what — clx, short for classroom experience, is at the heart of unacademy. this space is where educators meet to teach the next generation of eager learners. it encompasses all the tools an educator might need for teaching, along with everything a learner requires for an effective learning experience.

clx redesign — in 2020, we revisited the ux of our clx, paving the way for new features and advanced technology. during this process, we also applied a fresh coat of paint to give the experience a more modern feel. we reimagined the player and the right panel, which houses chat and other features.

player controls — as we developed our custom player, it was essential to include intuitive and useful controls. we adopted a unique approach with a flipping mechanism. when not interacting with the player, the title of the class and the educator's name are displayed. however, when one hovers over the player, it reveals player controls and other action items. all menus were strategically positioned to minimise mouse travel. handy tips, like jumping to the next class or accessing a quiz, were readily accessible, enhancing the overall user experience.

chat states — chat in a live classroom is crucial for maintaining learner engagement and providing moral support. it's a valuable tool for direct interaction with the educator and fellow learners, enabling them to ask questions, respond to others, and share insights. reacting to messages lets the sender know their thoughts are acknowledged. visually, we distinguished between educators' and learners' messages to ensure each gets the appropriate attention. at the top of the chat, we celebrate learners' achievements with milestone hats, awarded when certain criteria are met, adding an element of recognition and encouragement to the learning environment.

polls — polls are an effective way to gauge learning in real time. during a live class, educators can promptly initiate a poll to test learners' knowledge or gather quick yes or no responses. when activated, the player's controls switch to poll options, allowing learners to make their selections. educators set a timer for each poll segment. to add an element of challenge and engagement, we introduced a leaderboard for the polls. learners who respond quickly and accurately within a short time frame are celebrated, adding a competitive and fun aspect to the learning process.

pre and post — recognising the importance of pre and post-class experiences in shaping learner behaviour, we introduced engaging quotes and facts for learners to enjoy while waiting for the educator and their peers to join. post-class, we provided stats and action items to guide learners on their next steps.

educator — edx, short for educator experience, is a segment of clx tailored specifically for educators. this platform is where educators log in daily to impart their knowledge. it encompasses all the necessary tools for the pen tablet, enabling them to write and draw on the canvas to explain concepts. educators have options to change colors, adjust brush sizes, highlight, add shapes, and more to enhance their teaching. they can view the total number of learners in the class and interact with them via the chat panel. during chats, educators have the ability to pin messages, whether their own or those of learners, that are deemed important for the class. additionally, the poll mode can be activated, offering various options for educators to engage learners in interactive learning.

live doubts — when we crafted our chat experience, we faced a challenge: each class was swamped with repetitive questions, making it tough for both learners and educators to keep up. realising that blending regular chat with questions meant for responses wasn't ideal, we introduced a separate tab on the right. the 'live doubts' section is designed for asking clear, specific questions. learners can upvote questions, helping to avoid repetition. this lets educators focus on the most upvoted questions to address live in class. learners have the option to upload attachments that might clarify their queries. on the educators' end, they can switch to the doubts tab to review questions beforehand. this feature not only reduces spam but also allows for enlarging images attached to questions, streamlining the learning and teaching process.

notes — recognizing the significant role of note-taking in learning, we integrated this practice from offline to online. one can switch to the notes tab in either a live class or a recorded session to start taking notes. initially, we explored a unique tagging method using drag-and-drop badges for bookmarks, important points, or questions onto the canvas. however, due to technical challenges at that time, we simplified the ux. now, one can simply tap on any of these options, and the stamp is added to the video timeline. one can add a note or leave it blank for bookmarking. all notes are easily accessible outside the class for quick reference.

openhouse — the concept behind openhouse was to foster casual discussions between educators and learners outside the formal class environment. educators can schedule a session for a specific date and time, and learners can join in when the session goes live. in these sessions, the educator primarily controls the interactions. learners can raise their hand to speak or pose questions to the educator. educators then select from the queue, giving learners the opportunity to talk or clarify doubts. this approach greatly contributed to building a closer relationship between educators and learners.

handout — in the education sector, a key goal for educators is to attract the maximum number of learners to their batches. to assist with this, we introduced 'handout' within clx, a feature designed to help educators promote their batches effectively. prior to 'handout', educators often created their own promotional slides, which sometimes strayed from unacademy's brand guidelines. with 'handout', the process became more streamlined for learners - they can simply click 'add to planner' during the class and are instantly enrolled. we also provided educators with important stats to track the performance of their promotions, ensuring they have the insights needed to optimize their outreach.

chat 2.0 — two years after our clx redesign, we revisited the chat experience to integrate new features and align with business initiatives across the portfolio. the main aim of this redesign was to manage the influx of messages. initially, every learner's entry into a class was marked with a badge, leading to clutter. our solution was to consolidate notifications of learners joining into a single message, providing more focus on 'iconic learners'. iconic subscription is the most premium level in unacademy, offering various benefits, including increased visibility in clx features like chat, doubts, and the raise hand function. we also refined the visuals to align with our broader cleanup efforts. the introduction of the learner sheet offers insights into each learner's journey, displaying stats like minutes watched, questions attempted, and a rating graph. additionally, we added a quick poll feature for straightforward yes or no questions, further enhancing the interaction and engagement within the chat environment.