Building Websites for online businesses

Teacher presents Activity 1 by explaining how students will learn to build websites using WordPress and Wix without writing any code, emphasizing that no prior experience is needed.

Students explore the Design Thinking methodology and review the two-week timeline together, understanding how they will move from identifying problems to creating real solutions.

Teacher clarifies the learning outcomes and introduces the international collaboration opportunity, explaining how partner classes will contribute perspectives and feedback throughout the project.

Students discuss how websites can solve real-world challenges and share initial ideas about what problems they notice in their community that could benefit from a digital solution.

Students create short introduction videos (30-60 seconds) as part of Activity 2, sharing their names, their local community context, and one challenge they see in their neighborhood that technology could help solve.

Each class posts their introduction videos on the Class2Class project board for the partner classroom to view and respond to.

Students watch partner class videos and write down 3 questions they want to ask their international peers about their communities and challenges.

Students participate in an asynchronous Q&A session on the project board where they ask and answer questions with their partner class, building initial connections and understanding different local contexts.

Teams collaborate to create a digital mural on Padlet or Miro as part of Activity 2, where both classes post perspectives on how websites could solve problems in their respective communities, creating a shared inspiration board.

Students conduct interviews with 2-3 community members (family, neighbors, teachers) as part of Activity 3, using a teacher-provided interview guide to understand real problems in their community that could be addressed through a website.

Each student creates an empathy map documenting who is affected by the challenge, what the problem is, why it matters, and how it impacts daily life in their community.

Students gather observations and data using a teacher-provided checklist, noting specific examples and details about the challenge they are investigating.

Teams organize their findings into a shared Google Doc and post a summary of their empathy research on the Class2Class project board, including key insights about the problem and the people affected.

Students review the partner class's empathy research on the project board and use the group chat to compare how the same or similar challenges appear in different cultural and geographic contexts.

Teams analyze their empathy research findings and create a cause diagram showing the root causes and effects of the challenge they identified in Activity 3.

Students generate 3-5 'How might we...' questions that reframe the problem as an opportunity for a website solution (example: 'How might we create a website that helps local farmers connect directly with customers?').

Using the group chat and project board, teams work with the partner class as part of Activity 4 to discuss and agree on a specific problem statement that includes who is affected, what the challenge is, why it matters, and the local or global context.

Students document the shared problem statement and create success criteria for what an effective website solution would accomplish, posting this on the Class2Class project board for both classes to reference.

Each team reviews the finalized problem statement and success criteria with their partner class, ensuring both groups understand and are committed to addressing the same challenge through their website solutions.

Students participate in a rapid brainstorming session using techniques like SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse) to generate 15-30 website solution ideas that could address their defined problem.

Teams sketch rough concepts for 5-8 of their best ideas, creating simple visual representations showing how each website would work and what content or features it would include.

Using a teacher-provided impact vs. viability matrix, students evaluate and cluster their ideas, identifying which solutions would have the most positive impact and are most feasible to build in two weeks.

Teams share their idea bank with the partner class via the project board as part of Activity 5, and conduct an international ideation session where both classes build on each other's ideas through comments and suggestions.

Students select 2-3 finalist ideas for prototyping based on feasibility, potential impact, and how well they address the problem statement, documenting their selection rationale in a shared Google Doc.

Teacher provides a brief tutorial on WordPress or Wix, demonstrating how to select templates, organize content, create navigation structures, and apply basic visual design without coding.

Each team selects one finalist idea and chooses between WordPress or Wix as their platform, then begins building a low to mid-fidelity prototype as part of Activity 6.

Students design and create the homepage and 3-4 key pages that directly address their identified problem, using templates, text, images, and simple design elements to communicate their solution.

Teams document their prototypes with screenshots and write brief explanations of how each page addresses the problem and serves the target users.

Students record a 2-3 minute video walkthrough of their prototype as part of Activity 6, explaining the purpose of the website, key features, and how it solves the identified challenge, then share this on the Class2Class project board for partner feedback.

Using the group chat, teams receive initial feedback from the partner class on their prototype design, user experience, and how well it addresses the problem in their cultural context.

Students identify 4-6 target users (students, family members, or community members who would actually use the website) and schedule testing sessions as part of Activity 7.

