Opening a learning app once may reflect curiosity. Returning gives a student another opportunity to practice.
As a nurse educator creating learning tools, I find that a useful design question is: What would make a student want to come back?
An attractive screen can introduce an app. A clear purpose, manageable activity, and useful feedback give the experience somewhere to go.
These are design reflections guiding ELIORA’s work—not findings from a formal usability study.
Make the first step clear
Imagine a nursing student opening an app between responsibilities. They may have a few minutes, a particular question, or limited energy.
The opening screen should help them understand:
- What can I do here?
- Where should I begin?
- How much work am I taking on?
Consider an invitation such as:
“Choose one study habit for today”
or
“Begin a short ethical decision-making scenario.”
Specific wording gives students a concrete starting point. It also helps the designer decide what belongs on that first screen.
Look for unnecessary effort
In design, friction is anything that makes an action harder to complete.
Some steps serve a purpose. Signing in may be necessary to protect student work or provide access to a purchased product. Other steps may simply interrupt the experience.
Review the path from arrival to the first useful activity. Does the student need to navigate several menus? Are instructions repeated? Is a button’s purpose unclear?
For a public website, visitors should be able to understand the offering and explore available information before deciding whether to create an account.
For a protected learning app, explain why login is needed and what happens afterward.
Use warmth with a purpose
A warm tone can welcome students without making promises about their performance.
“You can begin with one small step” offers encouragement.
“You’ll never struggle again” promises more than a learning tool can deliver.
Supportive wording can also explain what to do after difficulty:
“Review the explanation, then try another example.”
The goal is to give the learner a useful next action. Encouragement works best when it accompanies clear instructions and meaningful practice.
Make feedback worth reading
A correct-or-incorrect result tells students how an answer was scored. An explanation gives them something to examine.
For a fictional ethics scenario, feedback might identify the responsibility involved and explain how the relevant details affect the decision.
For a study-routine tool, feedback might help the student reflect on whether a chosen habit fits their schedule.
The form of feedback should match the tool’s purpose. Celebration can acknowledge participation, but it should not imply that completing an activity proves clinical competence.
Give the next visit a purpose
Before students leave, help them understand what they could do next.
Depending on the app, that might mean:
- Returning to a study routine.
- Practicing with another fictional scenario.
- Revisiting an explanation.
- Continuing an unfinished activity, where that feature is available.
Describe only features the app actually supports. If progress is stored only on the student’s device, say so clearly. If access requires activation, explain that process before purchase.
A student should not have to guess what will be waiting on their next visit.
Let students show you what is confusing
A simple design review can begin with one person trying the experience.
Ask them to open the app and attempt a task. Observe where they pause, then ask:
“What did you expect that button to do?”
“Was anything unclear?”
“What would give you a reason to return?”
Avoid explaining every step while they work. Their uncertainty can reveal something the interface needs to communicate more clearly.
One person’s experience is a starting point, not proof that the design works for everyone. Look for recurring issues as more learners provide feedback.
Return visits are only part of the picture
Opening an app twice does not establish that learning occurred. A student might return because the activity was useful—or because they could not finish it the first time.
Educators still need to examine the quality of practice, explanations, and performance using appropriate assessment methods.
For ELIORA, the design aim is straightforward: help students understand the tool, begin a useful activity, and see a meaningful next step.
A question for educators: What makes your students return to a learning tool—and what makes them abandon it?