Many different prominent businesses and organizations have already signed on to the White House’s Pledge to America’s Youth: Investing in AI Education, including Amazon, Google, Meta and OpenAI. NetChoice praises these efforts and commitments to maintaining American excellence in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) through investment in our youth.
As an example, many students and teachers have used Google’s search engine before as a technological tool for education. As AI tools continue to develop and become more integrated into Americans’ lives and work, it is increasingly important to start educating students on AI use in the classroom as well. This not only equips teachers with the ability to further enhance the standard of education for students across the nation but also ensures that the next generation is well-versed in digital literacy and adequately prepared to enter the modern workforce.
Google is just one of the companies contributing to these efforts. This summer, they introduced a multitude of education-specific AI tools, including Gemini for Education, new Gemini App features, NotebookLM for Learning, AI in Google Classroom and Chromebook Plus AI features.
And now that students are in the back-to-school swing, they have just announced even more – including Guided Learning, a free one-year subscription to Google’s AI Pro plan for students across the United States, and a $1 billion investment spread over the next three years for AI education efforts like AI literacy programs and research funding.
Here is a general overview of a few:
1. Gemini for Education:
A version of Gemini built specifically for the unique needs of the education sector.
2. New Gemini App Features:
Gemini Live, a conversational add-on that allows for voice and video interaction with the AI assistant, rather than needing a written prompt.
Gemini Canvas, responses that incorporate interactive diagrams and visuals along with written responses, and the ability to generate personalized and interactive study quizzes.
3. NotebookLM for Learning:
By utilizing uploaded documents, NotebookLM enables students to create personalized study tools tailored to their individual learning styles. These range from traditional study guides to turning sources into podcast-style audio discussions or educational videos.
Featured Notebooks, expert-curated notebooks on a wide range of subjects, such as scientific explorations, travel guides and financial analysis. This feature also allows active interaction components for users and promotes public sharing of them to spread expertise and commentary.
4. AI in Google Classroom:
- Content generation for drafting resources, lessons and presentations.
- Educators can assign NotebookLM resources and custom AI “Gems” (AI “Gems” are customizable versions of the Gemini AI assistant, specifically tailored to different students’ educational needs) to students directly.
5. Chromebook Plus AI Features:
- Reading Comprehension tools that can quickly “summarize” and “simplify” text.
- Text Capture, a way for AI to help students stay organized.
6. Guided Learning:
Guided Learning is a new mode in Gemini that helps students learn and study by building a deep understanding and encouraging participation through open-ended questions that promote in-depth discussion in a conversational and open space.
The release of these new tools comes as AI has entered the forefront of American society and debate. In terms of education, this integration is crucial and will drive a positive change for future generations.
Education tools like Google’s set the stage for this technology to empower students to have a hands-on learning experience. They will be able to control more of how they interact with the material and determine the easiest and most enjoyable ways to learn. Active learning has been found to have several positive outcomes, including higher levels of engagement and motivation, positive attitudes toward the classroom, improved test scores, enhanced problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills, as well as decreased drop-out rates.
Furthermore, AI tools allow active learning to be taken a step further by having the capability to help teachers tailor a unique learning experience best suited to the needs of each individual student. Between the four established learning styles and the fact that about 1 in every 5 individuals across the U.S. has learning and attention issues, the option to create customizable education is priceless. Teachers have limited time, which unfortunately means that they are not able to adapt their instruction style to perfectly fit the needs of every student in the classroom. But the use of AI makes this possible, maximizing teacher capacity and student outcomes.
Educational AI tools like these also work as great sources of supplementary content, providing students with additional resources for topics with which they may be struggling, or just showing it to them in different formats that they may not be able to access in a traditional classroom setting.
Lastly, Gemini Live’s voice and video conversational modes can serve as a vital resource for children in lower literacy areas.
Supporting these students’ learning abilities can have a significant impact: it improves not only their potential employment opportunities and social mobility but also stimulates the overall economy and lowers crime.
Google’s suite of AI educational tools has been “informed by years of research and partnership with educators, pedagogical experts and students” and created in collaboration with a “cross-disciplinary team of AI experts, neuroscientists and cognitive scientists.”
This directly exhibits how AI will not come to replace the teaching profession; it will amplify it. It is important to remember that artificial intelligence is a tool meant to enhance users’ day-to-day lives rather than take over. That does not change when it comes to education.