About Us
The research instrument behind EchoBot.
EchoBot is a platform for designing and running rigorous, reproducible research studies
around configurable AI chatbots. Researchers assemble experiments from reusable pieces:
condition groups, chatbot configurations, participant rosters, and large-language-model
settings; and the platform handles assignment, session timing, interaction logging, and results.
Why we built it
Studying how people learn and interact with conversational AI shouldn't require writing code,
touching a database, or learning platform pseudo-code. It also shouldn't require manual work by the participants, such as copying and pasting their chat, or making it public and sharing the link. EchoBot lets researchers stand up controlled A/B experiments, invite
participants, trust that what each participant experiences matches exactly what was configured, and tracks their interactions for later analysis and processing.
Who it's for
Faculty, post docs, graduate students, researchers, and study coordinators running educational and behavioral research or research comparing LLMs.
Participants join through a simple, distraction-free chat surface; no account required.
Our Team
EchoBot is built and maintained by researchers and engineers working across institutions.
Lu Ding
Founder
University of South Alabama
Lu Ding is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Design and Development at the University of South Alabama. Her research examines how learners construct understanding through interactions with others and with technology in designed learning environments. Drawing on learning sciences and instructional design perspectives, she studies AI literacy, generative AI in education, and the design of technology-enhanced learning environments, with particular attention to learner questioning, cognitive engagement, and motivation.
Steve Holland
Founder
University of Illinois
Steve has spent the past 19 years building IT systems and applications from the ground up for higher education; covering a wide array of topics and users, including research, research compliance, and adminstrative processes. A strong proponent of measured AI use, he uses AI daily for his IT and programming work. His goal for Echobot is to bring a forward-facing user-friendly application to academia that can enable and accelarate AI-based resaerch.
