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AI in Education · Personalized Learning

Interactive AI Storybook for Early Learners

A multimodal research platform combining personalized story reading, speech interaction, AI-supported response evaluation, and structured experimental conditions for early learners.

  • JavaScript
  • OpenAI
  • Firebase
  • Speech AI

Overview

This platform was built as part of a collaborative PhD research project examining how young children interact with different forms of digital story reading. Within one research environment, it supports learner setup, experimental-condition assignment, personalized or fixed story experiences, multimodal interaction, and post-story activities.

Technical architecture

Frontend

  • JavaScript modules for story reading and personalization
  • Assessment, audio, agent, and screen-flow services

AI / Speech

  • OpenAI transcription and response evaluation
  • Text-to-speech: OpenAI, ElevenLabs, Google, and Gemini
  • Browser speech fallback

Backend / Data

  • Vercel serverless APIs; Flask for local development
  • Firestore and Storage for session, assessment, conversation, and audio records
  • API keys remain server-side

Research and learner flow

  1. 01

    Learner Profile

  2. 02

    Experimental Condition

  3. 03

    Story Interaction

  4. 04

    Personalization where applicable

  5. 05

    Interactive Reading

  6. 06

    Vocabulary / Voice Interaction

  7. 07

    Post-Story Conversation or Reflection

  8. 08

    Session Storage

The system supports personalization, no-personalization, and expository research conditions. The personalization condition includes interactive customization and AI-supported interactions; the other conditions use fixed story experiences as specified by the research design.

Key features

Personalized research conditions

Personalized, non-personalized, and expository experiences run within a consistent workflow, with story elements customized only where the research condition requires it.

Multimodal learner interaction

Story reading can combine narration, vocabulary support, speech input, recorded responses, and interactive learner-facing elements.

AI-supported responses and conversation

Configured voice responses can be transcribed and evaluated through backend AI services, with local keyword fallback. Structured post-story conversations can provide AI-generated or predefined feedback according to configuration.

My role and technical contributions

Within the broader research project, my role focuses on the learner-facing platform: interactive story flows, personalization, AI and speech-service integration, backend response evaluation, and research-data persistence.

Interface views

Learner profile and condition setup

Researchers enter learner and session information, including the assigned study condition, before the reading experience begins.

Story personalization

Story-specific choices allow selected characters, objects, or settings to be customized for the personalized reading condition.

Interactive story reader

Illustrated story pages support narration and learner-facing interactions during the reading experience.