMENT
One of Google Classroom’s many advancements is that you can categorize student grades by topic to create sections on the website’s platform that will organize assignments, tests, quizzes, and resources by those topics. However, this feature does not allow categorizing grades by topic. As a result, users are only able to view an overall grade that totals up the class average and individual student averages for all of the topics combined. There is currently no way to filter individual grades for each topic (i.e., percentage/grade for Mathematics or percentage/grade for Writing).
COMPONENTS
User Persona
User Flow
DEFINE
Next, I took the insights and observations gained from the competitive analysis and research to create a user persona that embodies the target audience’s needs, goals, and pain points. This persona, Seeker Sarah, serves as a guiding reference throughout the design process, ensuring that every feature and interaction aligns with the real-life challenges and aspirations of educators. By keeping Sarah’s journey in mind, the enhanced grading feature for Google Classroom remains user-centered and empathetic, empowering teachers to track student progress with greater precision and ease.
USER FLOW
Creating the user flow allowed me to map out the most intuitive pathways for educators to engage with the enhanced grading feature in Google Classroom. Starting with accessing the gradebook, users are guided through key actions like filtering grades by topic and viewing detailed performance metrics for individual students. The flow seamlessly integrates with existing features, enabling educators to switch between grading categories and analyze trends without disruption. By visualizing each step—from navigating the topic-specific grades to generating custom reports—I ensured a smooth, goal-oriented experience that aligns the add-on feature with educators’ needs for efficiency and clarity.
COMPONENTS
Low-Fi Wireframes
Hi-Fi Wireframes
DESIGN
I initiated the creation of low-fidelity wireframes to quickly visualize the core structure and user flow of the enhanced grading feature for Google Classroom. This step allowed me to focus on layout, navigation, and functionality without being distracted by visual design elements. By sketching out key screens and interactions early in the process, i could validate the grading feature’s usability, gather feedback from potential users, and refine the design efficiently before progressing to high-fidelity prototypes.
HIGH-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
To create the high-fidelity wireframes for the enhanced grading feature in Google Classroom, I incorporated insights gathered from feedback on the low-fidelity designs and translated them directly into Figma. This step ensured the final design was not only visually polished but also intuitive and user-friendly. By aligning with user needs and feedback, the high-fidelity wireframes effectively demonstrated how the grading feature would improve functionality and empower educators to analyze student performance more efficiently.
TEST
To bring the enhanced grading feature for Google Classroom to life for user testing, I created an interactive prototype using Figma that simulated key user flows and validated the feature’s functionality and design. I mapped out essential actions, such as filtering grades by topic, viewing detailed student performance, and navigating between grading categories, by creating clickable components and linking screens with smooth transitions. This prototype allowed for a realistic exploration of the feature, ensuring it met user needs and expectations before final implementation.
TASK COMPLETION RATE
100%
TEST OUTCOME
To validate the prototypes, I conducted usability testing with real users, allowing them to interact with the enhanced grading feature’s core functionalities, such as filtering grades by topic, viewing individual student performance, and navigating between grading categories. I observed how users engaged with the interactive prototype and gathered feedback on usability, task completion, and overall satisfaction. This process provided valuable insights into areas for improvement and ensured the design aligned with the needs of educators.
WHAT WORKED
Users found the design intuitive and logical, making it easy to navigate and use.
The feature was perceived as highly useful for tracking and analyzing student performance by topic.
The color scheme and text styles were consistent with Google’s platform, creating a cohesive and familiar experience.
Positive feedback highlighted the seamless integration of the new feature with existing Google Classroom functionalities.
WHAT NEEDS WORK
A couple of the users mentioned confusion about where to click, as the feature’s seamless integration with Google Classroom made it difficult to distinguish as a new add-on.
ITERATIONS
In conclusion, by carefully considering user feedback regarding confusion about where to click, I implemented a more interactive introduction layout for the feature, which significantly improved user clarity and ensured a smoother navigation experience.
⚡️ PROBLEM (Figure 1)
Users experienced confusion about where to click due to the seamless integration of the new feature with Google Classroom’s overall design.
⭐️ SOLUTION (Figure 2)
To resolve this, I added an introduction pop-up layout to guide users through the feature. This layout provided a clear demonstration and highlighted key actions making the new feature easier to discover and use.
FUTURE ROADMAPPING
My future road-mapping for the enhanced grading feature includes incorporating the following:
Prioritize grade filtering by topic, customizable reporting options, and detailed student performance views, ensuring seamless integration with Google Classroom and addressing user feedback from testing.
Introduce customizable grade categories, progress tracking, and notifications to improve teacher efficiency and engagement with the feature.
Add performance comparison tools, multi-class support, and individualized grading insights to offer a more personalized and comprehensive grading experience.
Continue usability testing and refine the feature based on educator feedback to ensure it remains intuitive, effective, and aligned with evolving teaching needs.
MY REFLECTION
USABILITY
This project highlighted the importance of designing for user efficiency and comfort. By focusing on usability, I aimed to create a grading feature that was intuitive and easy for educators to navigate. Throughout the process, feedback from usability tests showed that users appreciated the clear layout and simplified flow for tracking student performance by topic. However, the challenge of ensuring clarity around where to click made me realize how critical it is to provide visual cues and guidance. I now understand that usability extends beyond ease of use and also includes clarity around functionality.
INTEGRATION
One of the key challenges was integrating the new grading feature seamlessly with the existing Google Classroom design. While users appreciated the consistency with Google’s familiar color scheme and text styles, some experienced confusion because the feature blended in too well with the platform. This taught me that while integration is essential for maintaining a cohesive user experience, it’s equally important to introduce new features in a way that makes them easy to distinguish and access. Going forward, I’ll focus more on creating subtle distinctions for new features without disrupting the overall design flow.
CLARITY
Clarity was a central focus throughout the design, particularly when it came to ensuring that users could easily find and use the new grading feature. The introduction of an interactive onboarding layout was a direct response to user confusion during the testing phase. This step helped clarify the feature’s function and ensured that users were able to interact with it with confidence. I learned that clarity doesn’t just refer to visual simplicity—it also includes the need for clear, guided instructions, especially when introducing a complex new tool. Moving forward, I plan to prioritize this aspect by incorporating more onboarding or tutorial elements as needed.
