Ep 21. Season Finale: Bridging the Gap Between Teaching and UX Research

What if your teaching skills could help you land an exciting career in User Experience Research?  This season finale will guide educators through the essential skills and methodologies that make them uniquely qualified for a transition into the UX Research space. You'll learn how lesson planning and classroom management are directly applicable to UX research processes, from defining research goals to designing studies and preparing materials like surveys and interview guides.

We'll break down the similarities and differences between teaching and UX research, illustrating how your experience in understanding and empathizing with students can be an invaluable asset in understanding users.

Don't miss this final chapter—it's packed with insights to help you make a seamless transition into tech!

Want to learn more? Listen to episode 2: Teacher Turned UX Researcher: Job Overview and Transferrable Skills

Season 2 kicks off September 3, 2024 with the first episode available then-stay tuned! In the meantime, check out our popular episodes here. 

Resources:

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Transcript

Zee: 0:00

Hello teacher friends, welcome back to the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, where we explore the journey into the world of user experience research and UX in general. I'm Coach Z and today we're diving into an in-depth comparison teaching versus UX research. This episode is specifically designed for my teachers who are considering transitioning into a career in UX research. Today's episode is the season one finale.

Zee: 0:25

I can't believe it's been six months since I started this podcast to help my people see the light that is UX research. After I reviewed all my episodes and analytics, I learned that my most popular episodes are those where I dive deep into the UX research practice and get down to the details about transitioning to a UX research role as a teacher. So my goal with this final episode is to go one layer deeper, to kind of bridge together some of those role-specific things we've discussed over the past six months and give my final insights on what it really takes to be a UX researcher after leaving the classroom. So today we'll discuss how skills from the classroom translate into the UX field, with a focus on lesson planning methodologies, classroom management, facilitation and the tools and tech stack needed for both roles. We'll discuss the key differences and similarities between teaching and UX research. So if you're ready to transfer your valuable teaching skills into the tech world, stay tuned.

Narrator: 1:26

Welcome to the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, the ultimate destination for educators who aspire to break into the field of user experience and product design. Your host, zee Arnold, a 15-year teacher turned UX researcher, is here to guide, coach and mentor you through every twist and turn as you make your career transition into tech. If you're ready for a more satisfying career and lifestyle and you want the balance to unleash your creativity, this podcast is for you. Now for the show.

Zee: 2:04

For those of you who are faithful listeners, you know that I've been in the UX industry for a little over two years now and I went from UX researcher to senior UX researcher after I left teaching and I'm working at a well-known ed tech company. The more I do this work, the more connections I see to my previous experience as a teacher and mentor to new teachers, and I really do feel like my work prepared me and positioned me to be a great UX researcher. I didn't know it then, but I absolutely know it now that the overarching theme that connects teaching to UX research is understanding and empathizing with your audience. But let me back up a bit. If you're new here or unfamiliar with UX research, let me tell you what it is, what it's all about. The job of a UX researcher is to work with product design teams to understand how people interact with the company's products. We study their behaviors and motivations and uncover their friction and frustration points while using the products, and we do that by using different methods like in-depth interviews, usability tests and we do that by using different methods like in-depth interviews, usability tests, eye tracking, focus groups and many more methodologies. Some of the skills required for this role are collaboration, empathy and analytical skills. I talked a lot more about this in detail in episode two, which was called Teacher-Turned-UX Researcher Job Overview and Transferable Skills, so I encourage you to go listen to that episode to get all those details and I'll link it in the show notes and description. That's actually one of our most popular episodes.

Zee: 3:32

So let's start with the foundational element of both teaching and UX research, and that is planning and preparation. In teaching, lesson planning is a critical task. You outline objectives, create engaging activities and prepare materials to make sure your students understand the content. Similarly, in UX research, planning involves defining your research goals, designing studies and preparing materials like surveys, interview guides and usability tests. Think about your lesson plans. You start with a goal what do you want your students to learn by the end of the lesson? In UX research, we start with the research questions what do we want to learn about our users? Both roles require a clear objective and a structured plan to achieve it. In fact, the analytical and structured thinking you use in lesson planning is a great asset in creating effective research plans.

Zee: 4:25

Next, let's discuss methodologies. Teachers use a variety of instructional methods to engage students, from whole class instruction to small group work to hands-on activities, class instruction to small group work, to hands-on activities. In the same way, ux researchers use various methods to gather data, including interviews, surveys, concept testing, usability tests and field studies. The key is choosing the right method for the situation, just as you would select the appropriate teaching method based on the lesson's objective and the needs of your students. Just a quick check-in here. I hope you're listening to these connections, taking notes, because this is going to shape how you discuss why you're qualified for a UX research role in your upcoming interviews.

Zee: 5:08

Now let's talk about classroom management and facilitation. As a teacher, managing a classroom involves keeping students focused, addressing disruptions. Managing a classroom involves keeping students focused, addressing disruptions and I know there's a lot of them and fostering a positive learning environment. In UX research, facilitation skills are crucial. During user interviews and usability testing, you need to create a comfortable environment for participants, keep the session on track and probe deeper into their responses without leading them. Think about how you handle a class discussion. You encourage participation, you guide the students through the conversation and you make sure everyone stays on topic right. Well, these skills directly translate to facilitating a user interview or a focus group, being able to manage different personalities and keep the session productive is a shared skill in both teaching and UX research.

