An AI-powered collaborative classroom platform where students get instant doubt resolution, teachers manage virtual classrooms, and analytics drive better learning outcomes.
- DoubtDesk
Students in colleges and universities face a recurring set of challenges that existing tools fail to address:
- Doubts go unanswered. Asking questions in large lectures is intimidating, and instructors are not available around the clock.
- No structured Q&A channel. WhatsApp and Telegram groups are chaotic — doubts get buried, and solutions are never archived or searchable.
- Teachers lack visibility. Instructors have no data on which topics students struggle with until exam results arrive, which is too late to intervene.
- Existing platforms miss the mark. Stack Overflow targets professional developers, not structured academics. ChatGPT lacks classroom context, anonymity, and teacher oversight.
DoubtDesk bridges this gap by combining AI-powered instant solving with real classroom structure, giving students answers in seconds and teachers insights in real time.
DoubtDesk provides a virtual classroom environment where:
- Students ask doubts via text or image (photo of a handwritten problem).
- AI instantly solves the doubt with step-by-step, simplified, and exam-ready explanations.
- Community and teachers can also answer, creating a layered support system.
- Analytics dashboard surfaces weak topics, peak doubt hours, and resolution rates so teachers can act proactively.
- Moderation engine keeps the platform academic and safe using AI content filtering with an escalating strike system.
- Type a question or upload a photo — AI solves it instantly using Groq-accelerated LLMs.
- Structured output: Step-by-step breakdown, simplified explanation, and final answer.
- Interactive follow-ups: click any step to ask for further clarification.
- Full LaTeX rendering for math and science equations via KaTeX.
- Persistent chat history for continuing previous AI sessions.
- Teachers create classrooms with unique invite codes.
- Students join using invite codes; recommended classrooms auto-surface by university and year.
- Three doubt channels per class: AI Solve, Community Board, Teacher Lane.
- Role-based views (Student vs Teacher) with distinct capabilities.
- Anonymous posting — students are assigned randomized identifiers (e.g.,
Student_A7X) to encourage participation without fear.
- Topic Difficulty Heatmap — highlights which subjects have the most doubts.
- Resolution Pulse — solved vs. pending ratio with circular progress visualization.
- Peak Activity Timeline — 24-hour bar chart showing when students are most active.
- Personal AI Mentor — per-student weak-topic detection after sufficient engagement.
- AI-powered content moderation flags abusive, off-topic, or spam content before it is posted.
- 3-strike system with escalating temporary account blocks (3 days for first block, increasing for subsequent violations).
- Full audit trail via moderation logs table for admin review.
- Open community board (no classroom required) with subject filters.
- Like, reply, and mark doubts as solved.
- Accessible to all authenticated users.
- Personal dashboard showing doubts asked, replies given, and classrooms joined.
- Activity statistics including helpful votes received.
Student signs up --> Onboarding (university, year, role)
|
v
Joins/Creates a Classroom (via invite code)
|
v
+----------------------------------------------+
| Ask a Doubt (Text or Image Upload) |
| | |
| +----------+--------------+---------------+ |
| | AI Tab | Community Tab| Teacher Tab | |
| | (Groq) | (Peer Reply) | (Direct Ask) | |
| +----------+--------------+---------------+ |
| | |
| Resolution + Follow-up Chat |
| | |
| Analytics Dashboard (Insights for all) |
+----------------------------------------------+
| Layer | Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | Next.js 14 (App Router) | Full-stack React framework with server-side rendering |
| Language | TypeScript | Static type safety across the codebase |
| Authentication | Clerk | User management, session handling, role-based access |
| AI Engine | Groq API (Llama 3.3 / 4) | Ultra-fast LLM inference for doubt solving and moderation |
| Database | Neon PostgreSQL | Serverless Postgres with branching and autoscaling |
| ORM | Drizzle ORM | Type-safe, SQL-like query builder |
| Background Jobs | Inngest | Reliable async workflows and event-driven processing |
| UI Components | Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui | Utility-first styling with accessible component primitives |
| Math Rendering | KaTeX | Client-side LaTeX equation rendering |
| OCR / Vision | Tesseract.js + Vision LLMs | Image-based doubt input and handwriting recognition |
| Notifications | Sonner | Lightweight toast notification system |
| Deployment | Vercel | Edge-optimized hosting with CI/CD |
Screenshots are located in the
screenshots/directory and will be updated as the UI evolves.
