Common Room
Common Room
Overview
An AI-driven educational service, designed for Year 1 STEM students to think independently, build career skills and connect with each other.
Timeline
Feb - Jun 2026
Service Design
Category
Solo
Team
AI isn't replacing intelligence.
It's replacing PRACTICE.
AI isn't replacing intelligence.
It's replacing PRACTICE.
With every shortcut, a habit doesn't happen.
First-year STEM students who use AI for weekly assignments skip the three practices that shape a career.
With every shortcut, a habit doesn't happen.
First-year STEM students who use AI for weekly assignments skip the three practices that shape a career.
Over 12 weeks, 36 skipped repetitions per habit.
Over three years, 900.
Over 12 weeks, 36 skipped repetitions per habit.
Over three years, 900.
Three Habits
THINKING
01
01
The practice of sitting with a hard problem, alone.
The habit senior engineers say juniors are losing.
The practice of sitting with a hard problem, alone.
The habit senior engineers say juniors are losing.
of first-year engineering students admitted using AI for problem sets.
Stanford / 2024
68%
EXPLAINING
02
02
The practice of turning work into words others can use.
The habit that turns technical skill into influence.
The practice of turning work into words others can use.
The habit that turns technical skill into influence.
The practice of turning work into words others can use.
The habit that turns technical skill into influence.
of AI-using first-year engineering students couldn't verbally explain solutions they submitted.
Stanford / 2024
71%
CONNECTING
03
03
The practice of thinking alongside someone else.
The single strongest predictor of career trajectory. (Harvard, 2023)
The practice of thinking alongside someone else.
The single strongest predictor of career trajectory. (Harvard, 2023)
Drop in students reporting "close friends from foundation" between pre-AI and post-AI cohorts.
Drop in students reporting "close friends from foundation" between pre-AI and post-AI cohorts.
RISD / 2023-25
RISD / 2023-25
85
41%
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
In Year 1 STEM, every AI shortcut quietly offloads the task, the peer contact, and the cognitive growth all at once. Students don't notice the trade until exams, interviews, or mid-career reveal what wasn't built.
In Year 1 STEM, every AI shortcut quietly offloads the task, the peer contact, and the cognitive growth all at once. Students don't notice the trade until exams, interviews, or mid-career reveal what wasn't built.
HMW
HMW
How might we redesign the way Year 1 STEM students use AI in their assignments, so that use itself builds cognitive sharpness and social skills, and the habit follows them into their careers?
How might we redesign the way Year 1 STEM students use AI in their assignments, so that use itself builds cognitive sharpness and social skills, and the habit follows them into their careers?
What is Common Room?
What is Common Room?
Assignment Structure Redesign
Assignment Structure Redesign
Students would not only submit their assigned problem sets online, but also present their work to their peers and tutor. This allows them to demonstrate their understanding, even when using AI for support, while developing essential soft skills such as communication, presentation and critical thinking.
Students would not only submit their assigned problem sets online, but also present their work to their peers and tutor. This allows them to demonstrate their understanding, even when using AI for support, while developing essential soft skills such as communication, presentation and critical thinking.
The weekly assignment loop gives students four days to complete and submit their work, with presentations taking place one week after the assignment is received. As AI reduces completion time, the saved time can instead be used for deeper understanding and presentation practice.
The weekly assignment loop gives students four days to complete and submit their work, with presentations taking place one week after the assignment is received. As AI reduces completion time, the saved time can instead be used for deeper understanding and presentation practice.
LMS-integrated Ai Tool
LMS-integrated Ai Tool
Embedded in the university’s online learning platform, the AI tool is trained on teachers’ feedback and uses nudging to encourage students to solve their problem sets independently for the first two days.
Embedded in the university’s online learning platform, the AI tool is trained on teachers’ feedback and uses nudging to encourage students to solve their problem sets independently for the first two days.
Once activated, it logs the questions students struggled with and uses this data to match them into small groups to practise their presentations. Each group includes students who have successfully solved the questions others found difficult, enabling peer learning. Tutors can also see these patterns and use them to select questions during presentations, testing whether students truly understand the concepts they struggled with.
Once activated, it logs the questions students struggled with and uses this data to match them into small groups to practise their presentations. Each group includes students who have successfully solved the questions others found difficult, enabling peer learning. Tutors can also see these patterns and use them to select questions during presentations, testing whether students truly understand the concepts they struggled with.
One Service.
5 Moments.
One Cohort Forming.
One Service.
5 Moments.
One Cohort Forming.
One Service.
5 Moments.
One Cohort Forming.
How Common Room Works
How Common Room Works
Why Common Room Works?
Why Common Room Works?
