Designing for Human-Centered Curricular Experience - A Study on Engaging Academic Career Management System Interface Design

This paper is a study on engaging Academic Career Management Interface design. We approach the Academic Systems from a User Experience (UX) perspective. We identified three interrelated users: the Student, the Faculty and the Employer. For the Student UX, the system is an academic career experience, with decision-making and resource management in the design problem space. We developed a solution space of managing the academic career with elements of simulation games focused on decision-making process and continuous development with a series of turning points. Management game interfaces improve decision making by organizing Information Seeking (overview, filter & zoom, details on-demand) in a meaningful experience metaphor. To make it interesting and meaningful, we use experiential learning game elements such as cover story and clear goals. The metaphor interface suggested for the academic career game was the garden of knowledge to influence a systemic view of knowledge in a familiar and universal structure. We concluded that a redesign of academic systems coherent with Educational goals by using a Serious Game UX for the Student would help overcome the Information Seeking barriers and increase awareness and engagement on the academic career decision-making processes.