A live instance of DoubtDesk is deployed at doubt-desk-seven.vercel.app.
To explore the full classroom experience without setting up your own environment, use the sample classroom below after signing in:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Classroom Invite Code | DNOIRL |
Steps to access:
- Visit the live demo.
- Sign up or sign in using Clerk authentication.
- Complete the onboarding flow (select your university, year, and role).
- Navigate to Classrooms and click Join Classroom.
- Enter the invite code
DNOIRLto join the sample classroom. - Explore all features: post a doubt, use the AI solver, view the community board, and check analytics.
Note for contributors: Using the demo classroom is strongly recommended before working on any issue. It provides context for how the platform works end-to-end.
- Node.js 18 or higher
- npm (bundled with Node.js)
- Git
- API keys for the following services:
# 1. Fork the repository (click Fork on GitHub)
# 2. Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/DoubtDesk.git
cd DoubtDesk
# 3. Install dependencies
npm install
# 4. Set up environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Fill in your API keys (see Environment Variables below)
# 5. Start the development server
npm run dev
# Open http://localhost:3000Create a .env file in the project root with the following keys:
# Database (Neon PostgreSQL)
NEXT_PUBLIC_NEON_DB_CONNECTION_STRING=your_neon_connection_string
# Authentication (Clerk)
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_test_...
CLERK_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_SIGN_IN_URL=/sign-in
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_SIGN_UP_URL=/sign-up
# AI (Groq)
GROQ_API_KEY=gsk_...Security: Never commit your
.envfile. It is already included in.gitignore.
DoubtDesk/
├── app/
│ ├── (auth)/ # Clerk authentication pages (sign-in, sign-up)
│ ├── api/ # API routes
│ │ ├── doubts/ # Doubt CRUD and like endpoints
│ │ ├── rooms/ # Classroom creation, joining, management
│ │ ├── analytics/ # Teacher analytics data endpoints
│ │ ├── ask-ai/ # AI solver inference endpoint
│ │ ├── profile/ # User profile data aggregation
│ │ └── inngest/ # Background job webhook handler
│ ├── ask-ai/ # Standalone AI solver page
│ ├── dashboard/ # Analytics dashboard (teacher + student views)
│ ├── onboarding/ # First-time user onboarding flow
│ ├── profile/ # User profile page
│ ├── public-rooms/ # Public doubt board (no classroom required)
│ ├── rooms/ # Classroom list and individual classroom view
│ ├── layout.tsx # Root layout (Clerk provider, global styles)
│ └── page.tsx # Landing page
├── components/ # Reusable UI components
│ ├── ui/ # shadcn/ui primitives (Button, Card, Dialog, etc.)
│ ├── AskAIView.tsx # AI solver conversation component
│ ├── AskDoubt.tsx # Doubt submission modal
│ ├── DashboardLayout.tsx # Authenticated layout wrapper
│ ├── DoubtCard.tsx # Doubt display card with actions
│ └── Sidebar.tsx # Navigation sidebar
├── configs/
│ ├── db.tsx # Neon database connection setup
│ └── schema.ts # Drizzle ORM schema (all tables)
├── lib/
│ ├── moderation.ts # AI content moderation and strike enforcement
│ ├── email.ts # Warning and block notification email helpers
│ └── auth-utils.ts # Authentication utility functions
├── inngest/ # Background job definitions (Inngest functions)
├── scripts/ # Developer utility and database migration scripts
├── screenshots/ # Application screenshots for documentation
└── middleware.tsx # Clerk authentication and route protection middleware
Contributions are welcome from developers of all experience levels. Whether you are fixing a typo, improving the UI, or building a new feature, your work is valued.
Before submitting a pull request, please read the full Contributing Guide.
- Browse open issues on the Issues tab. Filter by
good-first-issueorbeginner-friendlylabels. - Comment on the issue to indicate you are working on it.
- Fork and clone the repository.
