Accessibility, Evaluation and Reflection, News and Events, Pedagogy, Technologies

Coffee & UX ☕, brewing change in higher education

Designing better learning experiences – one cup at a time.

User Experience, or UX, can make or break an online product. Ever tried tapping a tiny button to add an event to your calendar, only to blame the size of your finger and, in frustration, end up messaging your partner to remind you instead? You’re not alone. Giving up on your calendar perfectly illustrates the statistics: according a report by RMG Digital, 90% of users will leave a website because of poor design. And you’ll be glad to hear that this experience doesn’t just frustrate users – it also hurts businesses. In fact, according to the same report, 70% of online businesses fail due to bad UX.

While UX might seem like a hot topic today, its principles have been around for over 30 years, though they are often misunderstood or misapplied. The term itself was coined in the 1990s by Don Norman, one of the founders of the influential Nielsen Norman Group, to describe everything a person feels and experiences when interacting with a product or service.

As the Nielsen Norman Group explains:

The first requirement for an exemplary user experience is to meet the exact needs of the customer, without fuss or bother. Next comes simplicity and elegance that produce products that are a joy to own, a joy to use. True user experience goes far beyond giving customers what they say they want, or providing checklist features. View the Nielsen Group article.

Simply put, when UX is done well, it feels almost invisible, helping people get what they need without frustration or hassle. When it’s done badly… it’s very noticeable.

UX for EdTech presents a particular problem. The stakes are quite different – it’s not just about user-friendly tools, or a nice interface, but about creating meaningful learning experiences that truly support students throughout a transformative educational  journey. Without strong design and UX, even the most innovative and academically sound educational technology can fall flat – and that can be a real problem when students are already facing the (enormous!) cognitive challenge of learning something new. Providing these great experiences means going beyond usability to include engagement, motivation, and effective learning outcomes – a broader approach often encompassed by the term ‘LX’.

While commercial providers of educational technology have been grappling with UX for some time, with varying degrees of success, in higher education, UX is still a relatively new concept, with its own set of challenges. The rapidly changing world, evolving digital experiences, growing competition, and rising student expectations all add layers of complexity. Combine that with academic rigour, complex systems, and diverse student needs, and designing genuinely student-centred experiences becomes a real balancing act.

I was aware of these challenges as I stepped into the role of UX Manager at King’s, yet undeterred. Coming from a background in teaching and private EdTech, I saw this role as a chance to bring everything I’d learned into a new environment with its own rhythms, ecosystems, and rewards. And it’s been great to see my team bridge that gap hosting events such as UXDX, as well as by participating in MUGGL and ALT M25.

That said, some challenges here at KCL still felt strangely familiar, only on a much larger scale. In the higher education sector, silo mentality inhibits communication between institutions but often within them too, leaving departments keen to find opportunities yet uncertain of how and where to share insights or best practices. It quickly became clear to me that although incredible work was happening across the organisation and within the wider EdTech industry, its full impact was held back by a lack of connection and collaboration. What was missing was a dedicated space to focus specifically on UX for EdTech – which is exactly why KCL’s Coffee & UX ☕ began.

KCL’s Coffee & UX ☕ is a simple idea with a clear purpose: to connect, create a community of practice, spark conversation, and bring a bit of change into how we think about and design for students. It’s much more than a platform to showcase our work; it’s a welcoming space that encourages open conversation, shared learning, and collaboration, helping the incredible work happening across the organisation reach its full potential.

The premise is simple: once a quarter, we gather on a King’s campus in central London for a couple of hours, with coffee and snacks. Each team shares what they’ve been working on, and together we explore the tools, methods, and approaches shaping our work. We discuss research findings, share challenges and wins, and exchange best practices. It’s also a chance to get to know each other, build connections across departments, and spark ideas for improving the student experience – whether that involves digital learning tools, physical spaces, workflows, or blended experiences that bridge both.

