WHAT I DID
I conducted user research and interviews with international students, identified key pain points, performed a competitive analysis, and ideated a VR-based solution to reduce classroom anxiety.
ROLE AND TEAM
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Worked as a UX Researcher on the project
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Collaborated with three other designers
METHODS
User Interviews, Competitive Analysis, Affinity Mapping, Journey Mapping, Think-Aloud Testing
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
Each year, 1.1 million International students come to the USA to pursue higher quality of education and global opportunities
However, many of them face unexpected challenges in the academics when it comes to speaking up.
Many Struggle With
Language Barrier
Fear of Making Mistake
Culture Adjustment
RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS
METHODS USED
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Conducted 8 semi-structured interviews with international students from diverse cultural backgrounds
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Analyzed real classroom behaviors and participation patterns
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Reviewed 20+ academic papers on anxiety, emotional intelligence, and VR in education
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Organized data to identify themes and recurring pain points
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Built user personas based on shared challenges and goals
User Interviews
Classroom Observations
Secondary Research
Persona Development
Empathy Mapping
RESEARCH FINDINGS
40%
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Nearly 40% of international students experience anxiety in class, with public speaking as a leading concern.
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The pressure to speak fluently, fear of making mistakes, and cultural unfamiliarity often lead to silence, missed opportunities, and a dip in academic engagement.
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Social isolation and academic pressure increase emotional distress.
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Emotional intelligence helps manage anxiety and boosts engagement.
WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE STUDENTS
“When they all stared, I forgot everything.”
The pressure of being watched triggered stage fright. Several avoided class participation entirely due to anxiety and fear of embarrassment.
“What if I say it wrong?”
Students feared being judged for their accent, grammar, or hesitation, especially in fast-paced, unfamiliar classroom conversations.
“I used to sit alone.”
Without friends or support networks, students felt isolated, socially excluded both inside and outside the classroom environment.
“Ordering food was harder than homework.”
Tasks like using kiosks, public transport, or navigating unfamiliar apps added unnecessary stress and eroded confidence.
“I wish I had this before moving.”
Though few had used VR, every student saw its potential to rehearse speeches, explore campus, and build social skills in a safe, repeatable way.
OBSERVEVATION INSIGHTS
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Stage Fright & Public Speaking Anxiety: In group presentations, several students avoided speaking or looked visibly uncomfortable. Eye contact was limited, speech was rushed, and nervous gestures were common clear signs of performance anxiety.
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Hesitation in Social Interactions: During networking events, some students made attempts to connect but quickly withdrew or avoided deeper conversation. This reflected internal anxiety despite external effort.
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Environment Familiarity Makes a Difference: Students, already familiar with the campus and classroom culture, appeared more confident and participative. IU Indy students, especially new arrivals, showed signs of uncertainty and social hesitation.
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Cultural Mismatches in Everyday Scenarios: Simple tasks like walking direction, knocking on professors’ doors, or understanding social spacing led to awkward moments, especially for students adjusting from collectivist cultures to more individualistic U.S. norms.
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Overthinking & Delay in Action: Some students, especially those unfamiliar with informal classroom culture, were observed overthinking before speaking or acting often leading to missed opportunities to engage or ask questions.
EMPATHY MAPPING
Creating the Empathy Map helped me clearly visualise the users' emotions, behaviours, and needs, allowing me to design with a deeper understanding and empathy.
SAYS
DOES
THINKS
FEELS
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Public speaking makes me really nervous.
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I hope I don’t mess up at self-checkout.
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I’ll just observe first before trying.
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Public speaking makes me really nervous.
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wish I could participate more in discussions.
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What if I say something wrong and people laugh?
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How do others do this so easily?
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I wish I felt more confident speaking up.
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I don’t want to be a burden by asking for help.
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Avoids situations where she might need to speak publicly.
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Hesitates before speaking in class or social settings
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Plans routes carefully before taking public transport
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Watches others before trying new things.
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Feels anxious about making mistakes in social interactions.
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Feels overwhelmed by cultural differences like small talk.
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Feels leftout
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Nervous about talking to strangers
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Feels happy when she makes a new friend
PERSONA
We created the persona to synthesise user insights from interviews and observations into a clear, relatable character. This helped us:
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Understand users on a deeper level their goals, fears, and behaviours
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Empathise with real needs, not assumptions
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Align the design direction around a consistent user perspective
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Prioritise features that address actual pain points, like anxiety, cultural confusion, and public speaking fear
SARA
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Age: 23
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Origin: India
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Program: Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction
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Tech Comfort Level: Intermediate (Familiar with basic tools, some VR exposure)
“I just wish I could practice somewhere safe before class.”
