Sharpening an AI Tutor Through Iterative Student Research

Neomind Learning partnered with Touchstone Research to put its AI tutor app in front of real students and make it better across two rounds of testing. The first was a full-service diagnostic that established a clear baseline of how students ages 12 to 18 actually experienced the platform. Neomind acted on what they heard, and a leaner flex-service follow-up confirmed the changes worked, with student satisfaction rising meaningfully between rounds and Net Promoter Scores reaching very strong levels.

AT A GLANCE

CLIENT	Neomind Learning
INDUSTRY	AI Personal Learning Intelligence \| EdTech
USE CASE	Beta validation and iterative refinement of a human-like AI tutor app
AUDIENCE	Students ages 12 to 18 across the U.S., currently taking math
METHODOLOGY	Two-phase research: full-service diary and focus groups, then a flex-service follow-up test
ENGAGEMENT	Full service (Phase 1) and flex service (Phase 2)
OUTCOME	Measurable improvement in student satisfaction across rounds

The Challenge

A student stuck on a tough math problem at night doesn’t usually have a tutor on call. Neomind Learning is building one: an AI tutor that supports students the way a good human tutor would, truly understanding students goals and gaps, helping concepts click, adapting approach, and being available whenever they need it. But a tutor built for young learners only earns its place if students trust it and keep coming back.

Before scaling the product, Neomind wanted an honest read on how it was actually landing with students: what won them over, what frustrated them, and what would bring them back. Testing a learning product with minors raises the bar. The feedback has to be real, the recruitment rigorous and compliant, and the research has to show not just whether students liked the app, but precisely where the experience worked and where it broke down, so the team could act on it. Neomind also wanted a partner who could scale the engagement to the moment: a deep, comprehensive read first, then a faster, focused check once changes were made.

The Approach

We designed a two-phase, iterative UX research program built to move at the pace of product development.

Two-phase research approach. Phase 1, full service: a 7-day online diary with around 100 students plus two follow-up focus groups, with Touchstone running recruitment, hosting, moderation, and full reporting. Then an iterate step where Neomind refined the product between rounds. Phase 2, flex service: a 3-day follow-up test with 30 students combining returning participants and new recruits, with Touchstone running recruitment and hosting while Neomind led the guide and analysis.

Phase 1: a deep, full-service diagnostic

A 7-day branded online diary put the learning platform in students’ hands at home, capturing their reactions day by day as they set up the tutor, sat through live classes, and worked through quizzes. Two follow-up focus groups, one middle school and one high school, added the why behind the what. Touchstone ran the full stack: recruitment and multi-stage screening, diary build and hosting, discussion guide development, moderation, and a complete reporting and analysis deliverable. The result was a clear, structured picture of the whole student experience, start to finish.

Phase 2: a focused, flex-service validation

Once Neomind acted on the findings, a leaner 3-day follow-up test checked whether the changes worked. This round deliberately brought back students from Phase 1 alongside fresh recruits, so the research could see whether the improvements actually moved the needle. Here Touchstone shifted to a flex-service model, handling recruitment, diary setup, hosting, and incentives, while Neomind led the final analysis. Because the follow-up used the same core metrics as Phase 1, any movement in the numbers reflected real change in how students experienced the product.

Together, the two phases show how we like to partner: a deep, full-service foundation when a client needs the complete picture, and a nimble, flex-service model when they need a fast, focused answer. The engagement met the product where it was at each stage.

The Impact

The iterative approach produced measurable improvement. Between the first and second tests, student sentiment rose meaningfully, reaching levels that were particularly impressive for such young product in a new category that Neomind is defining, what they call the Personal Learning Intelligence.

Impact results: a Net Promoter Score of +31 and a median student rating of approximately 8 out of 10.

The gains came straight out of how the two teams worked together: run a test, make sense of what students said, change the product, and test again. Instead of treating research as a one-time report that lands and gathers dust, Neomind and Touchstone ran it as a loop, turning student feedback into real product changes and then checking that those changes resonated. That back-and-forth is what moved the numbers.

Client Voice

“Working with Touchstone felt like having an extension of our own team. They invested significant time upfront to understand our product and objectives, and they approached the project with great attention to detail. Their responsiveness, flexibility, and commitment to helping us succeed made them an invaluable partner as we refined the product and prepared for the next stage of growth.“

Felipe Hildebrand – CEO, Neomind Learning

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a diary study?

A diary study is a research method where participants use a product in their own environment over a set period, recording their experiences and reactions as they go. Because feedback is captured in the moment, day by day, a diary study reveals how an experience unfolds over time rather than relying on a single after-the-fact impression. It is especially well suited for apps and digital products used repeatedly.

What is the difference between full-service and flex-service research?

In a full-service engagement, Touchstone runs the entire study end to end: recruitment, study design and hosting, moderation, and full reporting and analysis. In a flex-service engagement, the client takes on parts of the work, often guide development and analysis, while Touchstone provides the components they need most, such as recruitment, hosting, and fieldwork execution.

How does Touchstone research products with young people responsibly?

Youth and family research is a core specialty for Touchstone. We recruit through our in-house team with multi-stage screening, secure the appropriate parental consents, and conduct studies in line with the regulatory standards that govern research with minors. This lets clients gather authentic feedback from students while protecting the privacy and wellbeing of every young participant.

Why test a product in successive rounds?

Iterative testing turns research into a feedback loop rather than a one-time verdict. An initial round establishes a deep baseline and surfaces what to fix or improve. After the team acts on those findings, a follow-up round confirms whether the changes worked and quantifies the improvement. For products in active development, this rhythm de-risks decisions and shows measurable progress between rounds.

Why Touchstone Research

Touchstone Research is a strategic research partner with deep roots in youth, family, and Gen Z audiences. Founded in 1991, we bring together qualitative, quantitative, and UX research, in-house recruitment, and a flexible engagement model, from full-service studies to focused flex-service rounds, so the research can scale to whatever a product needs at each stage.

For teams building products for young people, we pair careful, compliant recruitment with the depth to show not just whether something works, but exactly where and why, and then help confirm the fixes landed.

Building a product for students, families, or young audiences? Contact our team of Youth & Family Research Experts

About The Author

Sheri Stark, Senior Qualitative Researcher at Touchstone Research

Sheri Stark is a Senior Qualitative Researcher at Touchstone Research and the author of this case study. With nearly 20 years of experience spanning both B2B and B2C, she specializes in research with children, teens, and parents, and in usability and user testing for technology, social media, and retail brands. Her qualitative toolkit spans in-depth interviews, focus groups, diary studies, ethnographies, co-creation, and insight communities, the same hands-on methods that shaped the Neomind engagement.