So far, we’ve held two meetings: one in spring and one in summer. From the very first session, it was clear we had something special – the excitement and positive feedback were overwhelming. Teams connected, shared ideas, discussed best practices, and explored ways to collaborate. The conversation didn’t end there; our group chat continued buzzing with reflections, questions, and action points, showing just how engaged everyone was. It was a real sign that Coffee & UX ☕ was creating a space people value and want to keep building.

The summer edition, held on 10th July, was another great success, with over 10 attendees from King’s Digital’s UX team and Quality Assurance Officers; Libraries & Collections; Digital Humanities; IT; and Student Knowledge Info & Enquiries. With a sharper focus this time, teams shared specific projects sparked by our first meeting, such as the assessment templates research and the development of a research repository. We also explored new topics, including databases in PowerBI, card sorting exercises to organise the VLE’s top menu, accessibility research, and inspiring examples of how libraries are pushing UX further to meet students where they are. It was truly inspiring to see such a diverse range of work underway and to feel the strong passion for enhancing the student experience across King’s. To close, and as a testament to how valuable we’ve found these meetings so far, we discussed opportunities to enhance our ongoing efforts to build a real community, including a proposed calendar of activities moving forward.

So, what’s next for KCL’s Coffee & UX ☕? Our goal is to open the door wider – to welcome more teams from across King’s to share, collaborate, and tackle the unique challenges we face together. We also want to expand our circle by inviting colleagues from other universities to join the conversation, sparking fresh ideas and new partnerships. Ultimately, we’re aiming to bridge gaps – within our institution, between universities, and between higher education and the EdTech private sector, building a vibrant, connected community that drives real, positive change for students.

Do any of these challenges or ideas resonate with you? Have you tried something similar in your institution or organisation? Maybe you’ve faced similar hurdles in your own institution, or you’re simply curious about how we’re shaping the User Experience landscape in Higher Education and want to get involved? Whether you’re interested in sharing your experiences, asking questions, or just having a friendly chat about UX and the student experience, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s connect, learn from each other; and maybe explore how we can make a real difference together… over a cup of coffee?

Our next event is on 6th November, and we’re inviting both presenters and participants of the wider community to join us at King’s. If you’re interested in UX in Education -whether to share, learn, or just chat over coffee – we’d love to see you there.

Sign up and learn more

About you the author

Juliana Matos

Juliana Matos, UX Manager at King’s College London | Experienced LXer | Bridging academia, education, and industry through thoughtful, data-driven, human-centred UX strategy.

Moodle 4, News and Events, Technologies

KEATS Upgrade: 22 July 2025

KEATS will be upgraded to Moodle 4.5.5 on Tuesday 22 July 2025. As part of this upgrade KEATS will be placed into Maintenance Mode and unavailable to staff and students between 06:00-14:00 (UK Time).

This upgrade introduces enhanced search options, visual improvements and new assessment functionality for staff and students.

An image of the KEATS Dashboard displayed on a laptop and mobile device.
An image of the KEATS Dashboard displayed on a laptop and mobile device.

Enhancements include:

  • The introduction of a personalised search function enabling you to search for content within courses you are enrolled in.
  • An improved navigation via the introduction of a consistent top menu.
  • A cleaner and streamlined KEATS Dashboard, providing a task focussed view of courses and alerts for students.
  • Better visual design and usability for users accessing KEATS via mobile devices.
  • An improved assignment interface, introducing sticky headers and footers, improved filters and bulk actions.
  • Automated notifications to students for deadlines for upcoming assignments and quiz submissions.
  • Quicker access to ‘starred’ courses directly from your top menu.
  • The maintenance of a secure and accessible platform compliant with modern standards.

Please note, faculties and departments use KEATS in different ways and may have different templates and approaches for you to be aware of. If you are in the middle of teaching during this upgrade and are experiencing unexpected changes, please do contact your Programme Team in the first instance and log any issues via 88888@kcl.ac.uk.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this important upgrade.

