By: Monica Gaertner, Senior Product Manager
Sometimes the best product ideas come from the people who use them every day.
For Benjamin Wong, a third-year Computer Science and Statistics student at the University of British Columbia, that moment came during a final exam.
As a student, Benjamin found himself wishing for simple tools that would help him think more effectively during online assessments - ways to bookmark questions, strike through answer choices, and keep track of his thinking without relying on pen and paper. A few months later, as a co-op student on D2L's Quizzing team, he had the opportunity to turn those ideas into reality.
Today, those learner-inspired quiz annotation tools are part of Brightspace, helping improve the assessment experience for educators and learners around the world.
A learner's perspective
Benjamin joined D2L for his first official co-op after recognizing an opportunity to contribute to software he interacted with every day.
"As a student that uses educational software, it seemed really relevant and interesting to me because I interact with that type of software every day. Even before I joined D2L, I already had ideas for how educational software could be improved."
Originally hired for a four-month placement, Benjamin's enthusiasm and contributions quickly led to his term being extended to eight months.
Turning inspiration into innovation
One of the experiences that surprised Benjamin most was discovering D2L's Inspiration program - a dedicated opportunity for employees to explore creative ideas outside of their regular project work.
"I expected a company to be focused entirely on deadlines and deliverables," Benjamin explained. "I thought it was really cool that there was dedicated time for creativity and new ideas."
When Inspiration arrived, Benjamin already knew exactly what he wanted to build.
The idea had been sitting with him since that final exam, when he realized how valuable digital annotation tools would be during quiz-taking. Instead of simply identifying the problem, he now had the opportunity to solve it.
Building with learners in mind
Benjamin's work resulted in new quiz annotation capabilities—including flagging questions (to review again later) and strikingthrough answer options—that give learners more flexibility and confidence while completing assessments.
What makes these features particularly meaningful is that they weren't created from assumptions—they were designed by someone who had experienced the challenge firsthand.
That learner-first mindset continues to guide Benjamin's thinking.
He believes educational technology works best when it reduces complexity rather than adding to it, and he hopes to continue building experiences that keep everything learners need in one place.
Looking ahead
Benjamin's interests extend beyond quiz-taking. As a Computer Science and Statistics student with a passion for artificial intelligence and machine learning, he's particularly excited by the work happening on D2L's Lumi AI team.
Whether it's AI-powered content generation, question generation, or future learner experiences, he sees enormous potential for technology to make education more engaging and effective.
Success is a team effort
Although Benjamin's ideas sparked the project, he's quick to credit the people around him for helping bring those ideas to life.
"I want to give a huge shout-out to everyone on the team. If the people around me weren't so supportive, encouraging, and helpful every step of the way, I don't think I would have been able to accomplish any of this."
That collaborative spirit is one of the things that makes D2L's co-op program unique. Students aren't simply observing—they're contributing meaningful ideas, working alongside experienced teams, and building features that make a real impact.
When Benjamin's quiz annotation tools were showcased during the Solution Spotlight at Fusion, the audience responded with enthusiastic applause—a fitting recognition for a feature born from a student's own experience.
It's a reminder that some of the most impactful innovations start with a simple question:
"How could this experience be better for learners?"
At D2L, co-op students like Benjamin don't just ask that question—they help answer it.