Top Generative AI Examples Making Waves in Education

Generative AI has revolutionized many sectors worldwide, prompting better productivity, efficiency and automation. The education sector is one such field that has benefited from the AI wave. Using advanced data analysis, deep neural networks and machine learning models, the innovative technology has opened many avenues for the education system to transform its archaic methods.

Here are some examples of areas where generative AI has empowered teachers and students to improve their classroom experience:

Curriculum Planning

Generative AI is used in many subjects to refine curriculum by making it more innovative and dynamic. The technology can analyze vast amounts of information from textbooks, the latest happenings, research and social media posts. Using this, educators can create lesson plans and prompt efficient materials like quizzes and games to be included. Students, in turn, enjoy an enhanced interaction with the materials, which could improve their comprehension of the topic. 

AI can develop real-life simulations in science classes to enhance students’ learning experience. 

Assignments in language classes can be culturally rich to improve students’ language acquisition. In addition, generative AI can also design conversation assessments to help students practice a language more effectively. These situations pave the way for a more diverse and inclusive educational ecosystem, making education accessible to everyone. 

Some standard generative AI tools teachers use to improve their classroom experience are Google Gemini, ChatGPT and Perplexity AI. They also design interactive materials using AI-powered editing tools like Canva and Pixlr.

Task Automation

Generative AI’s ability to automate tasks helps educators efficiently manage menial tasks like student management and daily reports. This provides teachers more time to do what matters most — teaching and inspiring the next generation. 

In July this year, more than 41,000 teaching positions were vacant in the U.S. In addition, 73% of teachers have work stress, 59% experience burnout and 28% have depression symptoms. These tools can solve labor shortage issues by automating some tasks while waiting for qualified teachers to fill the positions. Apps like Education Copilot can also allow teachers to focus more on their students, make their task management more efficient, improve work-life balance and reduce stress and burnout.

Generative AI tools can also enhance student grading methods and systems. Using machine learning models and algorithms, these tools can analyze, recognize and grade answers in examinations, allowing a more streamlined grading approach. This helps provide students with prompt results and makes the examination process more efficient and automated. In addition, these tools can also detect cheating and further promote a transparent assessment ecosystem. Examples are CoGrader, Graider and EssayGrader.

Personalized Education

In any educational setting, there are fast learners and slow learners. Therefore, equity is essential in ensuring inclusivity among students. Traditional syllabus design and development involve direct and one-dimensional curriculums where the topics, approaches and materials are the same for everyone. 

This causes some students to be left behind in their education. Total dropouts in the U.S. were 5.3% in 2022. Schools now have a way to mitigate this by using generative AI. Lessons can be personalized to meet the student’s learning progress, IQ level and skill apprehension. 

Using historical and real-time data, AI tools can develop exercises matching the students’ abilities and provide feedback accordingly. This gives students sufficient practice and confidence to move to the next level, reducing the potential for dropouts due to a lack of understanding of schoolwork.

An example is the recent implementation of the Google Gemini-powered Coursera tool by the University of Michigan to create a live online course that converses with students about their understanding of a subject and builds lesson plans accordingly. Another common example is the Duolingo app, a language-teaching tool that sets lessons and exercises using the student’s progress. 

Student Performance Insights

In a conventional classroom setting, teachers’ data on their students’ performance and progress are usually based on assignments and assessments. While this may have worked for years, generative AI can improve the conversion of these data into valuable insights.

Teachers can now use advanced tools to get better insights into their students and use this information to improve their teaching and lesson planning. Examples of these tools include Edulastic and ASSISTments, which provide comprehensive solutions that use data-driven analytics to improve performance tracking. 

This can guide teachers in identifying areas where students are struggling and addressing them using proactive teaching methods. It also accelerates the learning process because teachers now have a clever picture of what the student needs to excel in the subject. 

These generative AI tools bridge the gap between students’ knowledge and syllabus comprehension, providing them with an enhanced learning experience and, in turn, creating a flexible and inclusive educational system that can benefit everyone. 

Empathetic Learning

A student’s intelligence is not measured solely by their educational abilities. Their social-emotional development is also vital because it correlates with their personal growth and serves as a stepping stone to their adult life. Research shows that students with a higher level of EQ have more self-confidence, contributing to better academic abilities. 

However, teachers handle many students simultaneously in addition to their usual teaching and workload management. They may not be equipped to efficiently identify and respond to every student’s emotions and behaviors. This causes a lag in student-teacher relationships and could contribute to a decline in students’ academic prowess.

Generative AI-driven tools like Emotion AI can recognize and monitor students’ moods, feelings and emotional states, factor these into their ongoing progress and provide actionable insights for teachers to create more empathetic teaching approaches. Using this data, the tools can detect symptoms of mental health issues and flag them for support and guidance. 

Examples include chatbot-based apps like Wysa and Tess, which help students find someone to talk to, and tools like Alongside, which connect them to counselors. These technological advances significantly contribute to creating a safe space for these students to express their feelings and get professional help, improving emotional growth and nurturing an all-rounded intelligence that better guarantees academic success. 

AI Creates A Future for Interactive Learning Experience

Generative AI tools have changed the very fabric of the educational system, providing innovative and inclusive learning approaches for teacher efficiency and student engagement. 

However, it is vital to ensure a balance between employing these tools and enhancing the talents and skills of a teacher to provide a more conducive learning environment for the future generation.