AI-Powered 'Spartan' Study Rooms Take Over Daechi-dong

"If I just nod off because I am sleepy, the staff comes in right away to wake me up."

This is why Kim (18), a third-year student at Chung-Ang University High School in Seoul, frequently visits a managed study room in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu.

On the evening of June 24, as school ended and academy classes wrapped up, students began gathering at the facility one by one.

Upon entering, students routinely handed over their smartphones to a storage locker before quickly taking their assigned seats.

Each desk was equipped with a tablet PC featuring a camera and a timer.

Managed study rooms have become a common sight in the Daechi-dong academy district.

Unlike traditional study rooms that merely provided space, these facilities have evolved to manage not only smartphone usage and attendance but also overall study habits and daily routines.

Managed study rooms track student attendance, collect smartphones, and operate on a class-period system that separates study time from break time.

Furthermore, some facilities, which have gained attention for their so-called "Spartan-style study management," use artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile applications to systematically oversee everything from study plans to drowsiness, outings, and nap times.

Resident staff members monitor students' real-time study status at a glance through screens transmitted from the tablet PCs.

Students must enter a reason into the app if they need to leave their seats, and if they are late returning, a notification is sent to their parents' mobile app.

If a student remains motionless for an extended period while seated, sensors recognize this as sleeping, and staff members come to wake them up.

If a student needs a break, they can set a nap time in the app, and staff will wake them at the designated time.

Study volume is also managed.

When students input their daily study plans into the tablet at their desk, the system automatically tracks whether they have been fulfilled.

Internet lectures can only be watched on the provided study tablets, while access to YouTube, games, and social media is restricted by firewalls.

There is also a warning system.

If rules are violated—such as tardiness, unexcused absences, unauthorized outings, or failure to communicate—a warning notice is issued.

These notices are sent to parents via the app, and exceeding a certain number of warnings leads to expulsion.

A representative for the study room said, "Parents are satisfied that their children are developing study habits without the need for nagging."

Students also noted that this systematic management helps with their studies.

Kim (18), a third-year student at Dongduk Girls' High School, said, "When I was in my second year, I would sit in a study cafe for four hours, but I only actually studied for about one hour. Since coming here, I have been able to focus on studying for about six hours a day on average."

Lee (18), a third-year student at Chungdong High School, said, "It feels like the posture for studying is being formed naturally," adding, "My grades have improved by about three levels."

Some students even travel from other provinces to attend these Spartan-style managed study rooms.

Students from regions such as North Jeolla, Chungcheong, and Gangwon spend their breaks at these facilities after attending special lectures at Daechi-dong academies.

However, not all students adapt to this system.

Lee, a student at Chung-Ang University High School, said, "I have friends who gave up because the system was too strict," adding, "They seemed to struggle because they didn't enroll of their own volition."

Experts advised that while management-style study rooms can help form temporary study habits, students must ultimately cultivate self-directed learning skills.

The concern is that if students study mechanically by relying on the management of others, they may face difficulties with autonomous learning once that management is removed.

Kwak Keum-joo, a professor emeritus of psychology at Seoul National University, said, "For students who find it difficult to maintain study habits through willpower alone, external management can help reduce laziness," adding, "They seek out these management systems because there are limits to setting and executing goals on one's own."

However, Professor Kwak added, "If one becomes overly dependent on the system from the beginning, it can be difficult to develop the ability to study on one's own. It should be used to build consistent study habits, but it must ultimately lead to self-directed learning."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.