“Just Speak” is a mobile app designed for Thai college students who are expected to use English in classrooms but face challenges expressing their thoughts. Thailand is ranked one of the lowest in English proficiencies, which has been evident in the university classroom. Despite having valuable contributions to class discussions, debates, and meetings, they struggle to find the right words in English, hindering their learning experience. “Just Speak” aims to provide a platform for students to practice English in various contexts, including class presentations, discussions, debates, research meetings, and office hours on their own time. Through AI-generated feedback, students will receive personalized guidance, boosting their confidence when using English to articulate their thoughts in the academic setting.
At the start of my design process, I engaged in discussions with several Thai college students to gain a deep understanding of their needs. The initial feedback I received highlighted a few key points:
- Self-paced learning: They emphasized the importance of a self-paced approach, ideally a tool they could use at their convenience. This led me to explore the idea of mobile apps that cater to individual schedules.
- Low stakes: Students stressed the need for a platform with no consequences on their grades or classroom-related matters. This insight guided my design focus toward creating a tool for learning outside the classroom, to support their in-class experience without academic consequences.
- Ease of use: They shared a preference for simplicity, avoiding complex systems requiring significant learning time. This consideration led me to prioritize an intuitive design with minimal buttons, ensuring a user-friendly experience.
Learning design involves more than solving a learning-related problem. It’s about understanding your learners – who they are, what they need, where, and why. Recognizing that Thai students struggle with English, requiring personalized practice for confidence in their academic endeavors, I hope “Just Speak” is the solution they seek.
