AI for Education
Transforming Learning with MentorMoji
How we created engaging, interactive AI avatars to inspire students and enhance the educational experience.
Apha School invested in a proprietary AI Avatar technology to bring historical figures to life as digital tutors. But when I joined the project, we faced a major challenge: the tech was built, but no one had validated whether students actually wanted these avatars, how they might use them, or if it would drive ROI. My goal was to connect these avatars with real student needs, make them engaging, and develop a sustainable model for Alpha School.
Research & Discovery
Understanding What Students Want from AI Tutors
I started by interviewing students to learn how they use AI tools in school today. Their insights guided the development process, uncovering key factors that would make MentorMoji more engaging:
Voice Quality
Across the board, students emphasized the importance of realistic voice quality. They wanted avatars that didn’t just look real but sounded real too. As one student said, “It needs to sound like a real person talking, not a robot.”
Character Familiarity
Students showed strong interest in familiar, licensed characters. One student commented, “I think I would spend money on more characters like sports players or Youtubers.”
Key Insights (Affinity Map)
Based on feedback, we identified these essential elements to guide our design and development process for MentorMoji.
Monetization
💵 Price Sensitivity
$1-$5 range for individual items.
🎟️ Exclusive Characters
“VIP-only” items available only to subscribers
💳 Subscription Interest
Parents mentioned interest in a subscription model
🪙 Rewards
Students want earn tokens or unlock badges for completing certain tasks to unlock characters
Character
🧐 More Character Options
There’s a desire for a broader range of characters, including popular sports figures and YouTubers. These personalities resonate well with younger audiences and add diversity to the selection.
👀 Recognizable Characters
Users showed a high interest in well-known characters, particularly from Pixar movies and historical figures, as these create a sense of familiarity and appeal.
🐧 Non-Human Characters
Add non-human characters inspired by popular culture, such as animated creatures, animals, or sci-fi themes. These appeal to users interested in fictional worlds.
📈 Trending Personalities
Include current trending figures, such as athletes and social media influencers, to keep the content fresh and relatable to the user base.
Voice
😎 Mood-based
Adjust voice customization to reflect different moods or tones, allowing for more expressive avatar interactions.
🔬 Voice Cloning
Continue working on cloning voices that users will recognize and connect with
🎛️ Personalization Options
User expressed interest in customizing voice traits
🎤 Voice Distinctiveness
User noted a lack of distinctive qualities in the voices, making them feel less engaging and memorable.
Accessories
🖼️ Animated Backgrounds
Add dynamic, animated backgrounds for a more immersive and visually engaging experience.
🎃 Themed Packs
Introduce seasonal or holiday-themed accessory packs to keep content fresh and relevant throughout the year.
📅 Daily Rewards
Implement a daily rewards system where users can earn free accessories or backgrounds, encouraging regular app usage and engagement.
😍 Customization Appeal
User enjoy the variety of customization options available, finding it enhances their engagement and personalization experience.
Design & Management
Converging on what matters most to students while delivering business results.
Armed with these insights, I worked with the team to refine MentorMoji’s features. We explored voice technologies and conducted a proof of concept (POC), comparing 11Labs and Azure for the most realistic and captivating voice experience. After a rigorous testing period, we determined that 11Labs provided the best quality, aligning with the student feedback we’d received.
I also prioritized UI enhancements to improve the avatar experience, including smoother animations and customization options that allowed students to make MentorMoji feel like their own. These design adjustments were essential for creating a product that felt polished and professional, addressing the client's concerns around quality.
Design & Management
Driving Engagement through Gamification
Based on our research, I designed a coin-based rewards system to encourage engagement. This gamification feature allowed students to earn coins for completing educational tasks, which they could then use to unlock customizations for their avatars. One student shared, “It’s like I’m getting rewarded for learning, which makes it more fun.” This model not only boosted engagement but also provided a scalable way to integrate MentorMoji into other educational products across the Alpha School ecosystem.
Conclusion
Converging on what matters most to students while delivering business results.
Armed with these insights, I worked with the team to refine MentorMoji’s features. We explored voice technologies and conducted a proof of concept (POC), comparing 11Labs and Azure for the most realistic and captivating voice experience. After a rigorous testing period, we determined that 11Labs provided the best quality, aligning with the student feedback we’d received.