Moodle 4, News and Events, Technologies

KEATS Upgrade: 16 July 2024

KEATS will be upgraded to Moodle 4.4.1 on Tuesday 16 July 2024. As part of this upgrade KEATS will be placed into Maintenance Mode and unavailable to staff and students between 06:00-16:00 (UK Time).

This upgrade introduces several enhancements focused on refining the user interface and making it easier to edit your KEATS pages.

Check back on the blog after upgrade for a video highlighting upgraded features.

New look KEATS for desktop and mobile

Enhancements include:

  • Activity icons have been updated with an accessible colour palette.
  • You can now quickly create content by clicking on a plus icon anywhere on your main KEATS page.
  • Text and media areas now include a ‘name’ field, which appear in the course index on the left of your page.
  • When using the grader report, you can now search, collapse columns and view feedback directly on the grader report page.
  • For those using group forums, you can now easily post to all groups with the ‘Post a copy to all groups’ option available directly underneath your forum post.
  • The Tiny MCE editor has been improved and is now the default editor, featuring a full-screen button for an enhanced editing experience.
  • Bulk actions such as deleting, moving, duplicating, hiding, or changing visibility can now be performed directly from the footer.
  • The edit menu now allows you to easily change availability options and group modes.
  • Lastly, you can now copy H5P activities in the content bank to adapt them, making content creation more flexible.

Please note, faculties and departments use KEATS in different ways and may have different templates and approaches for you to be aware of. If you are in the middle of teaching during this upgrade and are experiencing unexpected changes, please do contact your Programme Team in the first instance.

Evaluation and Reflection, News and Events, Pedagogy, Technologies

Exploring the Digital Frontier: Revolutionizing Feedback Delivery with Excel and VBA Macros Part 2

Part 2: My experience and reflections

Part 1 of this blog can be found here: https://blogs.kcl.ac.uk/digitaleducation/exploring-the-digital-frontier-revolutionizing-feedback-delivery-with-excel-and-vba-macros-part-1/

Icons of the Microsoft 365 shown

I embarked on this journey to a few years ago when I led a large course with more than 700 students and a team of 15 markers. It was a challenging for an early career lecturer to manage the administrative tasks and collaborate with the whole team: standardization, moderation, and uploading/creating feedback documents. The demanding nature of the courses allows for no mistakes or human errors. Working through the clunky and often user-unfriendly interface of Moodle/Turnitin is another difficult obstacle: one would require the Internet to do the marking and as some other colleagues would agree that we often work better off the Internet. Traditional methods were often time-consuming and inconsistent, resulting in delayed feedback that left students wanting more. The technology-driven solution aimed to address these challenges head-on. When I joined KCL in September 2022, I faced the same problems and have been made aware of different initiatives at KBS to improve the feedback and assessment process at KBS. I gathered my own systems over the years and implemented the process during the Jan 2023 marking season. Over the Spring Term 2023, I refined the process with feedback from colleagues who shared the excitements and interest. In June 2023, I presented at the festival to share the practices and implementation strategies for an innovative automation system.

The process involved harnessing the power of Microsoft Excel and VBA Macros within Microsoft Word. These technologies allowed us to streamline and automate feedback delivery. Imagine, no more laborious hours spent typing feedback comments and no human errors involved in exporting and uploading the feedback documents to Keats/Turnitin! Instead, we could focus on providing students with valuable insights to help them excel.

Screenshot of Digital Skills Hub

**Challenges Faced:**

Of course, no transformative journey is without its challenges. Some educators were initially resistant to change, finding the prospect of learning VBA Macros daunting. Additionally, ensuring the new system was compatible with various devices and platforms presented a technical hurdle. As I mentioned in the guidance (see from my SharePoint), the set-up and troubleshooting at the beginning can be quite a challenge, particularly for colleagues using the MacOS system (it’s less so for Windows users). Compatibility issues were addressed through rigorous testing and continuous monitoring of system performance. Clear communication with your marking team is also needed to make sure everyone is on the same page with the new system.

But I promise it’s worth the effort and the subsequential usages will be a much smoother sail. And from a marker’s perspective, it is much less work than working through the traditional channels.