- Join the demo classroom using invite code
DNOIRLto understand the product before writing code. - Create a branch following the naming convention:
feature/add-dark-mode-togglefix/classroom-invite-validationdocs/update-readme-screenshots
- Make focused changes with clear, conventional commit messages.
- Test locally using
npm run dev. - Submit a PR against the
mainbranch.
Follow the Conventional Commits standard:
feat: add loading skeleton to AI solver
fix: handle empty classroom state gracefully
docs: add screenshots to README
style: improve mobile responsiveness of classroom cards
refactor: extract doubt card into reusable component
- Use TypeScript with proper interfaces — avoid
anytypes. - Follow the existing component structure in
/componentsand/app. - Use Tailwind CSS for styling, matching the existing dark theme (slate-950 backgrounds, blue-500/600 accents, glassmorphism patterns).
- Keep components focused: one file, one responsibility.
| Label | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
level 1 |
Low | Beginner-friendly tasks: documentation, small UI fixes, adding aria-labels |
level 2 |
Medium | Intermediate tasks: new API routes, component refactors, feature additions |
level 3 |
High | Advanced tasks: real-time systems, authentication flows, architectural changes |
| Label | Description |
|---|---|
good-first-issue |
Small, well-scoped tasks ideal for first-time contributors |
beginner-friendly |
Slightly more involved but still approachable with guidance |
bug |
Something is broken and needs fixing |
enhancement |
New feature or improvement to existing functionality |
documentation |
Improvements to README, guides, or inline code comments |
frontend |
Changes to UI components, pages, or styling |
backend |
Changes to API routes, database queries, or server logic |
ai |
Changes to AI prompts, model handling, or content moderation |
security |
Security-related fixes or hardening |
ui/ux |
User interface and experience improvements |
gssoc |
Part of the GirlScript Summer of Code program |
priority: high |
Must be resolved urgently |
priority: medium |
Should be addressed in the current cycle |
priority: low |
Nice to have, no immediate deadline |
The following is a prioritized list of planned enhancements. Contributions toward any of these are welcome.
| Feature | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Testing framework | Set up Jest and React Testing Library for unit and integration tests | Planned |
| 404 page | Custom not-found page matching the application design system | Open issue |
| Footer component | Consistent footer across all pages with navigation links | Open issue |
| README screenshots | Render inline screenshots with proper markdown image syntax | Open issue |
| Profile page fixes | TypeScript interfaces, stable user lookup, mobile nav, error states | Open issue |
| Feature | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time notifications | WebSocket or SSE-based alerts for new doubts, replies, and mentions | Open issue |
| Dark mode toggle | System-aware and manual dark/light mode switching | Open issue |
| Global search | Full-text search across doubts with subject and topic filters | Open issue |
| Helpful upvotes | Allow students to upvote community replies as "helpful" | Open issue |
| Rate limiting | API-level rate limiting to prevent abuse and ensure fair usage | Open issue |
| Separate login flows | Distinct authentication paths for students and teachers | Open issue |
| Feature | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-language support | Internationalization (i18n) for Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and other regional languages | Planned |
| Mobile application | React Native or PWA for native mobile experience | Planned |
| Gamification | Points, badges, and leaderboards to reward active participants | Planned |
| Export and reports | Teachers can export classroom analytics as PDF/CSV reports | Planned |
| Admin dashboard | Platform-wide moderation panel for project administrators | Planned |
| AI tutor memory | Persistent context across AI sessions for personalized tutoring | Planned |
| Doubt de-duplication | AI-powered detection of duplicate or similar doubts with auto-linking | Planned |
| Video/voice doubts | Support for audio and short video doubt submissions | Planned |
| Classroom announcements | Teachers can broadcast announcements to all classroom members | Planned |
| Integration with LMS | Connect with Google Classroom, Moodle, or Canvas for roster sync | Planned |
We are committed to providing a welcoming and harassment-free experience for everyone. Please read our Code of Conduct before participating.
In short: Be respectful, be constructive, be kind.
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
- Groq for ultra-fast AI inference
- Clerk for seamless authentication
- Neon for serverless PostgreSQL
- shadcn/ui for accessible UI components
- GirlScript Summer of Code for fostering open-source contributions
Built for students and teachers everywhere.