Shannon Trust
Boosting Literacy with a Motivational AI Learning Coach
Mission
Shannon Trust is dedicated to transforming lives by supporting individuals who struggle with reading, in the prison system and increasingly in wider society. Their mission is to provide learning opportunities for people who have been historically excluded from education. By leveraging digital tools, Shannon Trust aims to foster literacy and boost confidence, paving the way for personal growth and rehabilitation, through a blend of coached and self-guiding learning.
Problem Statement
Many individuals face challenges with reading, making it hard to access traditional learning resources. On top of that, technology that supports independent learning isn’t always easy to use or engaging enough to keep learners motivated. Shannon Trust is integrating an AI-powered speech coach into their Turning Pages Digital tool, which is already helping people improve their literacy skills.
This speech coach will not only help users overcome literacy barriers but will also make the learning experience more engaging and interactive, encouraging them to stay motivated. The tool will be accessible, easy to use, and designed to build confidence in learners, offering personalised support through voice-based interaction.
Buildathon Creative Idea:
AI Coach for Engaging Learning
Our primary concept for the hackathon is to develop an AI Coach that helps engage learners using Turning Pages Digital. This tool will utilise speech recognition to provide audio feedback for the words displayed on the screen, allowing students to hear sounds as they read. By making the reading experience more interactive, we aim to boost engagement and comprehension.
If time permits, we will also integrate an AI Coach feature for the “?” button in the Turning Pages Digital tool. This feature will support users when they encounter a challenging question. Rather than relying on a mentor who may not be immediately available, the AI Coach will offer real-time, step-by-step guidance to help learners work through the problem independently.
This reduces the need for human involvement while still providing personalised support, encouraging a more self-sufficient and engaging learning experience. This dual-function AI Coach will not only enhance literacy skills through auditory support but also encourage collaboration and mentorship among learners.
What success looks like
Empowered
Learners
Users are able to engage with self-study material, even if they struggle with reading, by using speech recognition and an intuitive interface that guides them step-by-step.
Motivated
Participation
The AI tool encourages continued learning through motivational prompts, feedback, and support, helping users remain committed to their literacy journey
Practical MVP
Product
A simple, Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that demonstrates the speech recognition feature, allowing users to engage with basic learning modules and progress on their own.
Scalable
Platform
A product that can grow with the learners, with potential for further modules and content expansion, especially as new sources of funding are secured.
Skills & Techniques Required
Building this solution will require a blend of technical and user-centred design skills, including:
Speech Recognition Integration
Enabling the AI Coach to recognise user input through voice commands, which is particularly critical for those with limited reading skills
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Ensuring the AI can understand user queries and provide relevant, clear, and simple guidance.
DevOps Expertise
Ensuring a reliable and efficient CI/CD pipeline for smooth deployment and iteration of the tool.
Front-End Development (React, JavaScript)
Crafting a user-friendly interface that encourages engagement and self-directed learning.
Backend Development & Databases (PostgreSQL, AWS)
Building a robust, scalable infrastructure to support the application.
Motivational Design
Leveraging behavioural science to create features that maintain user motivation and progress over time.
Skills We're Looking for from Mentors
Speech Recognition
& NLP Experts
To help implement and refine the voice input system, ensuring it works well for learners with various accents and speech patterns.
UX & Front-End
Developers
To create a simple, trauma-informed interface that is easy to navigate for users with lower literacy levels.
Learning and Behavioural Design Specialists
To develop features that support user motivation, engagement, and a sense of achievement.
About the AI for All Buildathon
On November 22-23, 2024, at People’s Mission Hall, Whitechapel, we’re bringing together charities, AI experts, and students to develop impactful AI tools that charities can use to drive social change.
42 London
42 London’s peer-learning model focuses on equipping students with the skills to tackle real-world challenges. By working on Third and Public Sector projects, students gain advanced technical skills, learn to solve complex problems, collaborate with diverse stakeholders, and create impactful solutions—preparing them to excel as skilled engineers and socially conscious innovators.
Our Partners:
Anthropic
Users are able to engage with self-study material, even if they struggle with reading, by using speech recognition and an intuitive interface that guides them step-by-step.
La Fosse Academy
The AI tool encourages continued learning through motivational prompts, feedback, and support, helping users remain committed to their literacy journey
LIS
A simple, Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that demonstrates the speech recognition feature, allowing users to engage with basic learning modules and progress on their own.
X and Why
A product that can grow with the learners, with potential for further modules and content expansion, especially as new sources of funding are secured.
Mentors & Supporters:
Graphcore, Polecat: Providing expert mentorship to help teams build impactful, responsible and technically sound AI solutions aligned with charitable strategic goals.
Join us!
Be part of a buildathon that merges tech innovation with social impact, where your expertise will help shape AI solutions that make a real difference.
Join a community of changemakers, gain hands-on experience, and inspire the next generation of socially conscious engineers.