Designing an AI Feature to Boost Engagement with Content
Project Summary
Study.com is an education platform serving teachers and learners. To boost teacher engagement and retention, we introduced Pause Points—an interactive video feature that lets teachers insert AI-generated discussion questions into lesson videos. This saves teachers time, supports student engagement, and enhances instruction. By increasing the discoverability and usability of the feature, Pause Points aim to improve student outcomes and drive revenue.
My Roles
- Product Design
- User Research
The Team
- Product Manager: Gordon Dean
- Learning Designer: Ashley Bruckbauer
- User Researcher: Sarah Avellar
- Lead Engineer: Russ Mazzetta
- Data Analyst: Joe Stauss
Impact & Results
Registrations Increased by
+3.6%
Repeat users increased by
+32%
Feature discovery increased by
+18%
TOOL KIT
Test the Prototype
User testing revealed a clear preference for this version of the Pause Points Editor—the In-Line Editor—over other approaches we tested. Test it for yourself by following this flow:
- Press play
- Click to add a Pause Point
- Add a discussion question or a multi-select
- You can refine the question (rephrase)
- Save and present
Key User Insights: Teachers
- Only 2.8% engagement with the feature indicated discoverability and usability issues
- Engagement is a major classroom challenge, and teachers are actively seeking interactive solutions
- Teachers are extremely busy and need efficient tools that maintain instructional quality
Weighing Business & User Needs
Business needs
- Increase teacher engagement (previously, only 2.8% of users interacted with Pause Points)
- Increase teacher retention
- Drive revenue growth
Teacher Needs
- To save time
- Ensure content trustworthiness in an AI-driven educational landscape
- Help students stay engaged through interactive video experiences
Addressing the Shared Problem
Teachers need a quick, easy way to create engaging, interactive activities while balancing lesson planning, grading, and classroom prep. By meeting their needs, we support business goals like increasing usage, improving retention, and driving revenue growth.
Design Goals & Considerations
- Quick & Efficient – Teachers should be able to review and implement Pause Points with minimal effort
- Editable & Customizable – AI-generated questions should be easy to review and modify, fostering trust in the tool
- A Scalable Design – Later versions of this feature will incorporate a wider variety of question types, such as Multi-Select, Discussion, and Open Response
- Discoverability – Integrate Pause Points naturally into the video experience, ensuring ease of access
- Simple & Intuitive – Utilize progressive disclosure to prevent cognitive overload and streamline the review process
Concept Mapping
Designing
Project Learnings
As one of Study.com’s first AI feature launches, this project drew significant attention from stakeholders and leadership. Early on, securing alignment and helping stakeholders understand the design rationale was challenging. Consistent communication, transparency, and advocacy for design decisions were critical throughout every phase of the project.