Academic Care Update: AI to Enhance Learning – Modelling

Academic Care Update: AI to Enhance Learning – Modelling

Overnight Elon Musk predicted that smartphones and apps as we know them will cease to be in production within the next five years. Whilst it’s hard to imagine this being the case, I’d seldom bet against the tech entrepreneur. For Musk, AI will replace most of the apps we utilise, and more homogenously work with the user to predict what they need. ‘Content’ via images, videos and music, Musk suggests, will be near totally AI generated, and tailored to our tastes. I’ve said it before, it’s a brave new world.

Within the Academic Care space, this term’s focus has been to assist the girls in becoming more aware of both the pitfalls, and opportunities, AI provide. Marianna Carlino, Director of eLearning, has focussed her presentations on the way that AI can assist students in modelling responses to tasks. Her presentations aim to encourage students to utilise an LMS to help break down a task, and create scaffolds that can support the student in the early development of their work. In this manner, when a girl is ‘stuck’, she has an online assistant to give her a little direction.

Some of the key take aways were that AI can help to

Understand task notifications through;

  • Decoding the requirements of the task
  • Summarisation of requirements
  • Identifying key components or requirements of the task

Clarify aspects of a task through;

  • Provided specific answers to task details
  • Enhancing understanding of core terms and concepts
  • Ensuring criteria compliance

Generate ideas to approach the task through;

  • Assisted brainstorming
  • Fostering creativity
  • Broadening ideas and options

Create outlines, drafts or visual aids through;

  • Developing structured outlines in concert with the student
  • Assisting students in drafting core ideas from their notes and plans
  • Developing visual aids to represent ideas or complex concepts

As always, Marianna highlighted the need for students to generate their own final products, fact check anything developed through AI, consider the need to include a variety of perspectives, and reference any use of sources or generative AI. There are some amazing take aways from this presentation, and I’d encourage you to head to CANVAS with your child, and have a discussion about the ways by which AI could help them in the modelling phase of tasks.

– David Posker-HIll
Academic Care Coordinator