Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a factor in education, from ChatGPT university-specific extended language model (LLM)) to the new Generative AI-motorized Writing Coaches. Apple and Google Offering AI training resources for students; Georgia Tech even has an Nvidia AI Supercomputer Students can use it.
However, educators themselves have not embraced technology as quickly as their students, something textbook publisher Pearson hopes to change.
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On Thursday, Pearson released An AI assistant for teachers that helps them create personalized assignments for their students and save time preparing course materials. The teacher tool will be launched in August on Pearson’s MyLab and Mastering teaching and learning platforms, which allow teachers to design courses, assign assignments and track their students’ progress.
As Chris Hess, director of AI product management at Pearson, demonstrated to ZDNET, a math teacher could ask the AI tool to create an assignment with 10 questions of easy and medium difficulty. Using a chapter from a Sullivan algebra textbook as a basis, the tool sorts through the 429 questions in the section and suggests the optimal 10.
The process takes a minute or two (Hess said Pearson is working on latency), after which the instructor can ask the tool to adjust difficulty, replace questions or save the assignment with those selections.
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Hess explained that instead of having to sift through hundreds of questions manually, instructors using the tool will be able to reclaim time to prepare for classes or complete other more in-depth work. With continued use, the AI tool will also personalize responses based on instructor preferences, making course management more efficient.
Pearson’s AI chatbot, in beta, creates a task
Screenshot by Radhika Rajkumar/ZDNET
“You can imagine how in the long term this could evolve into something even more special,” said Hess, who is also a former biology professor. “Maybe I’ll suggest specific elements to add based on [on] “The students’ performance on the previous assignment,” he explained. Another possible development could allow teachers to ask the tool to copy and update a course from last year and adapt it to upcoming class dates.
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“As student use of generative AI increases in higher education, many instructors report a lack of understanding of how AI can support their teaching,” the company said in the statement, noting the gap between student and instructor implementation.
In the statement, Pearson cited a survey Of the 2,654 US college professors it found, “38% had little to no confidence in their ability to incorporate generative AI into their teaching practices,” though 36% said using generative AI to create course materials would be helpful. Pearson’s own research confirmed that more students than professors are currently using AI “to help them study more efficiently and get good grades,” according to the release.
Similar to many AI tools, the goal of Pearson’s assistant is to reduce administrative workload and create more time for elements of teaching that can’t be automated, such as working directly with students or paying more attention to specific topics as needed. Other studies have also found that educators are embracing the idea that genAI can discharge Some of your manual tasks. Considering the amount challenges Teachers have had to cope in recent years and this tool could be a welcome help.
Pearson emphasized its commitment to the responsible implementation of AI in educational settings. “Pearson’s application of generative AI is supported by learning scientists, approved by subject matter experts, and based on content from Pearson’s library of higher education materials,” the company said in the statement.
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Last year, Pearson began introducing gen AI study tools for students, including those for the company’s e-textbooks “to provide personalized step-by-step guidance, content summary, and explanations of complex concepts,” the release explains. These tools will also be available for 50 Pearson titles this coming fall semester.