--- title: "Research: a tutor built on learning science | DuckyHelper" url: "https://duckyhelper.com/research/" description: "How DuckyHelper's tutor is built to teach: the model, a library of 100+ learning-science papers, the principles it follows and our white papers." updated: "2026-10-09" --- Research # A tutor built on learning science DuckyHelper's tutor is built to teach. It is trained on 1,000,000+ tutoring examples and inspired by 100+ learning-science papers, so it guides you to answers instead of handing them over. This is where we show the work: the model, the library of papers it draws on, the principles it follows and the white papers that explain the design. [Read how it is built](https://duckyhelper.com/research/built-to-teach/)[Browse the library](https://duckyhelper.com/research/library/) [All films](https://duckyhelper.com/films/#model) ## In this section ### A model built to teach DuckyHelper's tutor is trained on 1,000,000+ tutoring examples and inspired by 100+ learning-science papers: a tutor, not an answer machine. ### The learning-science library: 100+ papers 100+ real learning-science papers behind DuckyHelper, sorted by principle, each with a citation, a link to the publisher and a one-line summary. ### How people learn: 12 principles Twelve learning-science principles behind DuckyHelper, from one-on-one tutoring to spacing, each with the research and the tutor behaviour it drives. ### Papers and technical notes DuckyHelper's white papers: how the tutor is designed from learning science, drawing on the learner's screen, and hints before answers. PDF and HTML. ### Watch: A model built to teach, the film Watch A model built to teach, the one minute film on the learning science behind DuckyHelper: real papers, seven principles and the real app, narrated. ### What the evidence says about AI tutors Randomized trials of AI tutors so far: Harvard physics, Ghana, Nigeria, Tutor CoPilot, and the PNAS study where AI help hurt. What they show, and do not. Why ## A tutor, not an answer machine Answers are easy to get now. Learning is not. A 2025 study in PNAS found that high school students who practiced with a plain GPT-4 chat did better in practice and worse on the exam once it was gone. So we started from a better question: how do people actually learn? We build DuckyHelper on what the research says about how people learn, and we show our sources. A tutor should make you do the thinking, and help just enough to keep you going. Show, don't only tell: a mark on your own page beats a paragraph about it. Check, then check again later: remembering is part of learning, not a test after it. Say what the research found, and say when we have not measured something ourselves. Every result on these pages belongs to the study that found it. DuckyHelper has not been tested in a controlled study yet. From paper to product ## What the research looks like in the app Each principle turns into something you can see and use. These are the real Mac app and the real cards, filmed as they are. [All twelve principles](https://duckyhelper.com/research/principles/) ### Hints before the answer Stuck on a quiz question in the Mac app? Press Hint: first a nudge, then a bigger hint, then a worked step. The answer comes last. [Why a tutor should guide, not hand over answers](https://duckyhelper.com/research/principles/guide-dont-hand-over-answers/) ## From the lab ### Built to Teach: Learning science in a voice tutor: the design principles of DuckyHelper White paper, not peer reviewed ### Showing, Not Telling: Drawing on the learner's screen as tutoring feedback: a design note ### Hints Before Answers: Guardrails for an AI tutor, from the evidence on AI help and learning ## Frequently asked questions ### What is DuckyHelper's tutor trained on? It is trained on 1,000,000+ tutoring examples and built around 100+ learning-science papers, which are listed with citations in our library. It is trained to teach, not just to answer. ### Is there research showing DuckyHelper works? Not yet. DuckyHelper has not been tested in a controlled study. The research on this site is the published learning science it is built on, and every number belongs to the study that reported it. ### Where can I read the papers? The library lists every paper with its authors, year, journal and a link to the publisher or DOI. We link to the original instead of hosting copies. ## Sources 1. [Bastani, H., Bastani, O., Sungu, A., Ge, H., Kabakcı, Ö., & Mariman, R. (2025). Generative AI without guardrails can harm learning: Evidence from high school mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(26), e2422633122.](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2422633122) (accessed 2026-10-09) ## Keep reading ### Why a tutor that shows you the steps works better than an app that hands you answers Answer apps can raise practice grades and lower test scores. DuckyHelper is built the other way: it shows you the steps, gives hints first and checks your try. ### Who makes DuckyHelper, what we care about and how to reach us Who makes DuckyHelper: MingLLM, Inc., a Delaware corporation founded by Yiming Beckmann. What we care about, our startup programs and how to reach us. ### Press kit: boilerplate, key facts, the founder's story, logos and films Press kit for DuckyHelper, the AI tutor by MingLLM, Inc.: boilerplate, key facts, the founder's story as he tells it, logos, films and press contact. ## Ready to learn DuckyHelper is ready on your Mac. Learn with Eddy on its blackboard, or with Ducky right on your screen. [Download for Mac](https://duckyhelper.com/download/) [See what it does](https://duckyhelper.com/features/) The Mac app needs Apple silicon and macOS 14 Sonoma or later. There is no Chromebook, Windows or web version right now.