This Is Bsmrt - Mobile Educational Service for African Youth

This is March 2010

(Possible) Barriers to education :
Costs unaffordable
No water, electricity
Girls discriminated against
School too far away
Image: www.africabusinesssource.com

Bsmrt: The Big Idea
Empower vulnerable youth to use inner resources to solve their own problems by providing access to information, skills, support and other tools they need

Bsmrt: The Big Idea
We create learning pathways , encouraging discussion in an age-, gender-, and culture-sensitive forum building on a familiar, youth-centric platform

Bsmrt = No Barriers:
Costs nothing to end user
Mobile phone infrastructure
Open to any gender/age/culture
School is in your pocket
Image: itsadigitalife.wordpress.com

Bsmrt: What it is

Bsmrt: What it is
Built in MXit , an instant messaging platform popular among African young people
Inline content
(Sponsored) downloads
MXit core (chatrooms)
Bsmrt Options Back Select (timestamp) bsmrt: Live life different! You choose, Be Smart! Featured Content 1 ) First featured link 2 ) Second featured link 3 ) Third featured link Main Menu 4 ) smrt Up 5 ) smrt Life 6 ) smrt Dreamz 7 ) smrt World 8 ) smrt Language 9 ) smrt Art 10 ) XXXX 11 ) How2 Bsmrt

Bsmrt: How it Works User opens Bsmrt service and chooses a main menu option User chooses an option from sub menu, leading to a slot Content providers put their content in themed slots , Bsmrt’s content areas. Each content slot can be made up of multiple stories , or groups of sequential pages. These stories can be actual stories, lessons, quizzes, or anything content providers include in them.

smrt Up
Educational content
Quizzes

smrt Life
Practical Information
How to…

smrt Dreamz & smrt World
Career and Business
Our Environment

smrt Language & smrt Art
Linguistics Art Showcase

Are We Doing it Right?

Bsmrt: Key Requirements
General impression: users must like Bsmrt
Info architecture: minimize clicks ; scrolling = acceptable
Perceived utility: Bsmrt must be perceived as useful
Content and tone: youth-oriented, “cool”
Requirements Sources:
MXit acceptance parameters
Team experienced with African youth
User experience best practices

Bsmrt: Ongoing Evaluation

Bsmrt: Feedback to Now
Respondents so far:
As of Feb, 2010
N = 2,968
55.12% Female
Most (65%) between 16 and 24 years old
Data set analyzed with:
Frequency statistics
Chi-square (X²)

Bsmrt: Key Results
General impression: Users like Bsmrt
Survey Question:
“ How do you feel about Bsmrt in general?”

Bsmrt: Key Results
Info architecture: Bsmrt is navigable, but…
… menu or novelty?
Survey Question:
“ Was it easy to find what you were looking for?”

Bsmrt: Key Results
Perceived utility: Bsmrt is perceived as useful
Survey Question:
“ Do you think Bsmrt is useful to you?”

Bsmrt: Key Results
Content and tone: Bsmrt reminds of a teacher
Survey Question:
“ If Bsmrt were a person, whom would it remind you of?”

Bsmrt: Key Results
Content and tone: Bsmrt reminds of a teacher, but it is a good thing
Note these significant relationships: Respondents whom Bsmrt reminds of a teacher were more likely to say: …“ I love it” ( χ² = 8.08; df = 1; p < 0.005) …“ Yes, very useful” (χ² = 32.49; df = 1; p < 0.001)

Bsmrt: Key Results
User statistics (as of 22 March 2010) : 42,518 subscribers
- Oct to Dec 2009: 18,978
- Jan to 22 March 2010: 23,540

Bsmrt: Open Feedback I liked evrythng its so teaching i learnt frm evry scnd of it. I like those short story i wish that they can make those stories every months I liked the fact that it brings quiz and help the youth about their lifestyle especially education ,infact i love everything about its just incredable It pushes me to the next level thats what i like about bsmrt (sic: unaltered from original)

So, What’s Next?

Bsmrt: Lessons Learned
Quizzes are the most visited “pages”
We’ll add games & focus on interactivity
Interactive = Golden

Bsmrt: What’s Next
Bsmrt community
User-uploaded content
Engage youth directly

Bsmrt: What’s Next
New content providers

Bsmrt: Development Team
Glynis Clacherty: Editorial policy and content provider
Jim Donahue: Pilot Project Manager
Michael Jenkins: metaLAB Director
Chris Lear: Content technical implementation, reporting, and hosting manager
Elaine Oliver: Content development and QA Manager
Brian Pagán: Content development, testing, QA, and process development
Mike Puxley: Content development, Digital Media Director
Kathryn Van Wyk: Pilot Content Director
Evan Veldsman: QA testing

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This Is Bsmrt - Mobile Educational Service for African Youth

by Brian Pagán

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