Mind mapping tool

Challenge:

I was working for an NGO named “youth for seva”, objective of the NGO is to decrease the number  of school dropouts in a 5- 14 years of age children, re-joining of dropped out kids into the schools  and improving the primary school education in urban slum areas. The challenge is to find a way  forward to achieve these objectives.

We have collected the data from schools and local administrations and data published by  government bodies, the data included number of students discontinued their schooling yearly, age,  gender, class, socioeconomic status of their families . We conducted ethnographic interviews of  school dropout kids, their classmates, parents, teachers and school administrative staff. Visited their  residing premises of children to understand the ground reality. We found wide range of factors  influencing schooling, children enrolment for schools and dropout rate. The factors such as financial  status of families, gender, educational background of parents, societal aspects, availability of  schools, distance from their home to schools,  travel facilities, schools fees, teaching methods,  teaching content, scolding and abusing at schools etc., Further, we would like to understand the  critical factors influencing school dropouts, how they are interconnected.

Selection of tool: Mind mapping:

Mind mapping is creative intuitive process, opinions of multiple stakeholder can be taken into  consideration to get insights from the data gathered, which helps in defining the design criteria.  Mind mapping tool was used to understand factors influencing children dropout from schools and  how they are interlinked.

Approach:

Workshop arranged in a community centre, different factors influencing children school education  were written/drawn on A4 size drawing sheets attached them in community hall, data sheet, brief  Ethnographic interview snapshot were also stuck to the walls. We invited different stake holders  such as children, parents, teachers, schools administrative staff, senior members of the community  and government officials, gave the information about the design challenge and asked them to visit  the hall see different factors and snapshot attached on the hall and requested them to note down  most influencing factors strike to them. All these factors were grouped in to broad categories and  tried to find the connection among them.

Insights:

Mind mapping is a very interesting creative tool to gain clear insights from the vast amount of data  collected. We could easily figure out critical factors and relations ships among them. Different  aspects from wider set of stake holders can be clearly summarised in a concise manner using mind  mapping technique. The insights drawn using mind mapping process can be easily explainable and to  be utilised for development of design criteria.


Mind mapping tool Challenge : I was working for an NGO named “ youth for seva ” , objective of the NGO is to decrease the number of school dropouts in a 5- 14 years of age children , re - joining of dropped out kids into the schools and improving the primary school education in urban slum areas . The challenge is to find a way forward to achieve these objectives . We have collected the data from schools and local administrations and data published by government bodies , the data included number of students discontinued their schooling yearly , age , gender , class , socioeconomic status of their families . We conducted ethnographic interviews of school dropout kids , their classmates , parents , teachers and school administrative staff . Visited their residing premises of children to understand the ground reality . We found wide range of factors influencing schooling , children enrolment for schools and dropout rate . The factors such as financial status of families , gender , educational background of parents , societal aspects , availability of schools , distance from their home to schools , travel facilities , schools fees , teaching methods , teaching content , scolding and abusing at schools etc . , Further , we would like to understand the critical factors influencing school dropouts , how they are interconnected . Selection of tool : Mind mapping : Mind mapping is creative intuitive process , opinions of multiple stakeholder can be taken into consideration to get insights from the data gathered , which helps in defining the design criteria . Mind mapping tool was used to understand factors influencing children dropout from schools and how they are interlinked . Approach : Workshop arranged in a community centre , different factors influencing children school education were written / drawn on A4 size drawing sheets attached them in community hall , data sheet , brief Ethnographic interview snapshot were also stuck to the walls . We invited different stake holders such as children , parents , teachers , schools administrative staff , senior members of the community and government officials , gave the information about the design challenge and asked them to visit the hall see different factors and snapshot attached on the hall and requested them to note down most influencing factors strike to them . All these factors were grouped in to broad categories and tried to find the connection among them . Insights : Mind mapping is a very interesting creative tool to gain clear insights from the vast amount of data collected . We could easily figure out critical factors and relations ships among them . Different aspects from wider set of stake holders can be clearly summarised in a concise manner using mind mapping technique . The insights drawn using mind mapping process can be easily explainable and to be utilised for development of design criteria .