From MindSpace to HyFlex: Advancing Counselling Education Through AI and Immersive Innovation

Dr. Ahmad Mustaqim Bin Yusoff, Senior Lecturer of the Master of Counselling programme, has been named Champion of the Anugerah Khas YB Menteri Pendidikan Tinggi: Rekabentuk Kurikulum dan Penyampaian Inovatif (AKRI) 2025 under the Virtual Immersive Learning Experience category. His award-winning project, “MindSpace: AI-Powered Counselling Simulation,” advances counselling education through the integration of Mixed Reality (MR) and Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI).

MindSpace is an immersive platform that enables students to engage in realistic counselling scenarios. Using AI-driven avatars that function as both clients and AI-assisted counsellors, learners develop key competencies, including assessment, intervention planning, empathy, and ethical decision-making supported by real-time guidance and feedback.

Enhanced by Gen-AI, the platform delivers adaptive, personalised interactions, ensuring dynamic and context-rich learning experiences. Developed in collaboration with the VORTEX XR Lab at Taylor’s University, MindSpace has gained recognition from IMU University, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, and the Malaysian Board of Counsellors, while aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being.

Complementing this innovation is an AI-enhanced HyFlex learning model at Taylor’s University, founded on a simple principle: AI empowers educators, it does not replace them. At its core is Walter, an AI-powered Peer Learning Buddy providing 24/7 personalised support, adapting to individual learning needs, and identifying knowledge gaps before students enter the classroom.

By automating routine tasks, educators can focus on high-value, human-centred teaching. On-campus experiences remain essential, spaces where students engage in critical thinking, collaboration, emotional intelligence, and ethical discourse. As demonstrated in the AKRI-recognised work of Dr. Vinothini, Senior Lecturer AI enhances not diminishes the human dimension of education.

Together, these innovations mark a transformative shift: immersive technology and intelligent systems expand the possibilities of learning while preserving the irreplaceable value of human connection at the heart of education.