Current
Current
Common Room
Common Room
Stuck → ChatGPT (1 click)
Stuck → ChatGPT (1 click)
Stuck → Peer match
Stuck → Peer match
Learning unclear
Learning unclear
Deep understanding
Deep understanding
Invisible Learning
Invisible Learning
Visible learning with peer input
Visible learning with peer input
Visible learning with peer input
Alone becomes habit
Alone becomes habit
Collaboration becomes habit
Collaboration becomes habit
Key Leverage
Key Leverage
Not more features. Not forcing collaboration. Not banning AI.
Not more features. Not forcing collaboration. Not banning AI.
Honest Limitations
Honest Limitations
Infrastructure Variance
Infrastructure Variance
Every university has different LMS and room booking systems. Integration cost varies from $10K to $100K+.
Every university has different LMS and room booking systems. Integration cost varies from $10K to $100K+.
Every university has different LMS and room booking systems. Integration cost varies from $10K to $100K+.
AI Still Available
AI Still Available
Students can still choose Claude, Perplexity, or institutional AI tools trained on course materials. We're not eliminating AI use, just making peer learning equally accessible. Mitigation: Frame as "peer + AI = better understanding," not "AI is bad."
Students can still choose Claude, Perplexity, or institutional AI tools trained on course materials. We're not eliminating AI use, just making peer learning equally accessible. Mitigation: Frame as "peer + AI = better understanding," not "AI is bad."
Students can still choose Claude, Perplexity, or institutional AI tools trained on course materials. We're not eliminating AI use, just making peer learning equally accessible. Mitigation: Frame as "peer + AI = better understanding," not "AI is bad."
Tutor Adoption Friction
Tutor Adoption Friction
Even with templates, tutors must explain workflow and adjust grading rubrics. Some fear "students just copying answers."
Mitigation: Tutor onboarding video + performance data dashboard + optional opt-out.
Even with templates, tutors must explain workflow and adjust grading rubrics. Some fear "students just copying answers."
Mitigation: Tutor onboarding video + performance data dashboard + optional opt-out.
Even with templates, tutors must explain workflow and adjust grading rubrics. Some fear "students just copying answers."
Mitigation: Tutor onboarding video + performance data dashboard + optional opt-out.
Matching Challenges
Matching Challenges
Anonymous matches feel safe but students won't show. Named matches enable commitment but intimidate vulnerable students. Cross-major mismatches don't help. Mitigation: First name + major only, optional Year 2 mentors, smart matching algorithm, icebreaker prompts.
Anonymous matches feel safe but students won't show. Named matches enable commitment but intimidate vulnerable students. Cross-major mismatches don't help. Mitigation: First name + major only, optional Year 2 mentors, smart matching algorithm, icebreaker prompts.
Anonymous matches feel safe but students won't show. Named matches enable commitment but intimidate vulnerable students. Cross-major mismatches don't help. Mitigation: First name + major only, optional Year 2 mentors, smart matching algorithm, icebreaker prompts.
Voluntary Adoption
Voluntary Adoption
Network effects: If adoption is low, others won't try. Some STEM cultures are competitive, not collaborative. Mitigation: Tutor incentives (exam data), first-week seeding, social proof dashboards, peer testimonials.
Network effects: If adoption is low, others won't try. Some STEM cultures are competitive, not collaborative. Mitigation: Tutor incentives (exam data), first-week seeding, social proof dashboards, peer testimonials.
Network effects: If adoption is low, others won't try. Some STEM cultures are competitive, not collaborative. Mitigation: Tutor incentives (exam data), first-week seeding, social proof dashboards, peer testimonials.
Institutional Scale
Institutional Scale
IT departments move slowly. Budget constraints. Faculty turnover. Accreditation requirements about individual assessment.
Mitigation: Start small (one department, one semester), build case study, publish playbook, work with faculty governance.
IT departments move slowly. Budget constraints. Faculty turnover. Accreditation requirements about individual assessment.
Mitigation: Start small (one department, one semester), build case study, publish playbook, work with faculty governance.
IT departments move slowly. Budget constraints. Faculty turnover. Accreditation requirements about individual assessment.
Mitigation: Start small (one department, one semester), build case study, publish playbook, work with faculty governance.
The Honest Position
The Honest Position
Common Room is a hypothesis, not a solution.
Common Room is a hypothesis, not a solution.
This reduces (not eliminates) AI isolation. Works in some contexts (collaborative majors, well-resourced institutions). May not work in others (competitive programs, under-resourced schools).
This reduces (not eliminates) AI isolation. Works in some contexts (collaborative majors, well-resourced institutions). May not work in others (competitive programs, under-resourced schools).
Common Room at the RCA Show
Common Room at the RCA Show
