AI in Education Bi-weekly Digest - Issue #21

Welcome to our latest #21 newsletter, where we dive into the latest advancements and discussions shaping the future of learning and technology. We recently wrapped up our engaging seminar on "Designing Assessment for an Age of Artificial Intelligence," with key insights from Prof. Phillip Dawson. Also, we explore head-to-head comparisons between leading AI models like ChatGPT 4o and Gemini 1.5 Pro, and introduce groundbreaking tools like Meta's Llama 3 and Google's LearnLM designed to revolutionize educational engagement. Additionally, we tackle the controversies and potential of AI in education with expert commentary and research insights. Whether you're an educator, a technologist, or simply an AI enthusiast, this newsletter is packed with critical updates and thought-provoking articles to keep you informed and inspired.

Past Activities:

[Online Seminar] Designing Assessment for An Age of Artificial Intelligence - We are pleased to announce the successful completion of our seminar, "Designing Assessment for an Age of Artificial Intelligence," held on May 13, 2024. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Prof. Phillip Dawson, Co-Director of the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning at Deakin University, for his enlightening presentation.

For those who could not attend or wish to revisit the seminar, we encourage you to explore the event highlights. Archived video recordings and presentation slides are now available for your review and further study.

News, Articles & Blogs:

[Commentary] ChatGPT 4o vs Gemini 1.5 Pro: It’s Not Even Close - This week is heating up with major developments in generative AI, as the giants in the field go head-to-head. With the rollout of ChatGPT 4o and Gemini 1.5 Pro, it's a great opportunity to get a comprehensive overview of their capabilities—just for entertainment purposes.

[Announcement] Introducing Meta Llama 3: The most capable openly available LLM to date - Although it was announced a bit earlier, it would be a miss if we forgot to mention Llama 3, published by Meta, especially considering its relatively relaxing licensing for those looking to create their own LLM applications.

[Announcement] How generative AI expands curiosity and understanding with LearnLM - Google introduces LearnLM, a new AI model family designed to enhance learning through active engagement, personalized content, and educational tools across platforms like Search, YouTube, and Google Classroom. It looks intriguing, although another piece of text raises some existing problems with LearnLM.

[Commentary] A quarter of U.S. teachers say AI tools do more harm than good in K-12 education - A Pew Research Center survey reveals that one in four U.S. K-12 teachers believe AI tools like ChatGPT are more detrimental than beneficial to education, with high school teachers expressing the most concern.

[Commentary] Could AI be the next college teaching assistant? Some Colorado professors believe so - Colorado professors explore AI as a potential college teaching assistant, integrating it into classroom activities to enhance learning and creativity, despite debates about its use in academia.

[Commentary] Mitigating Hallucinations in LLMs for Community College Classrooms: Strategies to Ensure Reliable and Trustworthy AI-Powered Learning Tools - Discover strategies to mitigate AI hallucinations in community college classrooms, ensuring reliable and trustworthy AI learning tools by refining data input and enhancing model understanding.

[Commentary] A Data-Centered Approach to Education AI - Stanford scholars propose a participatory AI approach to develop ethical, equitable AI solutions for education, by engaging teachers and students early in the data specification process for machine learning tools, aiming to improve data quality and model effectiveness while addressing privacy and bias concerns.

[News] Ava AI Chatbot Could Help Ease The School College Counseling Crisis - The article discusses Ava, an AI-driven chatbot developed by the College Guidance Network to address the high student-to-counselor ratio in schools and enhance college counseling. Ava offers personalized guidance, supports multiple languages, and ensures privacy and equity in educational planning, backed by expert advice and data protection protocols.

[Commentary] Using AI to Help Students Teach in Order to Learn - The article discusses the innovative approach of using AI, specifically ChatGPT, to enhance learning by having students teach the AI. This method, called AI-FIXIT, involves creating scenarios where the AI has deliberate misconceptions that students must correct, thereby deepening their understanding and mastery of the subject matter.

[Research] ChatGPT "contamination": estimating the prevalence of LLMs in the scholarly literature - Andrew Gray's study analyzes the prevalence of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT in scholarly literature by identifying keywords typical in LLM-generated texts. It estimates over 60,000 scholarly articles in 2023 utilized LLM assistance, urging a nuanced understanding and transparent disclosure of AI use in academic publishing.

Tools/Resources:

Disclaimer: AI in Education has no affiliation with any highlighted free or commercial products in this section.

[Tool] Socratic - Socratic, powered by Google AI, offers a comprehensive learning app that supports various subjects including Science, Math, and Literature. It provides visual explanations and relevant resources to help students and teachers. Highly praised, it enhances understanding and problem-solving skills, making it a favorite educational tool for learning enhancement.

[Tool] Eduaide.Ai - Eduaide.Ai is an AI-driven platform designed to streamline lesson planning and enhance teaching methods. It offers tools for generating personalized lesson resources, providing student feedback, and building assessments. Available in multiple languages, Eduaide simplifies administrative tasks, allowing educators to focus more on teaching and student engagement.

[Course] AI 101 for Teachers - The "AI 101 for Teachers" series offers educators a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and its impact in education. It features expert-led sessions on AI fundamentals, ethical implementation, and transformative teaching techniques, designed to empower teachers to integrate AI into their curricula effectively.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the linked posts are those of the speakers and or their entities and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the project AI in Education, Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong.