School Pulse
Helping schools see the child behind the student.
The Opportunity
Schools have established ways to understand academic progress, attendance, behaviour and participation. But a child's readiness to learn can change from one morning to the next.
The Principle
Before we measure how a student performs, let's understand how they are arriving.
School Pulse is designed around a simple belief:
A child who feels seen is better positioned to learn, connect and thrive.
School Pulse explores a simple question:
What if every child had a moment to express how they are arriving at school before learning begins?
The concept introduces a simple, age-appropriate morning check-in for children aged 6–12, designed as a natural part of the classroom routine rather than another task or assessment.
The Experience
Before class begins, each child uses a shared classroom kiosk to complete a 10-second check-in by selecting how they feel that morning.
😊 Happy
🙂 Calm
😐 Okay
😟 Worried
😢 Sad
😴 Tired
No typing. No personal devices required. No diagnosis.
The result is a simple classroom Pulse that gives teachers an additional lens into how their students are arriving that day.
Why It Matters
The Australian Student Wellbeing Framework places inclusion, student voice, partnerships and support at the centre of positive school environments, and recognises the connection between student wellbeing and learning.
School Pulse translates those principles into a practical daily interaction.
Instead of waiting for a visible behavioural change, a teacher can notice shifts in the classroom earlier:
Today → This week → Over time
The goal is not to label a child. It is to help teachers notice change, create the right classroom environment and know when a closer conversation may be appropriate.
PROPOSED DESIGN
The UX Challenge
The experience needed to work for a six-year-old as well as an older primary student.
That meant designing for:
Few words · Large touch targets · Immediate feedback · Accessibility · Privacy · No stigma · Under 10 seconds
The interface deliberately avoids clinical language, scores and individual risk labels.