Pain Points
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Fear of public speaking and being judged
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Language barriers and accent anxiety
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Difficulty adjusting to classroom norms
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Feeling isolated in group settings
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Confusion with everyday tasks (transport, food, kiosks)
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Emotional overwhelm in unfamiliar environments
Goals
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Feel confident participating in classroom discussions
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Improve public speaking skills without fear of judgment
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Adapt smoothly to cultural and academic expectations in the U.S.
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Build meaningful social connections
Needs
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A supportive space to practice speech and classroom participation
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Exposure to classroom norms and cultural cues
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Tools that help reduce anxiety and build emotional confidence
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Guidance without judgment
PROBLEM STATMENT
How Might We help international students feel more confident and less anxious while participating in U.S. classrooms?
IDEATION
We brainstormed a range of solutions focused on three core principles: emotional comfort, safe rehearsal, and cultural familiarity. Early ideas included mentorship networks, mobile apps with speaking prompts, and interactive onboarding modules. But they all lacked one key element—immersion.
That’s when Virtual Reality (VR) emerged as the most compelling and empathetic solution. Unlike static apps or text-based resources, VR offered a multi-sensory environment that felt real but remained emotionally safe. It allowed us to simulate the exact classroom scenarios that caused anxiety without the pressure of real-world consequences.
WHY VR MAKES SENSE ?
Practice Without Pressure: Students could rehearse their speeches repeatedly without fear of being judged, interrupted, or laughed at.
Control Over Exposure: The ability to customize audience size or even practice in an empty room allowed users to build confidence step-by-step.
Emotional Rehearsal: VR not only trained delivery, but also helped students emotionally prepare an often-overlooked aspect of public speaking.
Cultural Navigation: We could recreate academic spaces, social etiquette, and even small interactions like approaching a podium or raising a hand helping students decode unspoken classroom norms.
Repeatability: Students could revisit scenarios as many times as needed, learning through muscle memory and emotional desensitization.
SOLUTION
We designed a Virtual Reality (VR) classroom simulation that helps international students practice public speaking and classroom engagement in a safe, immersive environment, reducing anxiety and boosting confidence.
Key Features:
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Real-Time Speech Rehearsal: A realistic classroom setting allows students to rehearse presentations, improve fluency, and build muscle memory.
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Customizable Environment: Students can practice with or without virtual classmates, simulating different levels of audience pressure.
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Emotionally Safe Design: By removing the fear of being judged, VR creates a supportive space for repeated practice, experimentation, and growth.
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Visual Familiarity: Classrooms include key elements like podiums, seats, and boards, making the transition to real-world spaces smoother.
USER JOURNEY
Practices speaking in front of virtual class.
Reviews sessions or self-reflection prompts.
Login
Choose Environment
Speech Practice
Feedback Mode
Track Progress
Selects classroom setup (empty / with peers)
Gets soft prompts or visual cues
PROTOTYPE
At this stage, we had integrated the initial VR classroom layout into the environment. While interactions were limited, users could explore the space, view seating arrangements, and experience the visual elements of a typical U.S. classroom.
Select preferred speech duration to structure practice sessions effectively.
Engage in real-time speech delivery to enhance fluency, timing, and confidence.
Choose from various simulated classroom environments tailored to different academic settings.
Navigate freely within the virtual classroom to simulate natural movement during presentations.
USABILITY TESTING
We conducted 8 Think-Aloud Sessions and 8 Cognitive Walkthroughs to evaluate how international students interact with the VR environment. These methods allowed us to observe real-time reactions, understand their thought processes, and identify usability issues or emotional barriers.
The goal was to ensure the design felt intuitive, relatable, and emotionally supportive before implementing more complex features.
Key Findings
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Users could clearly identify key classroom elements like the podium, seats, and entry points.
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Most were able to walk around the VR space confidently, recognizing its realism and orientation.
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However, some participants were unsure how this would reduce anxiety without additional features.
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Feedback included requests for a recording feature so students could review their performance and improve their body language and delivery.
WHAT MAKES OUR SOLUTION STAND OUT
User-Centered – Designed specifically for international students facing classroom anxiety
Emotionally Supportive – Integrates mindfulness and emotional readiness
Culturally Inclusive – Supports accent training and classroom norms
Safe & Repeatable – Practice anytime, without fear of judgment
NEXT STEPS
To make the experience more immersive, emotionally intelligent, and culturally inclusive, we plan to enhance our VR solution with the following features:
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Eye Contact Guidance
Implement gaze-based feedback to help students build stronger presentation presence and improve nonverbal communication. -
Emotional Intelligence Training Modules
Before entering the classroom, students can engage in guided meditation, breathing exercises, and body language warmups to reduce anxiety and prepare mentally. -
Multilingual Avatar Coach
An interactive avatar will assist users in understanding diverse accents, practicing pronunciation, and learning classroom-relevant phrases to boost language confidence.
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