Ask
Ask is an Educational AI chatbot that aims to increase engagement and motivation during individual work in a classroom setting through tailored tasks.
What I learned
Language models still carry a lot of linguistic and pedagogical limitations that are important to keep in mind when designing for kids in an educational setting like this.
Group project
Hanne Lockertsen
Ulrik Karlstrøm
5 weeks, June 2023
The Oslo School of Architecture and Design
Interaction design
UI/UX design
User-testing
Prototyping
Industry partner
Aschehough Publishing Co.
AI language models aren’t made to provide correct/true answers, they’re made to synthesize speech in a way that convinces humans
Tina Scheen Kiese, Tenk
Process
Initial interviews with 7th grade teachers lead us in the direction of designing for the individual task the pupil performs in the classroom after an introduction from the teacher and before group discussion.
Interview and user testing with 7th graders was invaluable to the project. By simulating ‘fake’ AI interactions via Snapchat, we assessed the impact of language and tone of voice. The pupils were fully capable of formulating questions from from free form text, so we decided to stick to keyboard input. They had all tried chatting with Chat GPT and/or Snapchat AI, but found that AI wrote long sentences and used difficult words.
Recognizing the limitations of AI language models we spent a greater parts of the project focusing on studying pedagogical theory and applying them into Ask's responses.
Cooper, Sadker & Sadker (1986)
The field of pedagogy presents a model showing how the input-output relationship, so we established a direct link between user input and AI output, making Ask dynamically respond differently to right or wrong answers and speed, confidence or hesitation in response.
Final reflections
The insights gained from talking to the 7th graders were invaluable. Even though we built the micro interactions upon already familiar functionality, a second round of user testing would have been beneficial. We also acknowledge the necessity of pressure testing AI language models, especially in an educational context with kids. Overall, the Ask project has been a rewarding exploration into UI/UX design, emphasizing the significance of language, engagement, and customization in educational chatbot experiences.
