Building Confidence Through Collaboration: Creating a Student Walkthrough for Learning Central

Written by Gemma Hackman, Learning Technologist in the Digital Education Team

Starting university is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. For many first-year students, navigating a new virtual learning environment is just one more challenge on a long list. This year, our Digital Education team asked a simple question: How can we make that experience easier? 

The answer came from an unexpected place: Eesysoft, the tool our IT colleagues use to create targeted pop-up messages in Learning Central (Cardiff University’s Blackboard Ultra platform). At first, we just wanted to understand how it worked. But as we explored its potential, we realised something bigger, a chance to create a guided walkthrough that would help students feel confident from day one. 

Co-Creation at Its Core 

Rather than designing this in isolation, we brought in the voices that matter most: our Student Champions. Their insight was invaluable. They told us what features students actually use, what gets overlooked, and what feels confusing. Together, we debated the details, for example how many steps were too many? Should we include advanced features or stick to the essentials? How can we make this relevant for everyone, especially when our community is so varied? Every decision was shaped by their perspective, and every step was designed with inclusiveness in mind. We wanted to ensure that the provided on-screen support addressed real student needs and yet remained useful. One surprising discovery from our latest digital insights survey was the search function; a simple functionality that can save time and frustration, was often missed by new users. Including tips like this became a priority. 

Designing for Clarity 

We knew the walkthrough had to be short, visual, and easy to follow. After all, no one wants to read a manual during their first week at university. The result? A streamlined guide combining clear text with GIFs that show each step in action, in both English and Welsh. It’s practical, accessible, and designed to reduce the cognitive load for students who are already juggling so much.

Why It Matters

This project isn’t just about technology, it’s about transition. Moving to university is a big leap, and digital confidence plays a huge role in how supported students feel. By creating this walkthrough, we’re helping students spend less time figuring out systems and more time focusing on what really matters: learning. 

Looking Ahead 

For us, this was more than a technical exercise. It was a collaboration that blended staff expertise with student insight, a reminder that the best solutions come when we design with students, not just for them. 

If you have ideas for making the student experience even better, we’d love to hear them, just get in touch!  ltacademy@cardiff.ac.uk