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UMSI team’s XR classroom tool takes top prize in campus-wide James A. Kelly Learning Lever competition

Five students pose, smiling, in a bright classroom setting with a banner behind them that displays the Michigan block M

Wednesday, 04/16/2025

The seventh annual James A. Kelly Learning Lever Prize competition took place at the University of Michigan on April 10. Hosted by the Marsal Family School of Education and co-sponsored by the School of Information, the competition challenges U-M students to invent tools with the potential to significantly improve student learning, encouraging a culture of innovation in education.

Three teams of UMSI students pitched digital learning tools to a panel of judges.

The James A. Kelly Learning Lever Prize winner — receiving a $10,000 award to support scalability and dissemination — is OrchestrateXR, a project led by Master of Science in Information students Chiao Lin, Vivek Selvaraj, Ying Hei Lau, Nathaniel Liganor, Evelyn Luan, Yutong Ren and Anhua Wu with computer science undergraduates Andy Yao, Ting Lu and Tiger Zhang.

OrchestrateXR fills the gap in teacher-led XR learning management by offering real-time classroom control, in-person collaboration, post-class performance reports, and seamless integration — making immersive learning more accessible and effective in K-12 education.

MSI student Molly Yang presents at the Learning Lever competition. (Photo: Angie Zill)

MSI student Molly Yang was awarded $4,000 for further development of Language Labyrinth, a web game that aims to provide learners of “less commonly taught languages” a fun, immersive and interactive space to practice and apply their target language in context. Using digital educational escape rooms, Language Labyrinth immerses players in simulated scenarios that require resolution, serving as an educational tool that guides learners to achieve learning outcomes through gameplay.

MSI student Qiyue Ding presents at the Learning Lever competition. (Photo: Angie Zill)

MSI student Qiyue Ding earned a $1,000 development prize for Wordigo, a literacy app designed for early learners struggling with decoding and spelling. It follows a structured phonics-to-sentence approach and uses a virtual pet system to reward progress, making learning engaging and effective

This year’s judging panel included David Corneail, senior product designer at ITHAKA; Vanessa Lane, co-founder and CEO of BetterPlay Studios; and Millie Chu, founder and CEO of Global Entrepreneurship Business Lab.

Read the full award announcement.

(Lead image courtesy of Angie Zill: Members of the James A. Kelly Learning Lever grand prize team pose for a photo. From left: Anhua Wu, Evelyn Luan, Chiao Lin, Vivek Selvaraj and Yutong Ren.)