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Chloe's mission?

To help young people unravel the mysteries of post-school life with a sprinkle of wisdom and a dash of sass. Whether students are on the fence about what to study, eyeing off careers, or trying to decode university prerequisites, Chloe's can help!

Coach Chloe can dive deep into students' strengths, interests, and values, helping to align them with further education and career exploration.

In the ever-evolving landscape of the labour market, secondary school students are grappling with the task of making informed decisions about their futures.

The Foundation of Young Australians predicts that today's youth may have through 17 different jobs across five sectors, placing an emphasis on transferable skills and ambiguity tolerance. The antiquated query of "What do you want to be when you're older?" has become obsolete, necessitating innovative ways to support young individuals in navigating their post-school futures.

Adding to the complexity, recent statistics highlight a significant decline in university enrolments, even as forecasts highlight an increased demand for tertiary qualifications in the next decade (9 out of 10 jobs requiring some form of tertiary qualification, according to Jobs and Skills, Australia). This discrepancy between current trends and the anticipated needs of the workforce underscores a misalignment in the actions of many young people.

Further complicating matters, the assistance provided by secondary school career counsellors is marred by inconsistency, time constraints, and a lack of regulatory standards for practitioner qualifications. This leaves numerous students in a precarious position, facing pivotal decisions without adequate guidance.

The urgency lies in addressing this gap by offering accessible, personalised, and timely support for secondary school students as they navigate the intricate landscape of future education and career opportunities. While Chat Bot Coach Chloe isn't the complete solution to this complex issue, it stands as a significant player, ready to empower students on their unique journeys.

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User Profile: Secondary School Students

Age Range: 15-18 years

Background: Secondary school students in Australia are the primary users of the app, representing a diverse group of individuals navigating the critical phase of transitioning from high school. They vary in academic interests, career aspirations, and personal preferences and demography, contributing to a diverse user base.

Competitors

Despite the abundance of chatbots in the HR and recruitment space, there's been a noticeable gap in tailored support for those embarking on their academic journey post-high school. I was unable to find a direct competitor for Coach Chloe

1. Relatable and Fun Persona: Coach Chloe was designed to embody a fun, and approachable mentor for young people embarking on their career journeys. With their upbeat and lively demeanour, the goal of Chloes person was to connect with students on a personal, making career exploration an exciting adventure rather than a daunting task.

2. Non-Intimidating Presence: Chloe's persona has been designed to be warm and friendly. By adopting a persona that's inclusive and welcoming, like Coach Chloe, students feel comfortable seeking guidance and support without fear of judgment or intimidation.

3. Inclusive Pronouns: Using they/them pronouns for Coach Chloe promotes inclusivity and acknowledges the diverse identities and experiences of the intended audience. This decision reflects my commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive environment where all students feel seen, valued, and understood.

   
   

With the insights from research and brainstorming, the project transitioned into the ideation phase. Here, the goal was not merely to address challenges but to reimagine career education support.

I recognised the need to refine the persona, acknowledging that a request for sassiness could unintentionally come across as rude. Despite this challenge, I reached a satisfactory point in the development.

I utilised Chat GPT to design a User Test and engage 5 individuals to administer. The feedback from the insights from the User Testing was that the Avatar and persona was appreciated. The mixed feedback on the chatbots performance at times was insightful. The users all stated that there were instances that the chatbot provided great answers, concerns were raised about insufficient information in certain responses, especially regarding salary information. Specifically, adjusting the format of numerical information, like salaries, to include (weekly, monthly etc) will enhance the completeness of the responses.

The feedback on the onboarding process and conversation flow aligns with my goals for next steps for improvement, and the feedback has helped me to develop a roadmap for the next phase of development.

The comprehensive review underscored the critical importance of placing greater emphasis on UX design principles, particularly Hick's Law:

Hick's Law in Focus: Hick's Law states that the time it takes for a person to make a decision is directly tied to the number of choices presented. In the context of UX design, it stresses simplicity and minimising options at any given time. For this chatbot, adhering to Hick's Law more would be greatly beneficial. Streamlining the user experience by presenting clear and focused choices in each interaction reduces decision-making time, particularly beneficial for secondary school students navigating the complexities of career education. In the next iteration, I will be structuring the conversation with Hick's Law in mind to ensure efficient navigation.

Chatbot User Test (Designed by ChatGPT)

Chatbot User Test for Secondary School Students - Focus Group Format (10 minutes)

Introduction (2 minutes):

1. Welcome the participants and explain the purpose of the user test: to gather feedback on a chatbot designed to assist secondary school students in Australia with study and career exploration.

2. Provide a brief overview of the chatbot's capabilities, emphasizing its role in providing information and guidance for post-school decisions.

Icebreaker Activity (2 minutes): 3. Conduct a quick icebreaker to create a comfortable environment. Ask participants to share their current thoughts or concerns about post-school plans. This helps set the context for the test.

Exploration and Interaction Phase (5 minutes): 4. Ask participants to individually interact with the chatbot on devices provided or their own smartphones.

5. Instruct them to explore different features of the chatbot, such as asking about university prerequisites, career options, or studying abroad.

6. Encourage participants to provide feedback on the chatbot's responsiveness, clarity of information, and overall user experience.

Discussion and Feedback (3 minutes): 7. Gather participants in a group discussion format.

8. Open the floor for participants to share their experiences and opinions:

   • Ask about specific features they found helpful or confusing.

   • Inquire if the chatbot addressed their questions or concerns effectively.

   • Encourage suggestions for improvements or additional features.

Conclusion (1 minute): 9. Express gratitude for their participation and insights.

10. Inform participants of any follow-up actions or future iterations of the chatbot, and conclude the session.

Ensure the questions and prompts are open-ended to encourage participants to share their genuine thoughts and experiences. The goal is to gather valuable feedback to enhance the chatbot's usability and effectiveness for secondary school students in Australia.

1. Knowledge Base Expansion:

   • Expanding the knowledge base to include more information on careers, education, and industry trends.

   • Integration real-time data sources for dynamic and up-to-date content.

2. Enhanced User Guidance:

   • Implement buttons-based navigation system to guide users through the decision-making process more effectively in line with UX Design principles.

   • Include interactive tutorials and step-by-step guides and integrated quiz's, helping users make the most of the chatbot's capabilities.

   • Integrate multimedia content such as videos, infographics, for a more engaging learning experience.

3. Personalisation Features:

   • Integrate user profiles to allow users to track their progress, revisit saved information, and receive tailored advice over time.

4. User Feedback Integration:

   • Implement a feedback system to gather user input on the chatbot's performance, content relevance, and overall usability.

   • Use user feedback to make iterative improvements and address any pain points in the user journey.

Foundation for Young Australians. (2018). The New Work Reality [PDF]. fya.org.au.

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (n.d.). abs.gov.au.

Laws of UX. (n.d.). lawsofux.com.

Claude AI. (n.d.). claude.ai.

VoiceFlow. (n.d.). bing.com.

myfuture - Australia's National Career Information Service. (n.d.). myfuture.edu.au.

Jobs and Skills Australia. (n.d.). jobsandskills.gov.au.