Zee: 6:00

As a teacher, you're able to facilitate Socratic discussions and accountable talk in the classroom, making sure everyone's voice is heard. You have to make sure that the loudest voice in the room is not the only voice that's heard, so that you can accurately evaluate all of your students. In user research, especially in focus groups, you'll be using that same skill, making sure that no one dominates the conversation and that everyone's thoughts and opinions are elevated. You have to be fair and balanced. In the same way that you listen to and advocate for all your students in the teaching space, the same is true for UX research. We advocate for the users. You know, when my 19-year-old daughter was about 9 or 10 years old, she used to love watching that movie, the Lorax. I remember the quote that the Lorax used to say I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees. I think the same about myself as a UX researcher. I am the UX researcher, I speak for the users and I always approach stakeholders with that in mind. It's my job to help them understand how users feel about and interact with our products. Man, this is good. I hope you're really taking this all in.

Zee: 7:06

Okay, let's move on to the tools and tech stack. I look at a lot of teacher resumes and in that little skills section on the bottom or on the side, I see things like Google Docs, nearpod, google Slides, and that's great, but think about what tools you'll need to be familiar with in UX research. By the way, the section should probably be called Technical Proficiencies or Tools, since these are tools and not skills. In teaching, you use a range of tools. Here are some examples Interactive whiteboards like Jamboard, educational apps like Kahoot and learning management systems like Google Classroom. The tool you choose, or your administrator's purchase, will depend on the intended outcome. You wouldn't use ClassDojo to communicate with high school parents, because it's designed for younger children and communication with high school parents is less frequent. Get what I'm saying.

Zee: 7:57

In UX research, the tech stack can actually be quite different, but the principle of using the right tool for the job remains the same. For example, ux researchers use specific platforms for user testing, like Maze, user Testing and Lookback. Then, for analytics, we use tools like Google Analytics, pendo and Mixpanel, and these tools give us quantitative data about user engagement, product adoption rates and so on. We also use survey tools like Qualtrics and SurveyMonkey, which is similar to Google Forms and Microsoft Forms. Ux researchers also use prototyping tools like Figma. Figma is similar to Jamboard, but more advanced. As explained on their website, figma is a collaborative design tool that allows users to create, share and test designs for websites, mobile apps and other digital products. So, as a UX researcher, you might not necessarily be creating mock-ups in Figma, but you will have to access them in Figma and be able to at least take notes and document certain things within that platform.

Zee: 9:00

And speaking of collaboration, we use collaboration tools a lot, especially in a remote setting. So there's online whiteboard tools like Mural, miro and FigJam. So if you have used FigJam as a tool to help students collaborate with each other, or even in staff meetings to collaborate with other teachers, that's a plus. If not, try it out and introduce your students and staff to it. Figjam is created by Figma, so if you already use FigJam, I encourage you to start playing around with Figma slides and Figma design, and this will even make it easier for you to learn Figma, the prototyping tool. Like I said, it's not something all UX researchers need to know very well, but it's good to be familiar with the main tool UX designers use to build prototypes. So, as UX researchers, we also use other collaboration tools to communicate with each other, like Slack, which is an online messaging app similar to messaging on any other social media type of platform, except it's specifically for business. As a remote UX researcher, I also use video recording tools like Zoom, microsoft Teams those type of tools to communicate with users.

Zee: 10:06

Just as you adapted to new educational technology as a teacher whether it was during the pandemic and whether it was an educational app or a learning management system you'll need to adapt to new tools in the UX space. I personally found it easy to quickly get up to speed with UX research tools because of my comfort with educational technology in general. Finally, let's go back to the overarching theme that links teaching to UX research, and that's understanding and empathizing with your audience. In teaching, you focus on understanding your students' needs, adapting your methods to different learning styles and providing support to help them succeed. In UX research, you focus on understanding users' needs, behaviors and pain points to create better products and experiences. Both roles require a high level of empathy and the ability to see things from another person's perspective. Your experience in developing lesson plans tailored to diverse learners will serve you well in creating user-centered research plans and insights.

Zee: 11:08

So, to all the teachers out there considering a transition into UX research, know that you already have a strong foundation of relevant skills. Trust your value. Your experience in planning, managing, facilitating and empathizing are incredibly valuable in the world of UX. Embrace the learning curve of new tools and methodologies and you'll see that your teaching background gives you a unique and powerful perspective in UX research. I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for tuning into this podcast and for your support on LinkedIn, instagram and our business website. I truly appreciate you and I'm so happy I can give back through this platform. Don't forget to check out episode two for a full UX research job overview and transferable skills session. If you have a question about today's episode or topics you'd like me to cover in the next season, reach out on LinkedIn or Instagram and feel free to book a chat with me at uxteacherprepcom.

Narrator: 12:14

Until next season, be well. Hey, thanks so much for tuning in. If you like this podcast, hit, follow and scroll down to leave a five-star rating. Then share it with a friend. If you're looking for resources to help you on your tech transition journey, head over to uxteacherprepcom. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram at uxteacherprep, for daily tips and motivation. Have a topic you'd like to hear addressed on the show? Send us a DM on Instagram. If you're listening on YouTube, like, subscribe and share. Until next time, be well.