We’ve seen AI teachers and AI learning platforms, so why not AI students? Ferris State University will become the first educational institution in the US to let two AI-powered robots attend courses as pupils. Believe it or not, Ferris-U aims to help the school learn more about the student experience on campus.
This AI student project can be difficult to understand, especially when most would likely suggest surveying human students instead. Still, it is a seemingly harmless yet strange experiment that might reveal insights previously unknown. If it succeeds, perhaps Ferris State University could improve the student experience, and other schools might do the same.
This article will discuss how these AI students would work and why the school planned on deploying them. Later, I will explain how AI chatbots have changed learning.
How would these AI students function?
FSU plans to set up computer systems and microphones to enable the AI students to observe their classrooms. Also, these components will let them listen to their professor’s lectures.
The university also named them Ann and Fry and gave them backstories so that they could choose their majors. However, Associate Professor Kasey Thompson told MLive the school did not give the AI students genders and demographics.
They will only be stationary programs with no physical, robotic forms. Ferris-U has roving bots but will not install the digital students into them yet.
They want to focus on the classroom experience observations, which is the main goal of this strange experiment. “We actually came up with the idea to help us better understand, ‘How do we serve the future students at Ferris State University?’” Thompson said.
“What does the higher educational experience look like for students who may not just be 10 feet from the professor in a traditional classroom setting? That was really sort of the impetus, what started it all.”
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FSU researchers will monitor Ann and Fry’s daily experiences to learn what it’s like to be a modern student, from admissions to registration. Then, faculty will use the data to find ways to open higher education to more people.
“Ferris State is a leader in artificial intelligence education and can leverage its expertise to use the technology we teach to strengthen our ability to lead,” said Molly Cooper, a Ferris State professor and scholar of information security, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
The more we use artificial intelligence, we can see what it is capable of and how we can use it to do things more efficiently and effectively,” she added on MLive.
Why do students prefer ChatGPT learning?
On May 15, 2023, education consultation firm Intelligent wanted to know more about students’ study habits over this past academic year.
It surveyed 3,017 high school and college students aged 16-24 and 3,234 parents of younger students. The company discovered a surprising trend: almost all respondents replaced tutoring with AI chatbot learning.
Students shared various reasons why they prefer this software over human tutors. Junior college student Johnson Adegoke said, “As a current student using ChatGPT, I have found it to be a helpful and convenient tool for studying.”
“Unlike seeing a tutor, ChatGPT is available 24/7 and can answer my questions immediately,” he added. Moreover, Adegoke stated the AI program lets him learn whenever he wants.
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“I can study at my own pace and review the information as many times as I need to. While it’s not quite the same as having a human tutor, I appreciate the accessibility and flexibility that ChatGPT offers.” Also, Intelligent shared these other responses:
- “More relaxed, more efficient.”
- “ChatGPT’s ability to correct mistakes makes it easier for children to learn correctly.”
- “ChatGPT can provide timely feedback on students’ learning progress and performance and help students adjust their learning direction and methods.”
Out of all the student respondents, 85% said ChatGPT tutoring is more effective than learning with a human. Moreover, 39% said they have completely replaced conventional tutoring sessions with ChatGPT.
Conclusion
Ferris State University will deploy two AI students to learn more about the student experience. Surprisingly, Ann and Fry will ask professors questions and choose their courses like regular pupils.
Perhaps this experiment could be a groundbreaking way to analyze and improve learning. That is why we should monitor its future results once it starts sometime this year.
Learn more about this AI student experiment on the Ferris State University website. Moreover, check the latest digital tips and trends at Inquirer Tech.