Problem Statement

Post-graduate medical exam aspirants need to prepare a vast syllabus under extreme time pressure, especially during demanding internship periods.

One of the most effective ways they revise is by explaining complex concepts in simple words to their peers and being questioned back, a method that helps surface gaps in understanding and strengthen mental models (often referred to as the Feynman method of learning).

However, this form of peer-based learning is difficult to replicate during solo study, when students are studying alone and need active revision the most. As a result, learners often move forward without fully articulating or validating their understanding, allowing conceptual gaps to remain hidden.

What Oncourse currently supports?

• Learning through Lessons, Notes, and tap-based Exercises. While these interactions are effective for content consumption and recognition-based recall, they lack in articulating understanding. Because students are rarely required to explain concepts in their own words, it is possible to progress through lessons without fully revealing gaps in conceptual understanding.

Product Direction

To address the gap in articulation-based revision during solo study, we propose exploring a voice-based interactive exercise within the existing Lessons experience, using voice as the primary mode for students to explain concepts during learning.

The goal is to enable students to explain concepts in their own words and be questioned in return, similar to how they would revise with peers or during informal vivas.

This direction focuses on supporting active recall and gap discovery during self-study, while aligning with Oncourse’s current learning flow. The following sections explore how this direction maps to user needs, assumptions, and learning behaviours.

User Insights

I spoke with two medical students (final-year and intern) to understand their study behaviour and what helps them studying/revisioning better.

Key signals observed:

• Explaining concepts to peers helps identify gaps more effectively than MCQs alone
• During internship, study sessions are short and fragmented
• Peer discussions feel helpful because of questioning, not explanation alone
• Students are open to speaking out loud during private study if it saves time

Jobs to be Done

1. When I am revising a medical topic on my own, I want to explain the concept in my own words and be questioned back, so that I can validate whether I truly understand it beyond recognition.
2. When I feel confident about a topic but still want to be sure, I want my understanding to be challenged, so that hidden gaps or incorrect mental models are surfaced before the exam.