AI Discussion

Overview

How might we help learners practice speaking without pressure?

Many English learners feel anxiety when speaking with real people. AI Discussion was designed to provide a low-pressure environment for speaking practice, extending the Ringle class experience with AI-powered conversations.

Problem

Learners needed more speaking practice opportunities

Ringle's 1:1 tutoring sessions are valuable but limited in frequency. Users expressed a desire for more practice opportunities, especially for low-stakes conversation practice without the pressure of a live tutor.

Solution

AI-powered topic-based discussions

I designed an AI discussion feature that allows users to practice speaking on various topics with an AI partner. The feature includes topic selection, real-time conversation, and feedback on speaking performance.

Outcome

Strong adoption leading to product expansion

The feature saw strong adoption during open beta, with over 26,500 sessions. This success validated the concept and became the foundation for the standalone AI Tutor product.

Reflection

What I learned