The journey from traditional feedback systems to an automated approach using Excel and VBA Macros has been nothing short of transformative. It’s a testament to the power of technology in education, where innovative solutions can overcome challenges and improve the overall learning experience.

As we continue this path of exploration and adaptation, the future of feedback delivery looks brighter than ever to improved student satisfaction and educational outcomes. I hope that a wider adoption of the process could help deliver a more insightful and time effective feedback to our students, thereby addressing the burning issues identified from the student surveys, as well as helping deliver impacts to the quality of feedback giving and student experience, as identified in King’s Vision 2029 and the TEF framework.

Screenshot of TEF award

It takes time and communications with colleagues to identify compatibility issues and resolve them. So far, the method has been used by six Economics courses at KBS, two from the University of Glasgow; and colleagues from Marketing and Adult Nursing, have expressed their interests in using it in their courses.
It is definitely not perfect, and I am very much looking forward to feedback, comments, and of course successful implementations of colleagues.

The blog discusses a transformative journey in education, initiated during The Festival of Technology 2022 at KCL. It explores the adoption of Excel and VBA Macros within Microsoft Word to revolutionize feedback delivery. The main reasons for this change were to enhance feedback quality and efficiency, addressing challenges like resistance to change and compatibility issues. Through workshops, ongoing support, and rigorous testing, the adoption of technology resulted in a more efficient, user-friendly, and collaborative feedback system, empowering educators and improving the overall learning experience.

I would like to thank KBS colleagues, Jack Fosten, Dragos Radu, and Chahna Gonsalves for their encouragement, important suggestions and feedback as well as allowing me to pilot the process in their modules. I also thank various colleagues across other faculties for providing feedback and suggestions as well as identifying compatibility issues (with solutions).

For additional resources, including the workshop slides and a detailed guide with relevant codes and FAQs, please refer to the SharePoint folder linked here.

I am a Lecturer in Economics at the Department of Economics, King’s Business School, King’s College London. I am also an academic supervisor at the Institute of Finance and Technology, University College of London, and a chief examiner for the University of London International Programme (Econometrics). Before joining King’s, I lectured and conducted research at the London School of Economics as an LSE Fellow in Economics, and at the University of Warwick as a postdoctoral fellow (in Economics). I completed my PhD in Economics at the University of Nottingham in 2018.

I have lectured courses in econometrics and macroeconomics at King’s, LSE, and Warwick, and led seminars (tutorials) in various courses at Nottingham. From March 2023, I am the GTA Lead at King’s Business School.

Evaluation and Reflection, News and Events, Pedagogy, Technologies

Exploring the Digital Frontier: Revolutionizing Feedback Delivery with Excel and VBA Macros Part 1

Part 1: The practical guide

In today’s rapidly evolving digital age, the need for efficient and effective systems in education is more pronounced than ever. Traditional platforms like Moodle and Turnitin have served us well, but as educators, we must acknowledge their limitations in providing timely, user-friendly, and collaborative feedback on assignments, exams, and dissertations.

This tutorial aims to be your guiding light towards a better, more streamlined approach to feedback delivery. Drawing upon my workshop presented during The Festival of Technology 2022 at KCL, where I shared practical insights and implementation strategies for this automation system, we’ll delve into the fascinating world of Excel and VBA Macros within Microsoft Word. This comprehensive resource builds upon the principles discussed in that workshop.

By embarking on this journey, you’ll equip yourself with the skills and knowledge to revolutionize your approach to feedback giving. Here’s what you stand to gain:

1. **Efficiency:** Say goodbye to the laborious and time-consuming task of manually providing feedback using KEATs (Moodle/Turnitin). With Excel and VBA Macros, you’ll learn how to automate the process, saving valuable time that can be redirected towards more meaningful feedback and interactions with your students.