During testing, students observe users interacting with their website prototype without providing guidance, noting what works smoothly, what causes confusion, and what features users find most valuable.

Teams conduct structured interviews with testers, asking specific questions such as 'What was the purpose of this website?', 'What was confusing?', and 'What would you change?'.

Students create a Google Form survey to collect feedback from additional users, asking about ease of use, clarity of content, visual appeal, and whether the website effectively addresses the identified problem.

Teams analyze all feedback by identifying common themes and patterns, documenting specific quotes and observations that highlight what works and what needs improvement.

Using the Class2Class project board, teams share their testing results with the partner class, comparing how users in different contexts responded to similar website solutions and discussing what this reveals about design effectiveness across cultures.

Teams present their website prototypes to the international partner class via video call as part of Activity 8, delivering a 3-4 minute explanation of their problem, design approach, and solution.

Partner students ask clarifying questions about design choices, target users, and how the website addresses the problem in the local context.

International peers share cultural perspectives on the website design, suggesting improvements based on how the solution would function or be perceived in their different context.

Teams record key feedback points from the international critique and immediately begin planning specific iterations based on these insights, documenting what they will change and why.

Students research and document real-world websites from different countries that address similar challenges as part of Activity 9, analyzing design choices, cultural elements, and user experience approaches.

Teams create a comparative gallery using Google Slides or Canva showing 3-4 examples of how websites communicate solutions differently across cultures, highlighting specific design decisions and cultural considerations.

Students discuss their findings with the partner class via the group chat, exploring questions such as 'How do cultural differences influence website design?' and 'What design elements work universally?'.

Teams use insights from the cross-cultural analysis to inform refinements to their own website design, identifying design elements they want to adopt or adapt for their solution.

Based on user testing feedback and international critique, teams implement improvements to create version 2.0 of their website prototype as part of Activity 10.

Students make specific design adjustments such as simplifying navigation, improving visual hierarchy, clarifying content, or adding features that address user confusion points identified during testing.

Teams document all changes made to their website, explaining how each change directly addresses feedback from users or the partner class.

Students test their refined prototype with 2-3 of the original users to confirm that improvements are effective and that the website now better addresses the identified problem.

Teams prepare their final website solution for presentation, ensuring the design is polished, content is clear, and the solution effectively communicates how it addresses the identified problem to a broad audience.

Teams prepare a 3-5 minute pitch presentation explaining the problem they identified, their design process, the website solution, testing results, and potential impact as part of Activity 11.

Students organize a local Solution Showcase or Innovation Fair at their school, setting up demonstration stations where visitors can interact with the live website and ask questions.

Each team delivers their pitch to the school community, highlighting the real-world problem, how their website addresses it, and what they learned through the design thinking process.

Simultaneously, both classes conduct a joint virtual celebration via video call as part of Activity 11, where each team presents their final website solution and discusses how their approaches differ based on local context and cultural perspectives.

Students answer questions from the audience and partner class, explaining design decisions and the potential real-world impact of their website solution.

Teams evaluate their final website solution by assessing its potential real-world impact on the identified challenge as part of Activity 12, considering factors such as reach, sustainability, and effectiveness.

Students create a detailed implementation roadmap showing how the website could be deployed, who would use it, what resources are needed, and measurable success indicators (example: 'In month 1, we will share the website with 50 community members; by month 3, we aim for 200 active users').

Teams document lessons learned about design thinking, including what worked well, what was challenging, and how they would approach similar projects differently in the future.

Students identify how the website could be scaled or adapted for other communities facing similar challenges, brainstorming modifications that would make the solution relevant in different contexts.

Teams share their implementation roadmap and impact assessment with the partner class via the project board, comparing how both solutions could create change in their respective communities.

Students engage in guided reflection using discussion questions such as 'What was the most important thing you learned about problem-solving?', 'How did your solution evolve from your initial idea?', and 'What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?'.

Each student completes a self-assessment rubric evaluating their growth in critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy, providing honest reflection on their strengths and areas for improvement.

Teams provide peer feedback to other groups, highlighting what they found impressive about their website solutions and suggesting areas for continued development.

Students exchange final reflections and appreciation messages with the partner class via the Class2Class group chat or recorded video, celebrating the collaborative achievement and the diverse perspectives each class brought to the project.