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Let’s admit it, transitioning from live classes to online classes was a real struggle. Now how many of you have attended an online course wearing your pyjamas? However, the fight is genuine for teachers as well. Math learning tool, the new technology advancements and the whole work from home situation were getting on the trainers’ nerves. They were desperately finding a way out to make the transition smooth.
Being overwhelmed with assignments, teachers found it highly challenging to correct and feedback reports to each and every one of them. As a student, it was always easy for them to take math assignment help or computer science homework help from experts. Students who want to find a balance between their academic and social life often reach out for professional use. But what help can professionals find when they are flooded with assignments? Read on to find out the solutions.
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What Is ASSISTments?
The researchers of Worcester Polytechnic Institute are creating artificial intelligence software for distance trainers. This tool will suggest specific feedback that teachers can give to students on their written math assignments. They previously came up with ASSISTments, an online free math teaching tool that has ensured self-confidence in teachers. This tool resulted in tremendous flexibility during the shift to online pedagogy of learning. WPI assigned the best team to develop software that will support the students and teachers alike.
More than 25,000 teachers adopted ASSISTments to help them with distance learning. This software is meant to enable teachers to assign math problems sets to their online students. This free tool gives instant feedback to the students once they have completed the assignments. It also provides instructions data to trainers to enlighten them about their further actions. This tool presents high quality instructions on the classes, be it physical or online.
Since March, the tool has been in use when the world went on a paradigm shift due to COVID-19. As a result, teachers all across the United States and 50 international states have signed up for free ASSISTments accounts. Primary and middle-class teachers and students mainly use this tool. However, this tool has seen a steep rise in usage across all grade levels. The increasing popularity allows teachers from grades 1-12 to upgrade their already existing classroom techniques.
Quick Comments The New Artificial Intelligence Software
Researchers of WPI who have invented ASSISTments are now working on another software. This is a complex Artificial Intelligence integrated software that will provide temporary assignments to students english homework help. It will also suggest immediate personalized feedback to teachers. The software Quick Comments will rely on machine learning and natural language processing techniques. It will work similarly to Google Smart Reply, allowing Google users to use suggested responses rather than crafting their own.
Steps required in creating the tool:
- The first step would be to collect teacher’s actual comments that can be used as a training set for machine learning.
- After receiving the responses, the technology team will apply machine learning techniques to anticipate the perfect answer for the students in the future.
- There will be three pre-formatted choices, and the second group of teachers will try to choose the responses from these texts.
Some choices will be created while others will be sequenced generated comments by machine learning. This will allow the developers to learn the suggestions used mainly by the teachers and also why they did not pick any suggestions while writing.
WPI Researchers Joining Hands With AI To Provide Integrated Homework Feedback
Quick Comments is going to be ASSISTments new AI feature built by a power couple. Neil Heffernan and Christina Heffernan introduced this tool to the world. It is now used by 20,000 teachers and 50,000 students from 20 different countries around the globe. As per the reports released by Barnes & Noble’s College, in February, 44% of the students said that the value of the college declined due to pandemics. Moreover, they were struggling to adjust to decreased engagement and the effectiveness of online learning.
Keeping these struggles in mind, someone had to do something. This is when the computer science professors racked their brains and developed innovative software. The creative idea bagged 1 million dollars from the National Science Foundation as funds. The tool is currently under the culmination of 3 years of extensive research. The neural networks will learn new skills by aggregating a large amount of data.
Heffernan mentions that Artificial Intelligence focuses mainly on the written answers to math problems. This demands a more nuanced approach than simply marking the answers right or wrong. The main idea behind developing this software was to allow teachers to send more feedback reports within a limited period of time. According to the professor, the written question answers have become more commonplace in K-12 schools. This is because these areas are mainly embracing virtual learning models. The software will give the teachers a chance to choose between several feedbacks and comments. This will also explain the reasons for the correctness of their choices.
A handful of teachers currently tests the beta version of this tool for about 5000 students. These students will mainly be of elementary and middle school levels. The professor believes that this tool has proven to be helpful, and the positive reviews on this have motivated the developers to move forward with their AI research.
“We are now grading and suggesting comments to our teachers. We are telling our teachers to send comments from the three options to the students”, Heffernan said.
Many Edtech companies have invested in the creation of rudimentary machine learning and AI. However, their focus has been on platforms that are used for exam proctoring. These platforms detect cheating during digital exams and also suggests content and grading suggestions based on course materials. In addition, the idea of AI often paints an image of a dystopian society. This is where the machines take over, and automated obs replace manual labour. However, Heffernan believes that AI should be used to serve more simple functions like helping people rather than taking over.
He mentions there are limitations to what technology can and cannot do. Humans and technology should work together to achieve a simplified universe. Anyone trying to prove themselves better can lead to an utmost mess. The developers are concerned about the ethical implications of relying too much on AI. They mention that too many issues in this world demand eradication, racism, for instance. The main goal of this tool is to help teachers and not to replace them. As long as AI is doing simple things of assisting the teachers and students, everyone should be comfortable using this.
Final Thoughts
Digital learning has created a topsy-turvy in the entire education system. Over the past one year, students and teachers alike are still trying toadjust to this new normal. ASSISTments are coming with a new integrated AI software to make the teacher’s job a little easy. This is meant to serve the purpose of reducing the workload of the teachers. But since it is still under development, we need to wait and see how things turn out to know anything for sure.
Also read about: Brilliant Time Management Tips & Tactics For Students
