Van Andel Institute (VAI) is an independent nonprofit organization committed to improving the health and enhancing the lives of current and future generations through biomedical research and education innovations. Van Andel Education Institute (VAEI), the education division of VAI, is dedicated to creating classrooms where curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking thrive. They offer instructional tools that bring inquiry-based learning (IBL) to life, engaging students in active thinking. While inquiry-based projects have proven effective in the classroom, creating lessons and sourcing materials can be time-consuming and challenging for teachers. Therefore, VAEI’s goal is to support teachers who want to implement inquiry-based learning by making it easier to execute these projects in the classroom.
VAEI wasn’t brand new to creating software, but Blue Apple was a brand new product they wanted to bring to life. The first step in the partnership was a Free Consultation, where Mutually Human worked with the VAEI team to expand on the goals they had established in the RFP for the project. Though a workshop, we gathered enough information to inform a custom plan and an estimate for the work needed.
Mutually Human guided VAEI by creating a plan for the Blue Apple software. Mutually Human worked closely with the VAEI team to prioritize the most impactful features and sketch out how the idea could come to life.
Mutually Human designed and developed the Blue Apple custom web application using an iterative approach. With communication as a priority, Mutually Human met with VAIE each week to show the progress of the software, discussed the next priorities, and evaluate priorities. Each week, VAEI was able to provide feedback on the product to shape it into a tool they were confident would help teachers discover learning, think critically and creatively, and make a difference in their world.
Though research and piloting Blue Apple, VAEI and Mutually Human will use real-world feedback to identify areas of opportunity and prioritize work based on the value it can provide to teachers across the nation.
Blue Apple opened my students’ eyes to energy use, challenged them to present in front of decision makers, and encouraged them to design solutions to real world problems.
Blue Apple is a custom web application designed to provide teachers with inquiry-based projects and professional development, facilitating authentic experiences with students. In under three months, VAEI and Mutually Human successfully built a fully functioning web application with a robust set of features. To begin, Van Andel Education Institute launched Blue Apple to a pilot group of teachers. This initial version included eight projects, each featuring step-by-step guides, images, resource links, and more. The pilot group tested the full Blue Apple experience and provided valuable feedback for future improvements.
Based on pilot feedback, the app was revised to better meet the needs of teachers. In August, the full application, including a marketing site and store were released.
Teachers like to explore and select projects that will fit their classroom. The Blue Apple shopping page allows teachers to view projects by grade and explore the details of each project.
Teachers can complete their purchase with an easy and intuitive ecommerce experience.
A project library displays all the projects a teacher has purchased.
Start the project with an overview of the lessons in the projects, view the materials needed, and check out all the online resources available.
Each project guides teachers through step-by-step to make running a project simple.
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