Naming the problem is hard.
About 64% of survey respondents struggled to define precisely what they didn’t understand.
The deadline was clear.
The understanding wasn’t.
Students had calendars, notes, and to-do lists. But a question kept getting lost between them: what do I actually need to understand better?
36student survey respondents
3qualitative interviews
An initial HCI research study into how undergraduate students recognize, describe, and address their learning gaps.
WHAT WE HEARDRecognizing a gap
Read the research report ↗Recognizing a gap
is only the beginning.
Knowing doesn’t always lead to action.
About 53% postponed addressing a gap after they had noticed it.
Another complicated system won’t help.
About 83% valued tools that required little unnecessary effort or maintenance.
Reported percentages from the initial 36-person survey, not measurements of GapTracker’s impact. Source: HCI user research report ↗
FROM RESEARCH TO PRODUCTListen. Make it useful.
Listen. Make it useful.
Keep it simple.
WHAT STUDENTS NEEDEDHOW GAPTRACKER RESPONDSIN THE APP
A way to describe what’s unclear
About 64% found it hard to name the gap
Course-linked topics and editable gaps give uncertainty a concrete place to live.
A reason to address it sooner
About 53% put off a gap after noticing it
Exam timelines and readiness make the upcoming work visible.
A clear place to begin
About 83% wanted tools with little upkeep
Critical gaps prioritize by severity and urgency. Today’s Focus turns them into a daily plan.
Room to learn without judgment
Private, student-controlled progress keeps the focus on your own understanding.
FROM A CLASS PROJECT TO YOUR IPHONEBuilt by a student.
Built by a student.
Shaped by students.
The original academic research was conducted by Ehab Marrid and Saleem Trudi, combining an anonymous online survey, interviews, personas, and product exploration.
Ehab continued the project independently, designing and developing the native iPhone and iPad app, its study workflows, and the current product documentation.
The idea stayed the same: make understanding gaps easier to see, easier to act on, and less likely to be forgotten until exam week.
Explore the product documents ↗A useful starting point. More to learn.
This was a small study, largely drawn from similar academic environments. It may not represent every institution or discipline. The figures describe participants’ experiences; they do not demonstrate improved grades or prove product effectiveness.
GapTracker’s readiness score is a planning and prioritization indicator. It has not been scientifically validated as a predictor of exam performance.
Research summary and limitations ↗Your next semester.
A little more under control.
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