Artificial Intelligence Innovations in Virtual Learning

·7 mins
Christoph C. Cemper

The field of education has changed dramatically over the past century, as schools have constantly evolved to meet the shifting educational needs of the future workforce. In the early 1900s, most students needed a broad but relatively shallow education, with some people going on to more specialized training in college. As the decades went by, more and more students were driven toward a more advanced and focused education, heading to college in growing numbers to acquire deep knowledge in one or two subject areas that would be necessary for their career. And as schools and colleges changed to better meet students’ needs, they brought the latest technologies into their classrooms, from overhead projectors and filmstrips to calculators, Scantron machines, VCRs, computers, and interactive whiteboards.

In today’s economy, it’s becoming increasingly hard to spend your entire career specializing in one thing. The skills you learn at college may not be the ones you need in a decade or two, so modern employees need to keep learning throughout their working lives. The Internet has made this easier, and now, the rise of artificial intelligence has given people a powerful new tool to help them learn. Whether you need to acquire new skills or refresh your memory of old ones, AI can help you do it, and this technology is increasingly accessible to everyone in one form or another, either inside or outside of a classroom. AI has made learning faster and cheaper for many people, opening up new educational avenues and lowering barriers for those who have been underserved in the traditional educational system.

Applications of AI in Virtual Education>

Applications of AI in Virtual Education #

Adaptive Learning>

Adaptive Learning #

Artificial intelligence can be used to create educational software that adapts to the needs of each learner. For instance, a student studying math might be presented with some fairly simple questions, and as they answer questions correctly, the AI automatically starts asking more challenging questions about different topics, adapting to meet the student at their level. AI can also be used to convert material into a more accessible format, like breaking down long texts into shorter sections with simpler language or reading texts aloud for students who learn better by listening than by reading.

Intelligent Tutoring Systems>

Intelligent Tutoring Systems #

Tutoring software powered by AI can provide customized instruction, give detailed insights on how a student is doing and what they need to work on, and offer encouragement and support along the way. These tools can give students real-time feedback and opportunities to revise and improve their work.

Virtual Facilitators>

Virtual Facilitators #

In online courses, AI chatbots can be useful teaching assistants. These AI tools can  prompt and facilitate student discussions and answer their questions about the material being studied, clarifying material to help remote learners get the most out of virtual instruction.

Virtual Learning Resources for Students>

Virtual Learning Resources for Students #

Math>

Math #

  • How Generative AI Can Support Research-Based Math Instruction: ChatGPT can be a useful tool for generating math problems to solve and explanations of concepts you don’t understand.
  • IXL Math: Choose your grade level and pick which skill you want to work on to find exercises to help you learn.
  • Khan Academy: This site has tons of different online courses, including math for every grade level, all for free.
  • Mathplanet: Free courses in high school math can help you to learn about algebra and geometry or even prepare for the SAT or ACT exam.
  • Wolfram MathWorld: You’ll find an extensive encyclopedia of mathematical knowledge on this site.
  • Polypad Virtual Manipulatives: Some math topics are easier to learn with manipulatives, but if you’re not in a classroom, you can still use these learning tools online.
  • Illustrative Mathematics: Choose your grade level to find a complete curriculum for learning math.
  • Desmos Graphing Calculator: Take on advanced math problems without owning your own graphing calculator using this online version.
Science>

Science #

  • National Geographic Explorer Classroom: Watch live video sessions with real scientists talking about their work.
  • Live on NASA TV: Learn about the latest missions and space-related research from NASA.
  • Space Time: This PBS series delves into astrophysics in videos that make the subject comprehensible to a broader audience.
  • Eons: Produced in association with PBS, this series tells the history of all life on our planet, from the earliest life forms to the dinosaurs and beyond.
  • Crash Course: Biology: Crash Course is a valuable learning resource on many topics, including a variety of sciences. This course covers biology topics like how cells work, the structure of DNA, evolution, comparative anatomy, systems of the human body, and plant reproduction.
  • Discover Your Changing World: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration put together this book of activities and explanations to help kids learn about climate science.
  • Science Simulations: If you’re having trouble understanding a scientific concept, look here to see if there’s an interactive simulation on the topic. This site has lots of different simulations to help you understand different aspects of physics, chemistry, Earth science, and biology.
  • The Physics Classroom: Explore this site to find learning tools that can help you get a better grasp on physics concepts.
Language Arts>

Language Arts #

  • Six Creative Uses of ChatGPT as a Free English Tutor: ChatGPT can be a powerful AI tool for a lot of purposes, including education. With the right prompt, ChatGPT can help you to better understand grammar, improve your vocabulary, and fix errors in your writing.
  • DeepL: Paste in a piece of text and this tool will suggest possible improvements.
  • Hemingway Editor: This tool can help you write more like Ernest Hemingway and show you the reading level of your text, which can help you spot when your prose is too complex or too simple for your audience.
  • Grammarly: Use this online grammar-checker to find mistakes in your writing.
  • FunBrain Books: Read stories online to improve your reading comprehension. Reading is like any other skill: The more you practice, the better you get at it.
  • Scholastic Kids Press: Keep up on the news by reading stories written by young reporters.
  • Storyline Online: You don’t even have to do the reading yourself to get better at reading; listening to someone else read a book to you can improve your reading skills, too. Storyline Online features videos of famous actors reading some of their favorite children’s books.
Technology>

Technology #

  • Typing Bolt: Find out how fast you can type and improve your typing skills with this AI-powered tool.
  • Keybr: Learn to type with this tool that helps you get better at using more letters on the keyboard as you master the ones you’re practicing.
  • Hour of Code: Code.org has lots of free activities you can use to learn about coding.
  • Understanding Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Some technologies are literally changing how we see the world, either by adding things to what we see or giving us a whole new virtual environment to look at.
  • Getting Started With AI Prompting: It only takes a few minutes to learn about choosing and using AI prompts to get things done with ChatGPT.
  • W3 Schools: Teach yourself everything you need to know to be a Web developer by working through the lessons on this site.
  • Teachable Machine: If you’ve ever wondered how AI tools learn what they know, you can find out and try it for yourself here.
Virtual Tours>

Virtual Tours #

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