 

Screenshot illustrating what the purpose of the document
Picture 1: Our Aims and Objectives

2. **User-friendliness:** Discover how to create a user-friendly feedback documents for both yourself, the marking team, and your students. Your feedback system will become intuitive and accessible, ensuring that learners can easily understand and act upon your comments with a nicely formatted feedback document.

A screenshot showing the step by step summary for collecting marking and feedback
Picture 2: A summary of steps

3. **Collaboration:** Break free from the constraints of limited collaboration within traditional systems. The method will allow a marking team to efficiently collaborate and moderate, making feedback delivery a seamless and cooperative effort.

Screenshot of marking folder contents
Picture 3: What the marking folder looks like? It is sharable with the marking team

4. **Comprehensive Feedback:** Dive into the world of detailed and constructive feedback. You’ll gain the expertise to provide tailored insights that empower students to excel in their academic pursuits.

Screenshot of excel file showing comments
Picture 4: What a short comment looks like? Totally customizable.

This tutorial isn’t just about learning a new tool; it’s about transforming your approach to education. By mastering Excel and VBA Macros for feedback delivery, you’ll become a more effective educator, making a lasting impact on your students. The system will:
– Enhance your teaching methods, creating a more engaging and supportive learning environment.
– Free up your time that was spent on administrative tasks or dealing with Turnitin/Keats for more meaningful activities such as preparing feedback comments and communication with your team and students.
– For repeated courses/assessments, you can prepare a bank of modal comments for lateral uses, as well as a record of common mistakes and suggestions for improvements to communicate with students.

Screenshot of excel sheet
Picture 5: What the end product of a long feedback document looks like? Totally customizable.

Education is a dynamic field, and keeping pace with technological advancements is essential. The automation possibilities offered by Excel and VBA Macros are not just practical but also intriguing. Discovering how to harness these tools to optimize your feedback process can be genuinely exciting.

Screenshot displaying cautions with using excel
Picture 6: A few cautions?

For additional resources, including the workshop slides and a detailed guide with relevant codes and FAQs, please refer to the SharePoint folder linked here. This tutorial serves as a bridge between the insights shared during the workshop and the practical implementation of an automated feedback system. It’s an opportunity to further explore and master these valuable techniques, all while enhancing the overall learning experience for students. Join us as we embark on this transformative journey together.

Part 2 of this blog can be found here: https://blogs.kcl.ac.uk/digitaleducation/exploring-the-digital-frontier-revolutionizing-feedback-delivery-with-excel-and-vba-macros-part-2/

Moodle 4, News and Events, Technologies, Uncategorized

New CPD Sessions

The Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning (CTEL) has a wide range of new development sessions available to all staff. These sessions range from how to record, edit and upload videos; creating interactive learning resources using Kaltura, our video and media service; as well as various workshops on using KEATS, our Virtual Learning Environment.

These sessions will be run by Microsoft Teams Meetings. Click the Skills Forge links below to find timings and book on available sessions. Please contact ctel@kcl.ac.uk for more information.

 

Introductory Session

KEATS

Content Creation and Video Editing

Delivering synchronous online teaching

Assessment

Internationalisation

News and Events, Pedagogy, Technologies

Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning (CTEL) CPD Training Sessions

The Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning (CTEL) has a wide range of new development sessions available to all staff. These sessions range from how to record, edit and upload videos; creating interactive learning resources using Kaltura, our video and media service; as well as various workshops on using KEATS, our Virtual Learning Environment.

These sessions will be run by Microsoft Teams Meetings. Click the Skills Forge links below to find timings and book on available sessions. Please contact ctel@kcl.ac.uk for more information.

Introductory Session

KEATS

Content Creation and Video Editing

Delivering synchronous online teaching

Assessment

Internationalisation

Moodle 4, News and Events, Technologies

KEATS Upgrade: What to expect as a student

On 18 July 2023 KEATS (Moodle) will be upgraded, with KEATS being unavailable for all staff and students from 6am and for most of upgrade day.

