Early Leaning Languages Australia (ELLA) is an exciting digital language learning program for kids from Foundation to Grade 2. Commissioned by the Australian Federal Government’s Department of Education, ELLA opens up a world of cultural possibilities for children early in life by learning one of thirteen languages through the eleven play-based apps in the “The Polyglots” series.

Project Overview

Led the UX design and development of language learning applications for preschool-aged children as part of the Australian Government's Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program.

The Challenge

The ELLA program aimed to introduce preschool children to languages other than English through play-based digital learning. The challenge was to create engaging, educational apps that would:

• Introduce children to new languages in a fun, interactive way

• Be easy for educators to implement without requiring language expertise

• Align with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)

• Be effective across diverse preschool settings

My Role

As the UI/UX Design & Art Lead for the ELLA project, I was one of three department leads that collaborated to create this innovative language learning platform series of apps. The leadership team consisted of:

• Art & UI/UX Design Lead (myself) - Responsible for the visual design, user interface, and overall user experience

• Learning Design (LD) Lead - In charge of educational content and alignment with early childhood learning principles

• Game Design (GD) Lead - Focused on creating engaging, play-based activities within the apps

UX/UI Design Leadership

In my capacity as the Art & UI/UX Design Lead, my specific responsibilities included:

• Developing the overall visual style and branding for the ELLA apps

• Designing intuitive, age-appropriate user interfaces

• Creating character designs and visual elements appealing to preschoolers

• Ensuring consistency in visual design across all apps in the series

• Collaborating closely with the Learning Design (LD) and Game Design (GD) leads to integrate educational content and gameplay elements seamlessly into the UI and UX

• Conducting user research and usability testing with children, educators, and parents

• Managing the UI/UX design team and coordinating with developers to ensure design integrity

• Contributing to the overall UX strategy to balance educational objectives with engaging user experiences

The Results

The ELLA program demonstrated significant positive outcomes across multiple measures:

• Engagement: Over 8,500 children actively used the ELLA apps during the trial period, with an average usage of 12.6 minutes per week per child.

• Language Exposure: In the educator survey, 17% of respondents observed all children using words from the ELLA language, while 36% reported most children using the language.

• Cultural Awareness: Approximately 70% of educator survey respondents noted that children showed increased interest in and understanding of other cultures after using the ELLA apps.

• Educator Impact: 75% of educators reported increased confidence in incorporating language learning into their preschool programs after using ELLA.

• Parental Observations: Over two-thirds of parents reported hearing their children use words from the ELLA language at home.

• Implementation: By November 2016, 285 preschools were registered in the ELLA trial, with 249 actively using the apps.

Notably, a rigorous scientific study using electroencephalogram (EEG) technology provided compelling evidence of the ELLA program's effectiveness:

• The study compared brain activity of children using ELLA apps versus those using traditional flash cards.

• 77% of children in the ELLA group exhibited brain responses consistent with deeper language processing and stronger word-meaning associations, compared to only 33% in the flash card group.

• ELLA users showed better phonetic processing of words and retrieved more contextual information for learned words.

• These neural patterns suggest that ELLA facilitates more robust language learning, potentially leading to longer-lasting vocabulary gains.

Bibliography

Kaufman, J., Leung, S., Perry, C., Tarasuik, J., Highfield, K., Guy, J., & the Swinburne Babylab team. (2017). Evaluation of the Early Learning Languages Australia apps: Final report to the Australian Government Department of Education and Training. Melbourne, Australia: Swinburne University of Technology. Retrieved from https://www.ella.edu.au/file/332/download?token=Ry8fq5n9

Key sections and page numbers:

1. EEG Study Results: Pages 18-22, Section "3) Electroencephalogram (EEG)"

2. Overall Usage Statistics: Page 10, Table 7.2

3. Educator Survey Results: Pages 91-93, Section "8.1 Child outcomes"

4. Parental Observations: Pages 63-65, Section "6.2.2 Observations on trial outcomes"

Further Reading: For more detailed information about the ELLA program evaluation, including the EEG study results, please refer to:

• Kaufman, J., et al. (2017). Evaluation of the Early Learning Languages Australia apps: Final report. Melbourne: Swinburne University of Technology.

Lessons Learned

This project provided valuable insights into early childhood language education and digital learning:

• Scientific Validation of Digital Learning: The EEG study results demonstrated that well-designed digital tools can facilitate effective language learning in young children. This challenges some prevailing skepticism about screen-based learning for preschoolers.

• Importance of Interdisciplinary Collaboration: The success of ELLA stemmed from close collaboration between UX designers, educators, and language experts, highlighting the value of diverse expertise in educational technology development.

• User-Centered Design for Young Learners: Designing for preschoolers required a unique approach, balancing educational objectives with engaging, age-appropriate interfaces.

• Educator Support is Crucial: The high adoption rate and positive outcomes were partly due to our focus on making the apps easy for educators to implement, regardless of their language expertise.

• Cultural Context in Language Learning: Incorporating cultural elements alongside language content enhanced children's overall engagement and learning outcomes.

• Bridging Home and School Learning: The unexpected use of ELLA language at home showed the potential for educational apps to extend learning beyond the classroom.

• Data-Driven Design Iterations: Regular analysis of usage data and educator feedback allowed for continuous improvement of the apps, demonstrating the value of an iterative, evidence-based approach to educational technology design.