How CareerFoundry transformed UX design education with Lyssna

CareerFoundry, a renowned online educational institution, has always been at the forefront of providing cutting-edge courses tailored to meet the needs of aspiring professionals. 

With a commitment to delivering practical, industry-relevant skills, CareerFoundry's UX Design program stands out for its focus on hands-on learning and real-world applications. A key module of this program is usability testing, an area where students learn to refine their design skills through direct feedback from real users. 

To facilitate this, CareerFoundry integrated Lyssna into its user testing curriculum. We had the opportunity to speak with Jan Hengge, Head of Education at CareerFoundry, to learn more about how adding Lyssna into their curriculum has helped their students achieve their goals and become better UX designers.

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Challenge

CareerFoundry encountered a significant challenge in their teaching approach.

“We have no custom tool of our own that would allow students to learn about usability testing in a hands-on way,” shares Jan. 

The lack of such a tool posed a significant gap in the learning experience, as students could only learn about user testing theoretically without applying it practically.

The objective was clear: Jan and the CareerFoundry education team needed to integrate a tool that would allow students to conduct their own usability tests as part of their course projects. Plus, it had to be an industry-standard tool so that students could continue using it even after completing their course. This would help equip them with practical knowledge and experience, making them more competitive in the job market.

Solution

The search for a suitable tool led CareerFoundry to Lyssna. As Jan explains, "Our courses are written by subject matter experts (SMEs) who have knowledge about the processes and tools. It was recommended that we use Lyssna in our usability testing unit by our SME.”  

Specifically, “we teach students how to run a preference test so they can get practice running them as part of their course project.” 

This practical exercise allows them to apply their theoretical knowledge and gain real-world experience.

Results of preference test from CareerFoundry graduate Bianca Kolendo's Portfolio Project

Results

The incorporation of Lyssna into CareerFoundry's UX Design curriculum has yielded significant benefits, enhancing the educational experience for students and equipping them with valuable skills. Jan highlights some key outcomes observed since the integration:

1. Hands-on experience:"It allows our students to get easy hands-on experience with an industry tool," Jan states. This practical exposure is invaluable, as it bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application.
   

2. Industry-standard proficiency: By using Lyssna, students become familiar with a tool that’s widely used in the industry. This familiarity not only boosts their confidence but also enhances their employability. 

   “We wanted it to be an industry-standard tool that students could continue using even after the course so that they would already have knowledge of important industry tools.”

   
   This foresight guarantees that CareerFoundry graduates are well-prepared for professional roles in UX design.
   

3. Successful project completion: The integration of Lyssna has enabled students to successfully and easily adopt the tool and complete the usability test module. 
   
   Jan admits that they “don’t have much direct contact with students unless they write to us proactively with feedback about a certain aspect of the course.”
   
   However, “We do know that students are able to successfully complete their tests and come away with good experience though.” 

The collaboration between CareerFoundry and Lyssna shows how the right tools can truly enhance education. By solving the challenges of providing hands-on usability testing experience and making sure students learn industry-standard tools, Lyssna has become a vital part of CareerFoundry’s UX Design program. 

The results are clear: students aren't just learning about usability testing; they’re becoming skilled at it, ready to face real-world challenges as capable UX designers.