As part of this upgrade KEATS is getting a makeover and as such will look different for students logging back in after 18 July. The resources and teaching materials available via KEATS will remain the same, but the look of your courses will be different as improvements to the user interface and navigation are introduced.

New look KEATS will include:

Improved Dashboard & Separate My Course Page

When you login to KEATS your Dashboard will allow easy access to courses you have recently accessed and provide you with a timeline highlighting activities which have tasks and deadlines upcoming. A separate ‘My Courses’ page is also available allowing you search, access and highlight important courses for you.

KEATS (Moodle Dashboard)
New look KEATS Dashboard highlighting recently accessed courses and a timeline of upcoming activities

Navigable Table of Contents within Courses

When accessing a KEATS course, an Index Drawer is provided on the left of screen to allow you easy access to different sections and resources within the course. This index is collapsible/expandable to allow individuals to focus better on the main content as needed.

Collapsible Blocks & Resources

Similar to the table of contents, a series of blocks and resources are available on the right of screen via a collapsible/expandable Block Drawer. These blocks provide you with access to key resources and information, but can be minimised to declutter the screen as needed.

Screenshot of new-look KEATS course, displaying content in a grid format
A KEATS course showing the collapsible/expandable Index Drawer on the left and the Block Drawer on the right.

Improved Design for Mobile Devices

Our new version of KEATS is responsive to mobile and tablet devices allowing your courses to be better displayed and navigated.

New look KEATS for desktop and mobile
New look KEATS is responsively designed for screens of different sizes

Please note, faculties and departments use KEATS in different ways and may have different templates and approaches for you to be aware of. If you are in the middle of teaching during this upgrade and are experiencing unexpected changes, please do contact your Programme Team in the first instance.

Moodle 4, News and Events, Technologies

Check-out what your KEATS course will look like in Moodle 4

KEATS is being upgraded on the 18 July 2023 and will be getting a make over (see our blog post New look KEATS coming in July 2023). As well as incorporating new, modern branding guidelines the interface aims to make doing the things you want to achieve in KEATS easier.  

To help you prepare for the upgrade, a read-only test environment is available to staff which has the new theme applied. You can jump straight from KEATS to the test environment from a course to see what the content looks like using the new theme. You can also log into the site directly at https://keatsuat4x.kcl.ac.uk/ (staff only).  

Linking to the test site is being enabled locally within faculties and departments, but one thing to look out for is a new block on your course page that allows you to make the jump directly to the equivalent course in the test site. This block (and the test site) is available to staff only.

Screenshot of block enabling access to upgraded Moodle for staff

You will see changes in the look-and-feel of KEATS over time as the branding is still being developed. Look out for the new primary menus that help you get to Participant lists, Grades and other Reports (your course settings will also be here, but aren’t visible in the test environment) and keep an eye out for our blog posts giving further details on the upcoming changes.  

Screenshot of new-look KEATS course, displaying content in a grid format
Disclaimer: This may look different in your faculty

Please note: course content in the test site is a snapshot from March 2023. Any course developments after this time won’t be available in the test site. You can also access your Dashboard and the new My Courses page to browse the site as usual. 

Moodle 4, News and Events, Pedagogy, Technologies

New look KEATS coming in July 2023

KEATS will be upgraded to Moodle 4 on 18 July 2023 (see KEATS Upgrade to Moodle 4 Blog post for further information).

As part of this upgrade the look-and-feel of KEATS will be updated to bring it in line with emerging King’s Digital Brand Guidelines, improving consistency for staff and students across our digital platforms.

The new theme for KEATS will be primarily available for layouts which display modules and courses in a Topics or Grid formats. All course pages will be presented with a left-hand navigation and a right hand-panel for module/programme specific information as required, both of which can be expanded/collapsed as required.

KEATS Course Grid Format

KEATS new-look grid format
KEATS New Look Grid Format

KEATS Course Topics Format

GIF of a new look KEATS Course Topics Format
New Look KEATS Topics Format

 

Screenshots

Click on the screenshots below to view larger images of the new look-and- feel for KEATS coming in July 2023.