When the topic of artificial intelligence is brought up in a classroom setting, it tends to immediately be frowned upon. When students turn to their friend on the screen, we assume it’s to cheat.
AI has quickly become the hottest topic in education due to its ease and growing reliability. Just pressing a few letters on a keyboard output a whole essay or fill out the answers to a worksheet.
But AI does not need to be a harmful tool. In fact, it can be very useful, and here are some tips and tricks to use the technology both appropriately and effectively.
Procrastination causes many students stress. On top of jobs, extracurricular activities, and maintaining a good amount of hours of sleep, homework can seem like a never-ending process. Not to mention doom-scrolling in bed for hours. These activities–whether you deem them beneficial or not–can result in students tending to study more at night than during the day.
AI provides substantial help to those who like studying later because of the 24/7 access. In comparison, it is like having a tutor all to yourself for as long as you want. Especially for students who need help that have activities after school during normal tutoring hours, having full-day access can truly be a game changer for someone’s grades. On top of that, it’s free!
At least in my experience when it comes to studying, what takes up a lot of my time is collecting all the information needed to actually study. Some teachers may give you a study guide to reference, and others may tell you to look at your notes. Overall, this just takes time away from what you should be doing–studying.
To save your time, a solution can be found in taking a picture of your notes and uploading it to an AI website. Afterwards, tell AI to “create a study guide with this information,” and within seconds you will have a study guide that is neat and organized.
Another tip I’ve learned is to have AI create Quizlets instead of having to type it in yourself. Quizlet flashcards are a very popular way to study, and having AI generate them for you makes it a lot easier.
Sometimes you get to the point in your studying where you’re thinking, “What else can I do to prepare?” Well, the possibilities of studying with AI are limitless.
Input your study guide, notes, or just what you have been studying and ask AI to generate questions for you. Then, AI will give you a quiz on the information. Not only does this help further your studies, it also may relieve some stress over the real assessment. You can also be quizzed in various ways, such as multiple choice, written response, connections, and more.
Occasionally when students are studying, they may find themselves completely lost and in need of a return to the basics. This is when I give AI the topics I need to know and tell it to “explain this information to me like I’m in fifth grade.” (Yes, it is a thing students do.) As silly as it may sound, don’t hate it until you try it. If it helps you begin to understand the topic, there’s no shame in that.
Artificial intelligence is looked upon as the internet villain. But AI shows no signs of going away anytime soon. It is too easy and effective for it not to be used. It is time to face that fact and move forward with teaching students the appropriate ways of AI being beneficial. AI does not have to be a hero, but it can act as a side-kick to your studies.
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Editors’ note: All opinions expressed on The Uproar are a reflection solely of the beliefs of the bylined author and not the journalism program at NASH. We continue to welcome school-appropriate comments and guest articles.
