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breaking language barriers
enhancing the phone experience for non-native english-speaking international students at the new school's one stop student service center.
20%of international students avoid or stop medical care because the insurance system confuses them.
the new school · one stop student service centerwhat it is
a usability study of the one stop center's phone experience for international students whose first language isn't english.
what i did
co-designed a three-method study (observation, two-part survey, goms) with a team of three; wrote the recruitment, ethics, and analysis plan.
what happened
a research proposal with three concrete recommendations for the center; the project that pushed me from studying interfaces to building them.
speci
roleux researcherteamnaeema mohammed sageer · yuanyuan li · zoe r. m. taninstitutionthe new school · fall 2023typemulti-method usability evaluation (proposal)focusstudent health insurance plan, via the one stop center phone linemethodsuser observation · two-part survey · goms analysissample20 international studentsreportfull proposal (pdf) ↗case studymilk-droid.github.io/one-stop-shop/ ↗
why it matters01
3,750+international students, ~33% of the school
100+countries; mandarin, hindi, korean among the first languages
57%confused about us health insurance and systems
20%avoid or stop medical care because of that confusion
the question·
international students whose first language is not english have to navigate insurance, clinics and terminology over the phone, in real time, with no visual cues. where exactly does the one stop center's phone experience break for them, and what would fix it?
the challenge02
language barrierscomplex healthcare terminology · automated menus in a second language · real-time speech with no visual cues
cultural differencesunfamiliarity with the us system · different healthcare models at home · loss of familiar support networks
healthcare avoidanceper sevis data, 57% are confused and 20% avoid care. serious health risk, academic impact, and largely preventable through better phone-service design.
approach03
- user groupinternational students whose first language is not english; china, india, south korea heavily represented.
- recruitment20 participants, mixed undergraduate/graduate, gender and country diversity; digital posters via social and email; $50 new store gift cards.
- task focushealth insurance inquiries about ship, using questions surfaced in pre-survey research, with cultural framing in mind.
- privacy + ethicsmultilingual consent forms, anonymized and secured recordings, the right to withdraw at any point.
setting·
- lab room with discreet cameras and recording
- sessions 1–3pm on weekdays, when the call center is live
- observers in a separate room to reduce anxiety
three methods04
user observationwatch real calls to the center about insurance. document hesitations, facial cues, option choices, reaction times, and the moment someone hangs up.
two-part surveypre-test: demographics, language background, prior experience. post-test: likert scales for satisfaction and confidence plus open-ended reflection.
goms analysisdecompose the phone interaction into goals, operators, methods and selection rules. ideally performed by an analyst whose first language is not english.
analysis05
- likert aggregation for trends and averages
- thematic analysis of open-ended responses
- synthesis across the three methods into one picture
expected outcomes·
- the specific moments in the call where non-native speakers get stuck
- the emotional and cognitive shape of the experience
- practical, implementable recommendations
preliminary recommendations06
international student representativesstaff the center with international students/staff, promote their availability on the website, offer help in the most common languages.
a regular feedback systemcollect feedback from international students every semester, implement, evaluate, keep students in the loop.
a standardized service processa staff handbook for communicating with international students; consistent service; training on cultural differences in healthcare expectations.
expected impact07
- ↑ improved access — more students successfully navigating health services
- ↓ reduced frustration — less stress and anxiety on the phone
- ↑ better healthcare — fewer students avoiding needed care
- ↑ a more inclusive experience for the international community
reflection·
the earliest project in this section, and the one that made me want to design the thing instead of only studying it.
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