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This back-to-school season brings with it a new major player: generative artificial intelligence (gen AI). Almost two years after ChatGPT was released, the chatbot has undergone many innovative updates and many other gen AI tools for students have hit the market. As a result, there are a multitude of tools available for students, teachers, and parents.
Also, how to use ChatGPT to analyze PDFs (and more) for free
Many worry that the AI generation will negatively impact education by encouraging cheating. However, if used properly, these tools can help students learn more efficiently. They can also help parents and teachers assist students by creating custom learning materials and explaining complex topics that come up in homework assignments, study guides, and more.
I test AI tools every day and wish I had these tools when I was a student.
The key to effectively using AI in schoolwork is identifying the right tools and use cases. There are a lot of tools out there, so to make your life easier, we've compiled the following list after months of testing:
1. Chat GPT
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ChatGPT is at the top of my list because of multiple use cases that could potentially improve student workflow.
As mentioned above, OpenAI's chatbot was released in November 2022 and its writing, coding, and reasoning capabilities attracted the attention of people around the world, sparking a generation boom. Since then, the chatbot has been further improved and has undergone a major update to make it even more suitable for student use.
Also, How to Write a Resume Using ChatGPT
For example, ChatGPT can browse the internet, resulting in information about all the latest events and sites. It can do everything Google can do, but instead of making you aimlessly dig through search results for what you are looking for, the technology gives you answers with easy-to-understand responses and lets you follow footnotes to sites.
ChatGPT can now take in other inputs, such as documents and images, allowing students to use it to summarize documents, transcribe handwritten notes, and simplify textbook passages.
Of course, ChatGPT also comes with advanced writing, coding and mathematical capabilities that make it the perfect assistant for assignments in any subject, including writing and editing essays, solving and explaining math problems, generating and debugging code, and more.
Other ways you can use ChatGPT for learning include:
To use ChatGPT in a way that best suits your own workflow, we encourage you to apply it to the use cases above and try different things.
2. Quizlet
Screenshot: Matene Toure/ZDNET
I used Quizlet from middle school through college as a study tool to memorize exam material. The platform has been using AI to power learning features like Study Mode for over 6 years, but recently implemented even more AI to improve its features and solve all the problems I had with the platform.
Quizlet's core feature is study sets, which contain terms and definitions that students can use for a variety of study exercises and learning styles, including flashcards (my favorite), matching columns, etc. Creating these study sets used to take hours of manual work; now, AI can do it for you.
All teachers and students need to do is type up their notes in the form of PDFs, images, or documents, and Quizlet will then automatically build study sets that can be used for studying.
Also, How to Write an Essay Using ChatGPT
Students can also browse millions of study sets created by others. When I was a student, I could search for a study set on Quizlet for any topic or specific textbook and find that someone else had probably created it.
Recently, Quizlet added two features that teachers can use to create engaging content in the classroom: Blast and Categories. Blast is a gamified study tool where students participate in asteroid-blasting sessions and match terms with definitions from study sets. Categories is a Jeopardy-style game where the whole class participates in a mock quiz show.
3. Grammar
Screenshot: Matene Toure/ZDNET
The free Grammarly extension is so useful that I still use it every day, which is why I included it in my roundup of AI tools for work. What's great about this tool is that it exemplifies using AI to enhance your work, rather than doing it for you. The application runs in the background as you work, catching small mistakes that are easy to miss.
Grammarly is also rolling out a new AI content detection tool. Here's how it works:
Whether you're writing an essay in Google Docs or an email in Gmail, Grammarly scans your text for spelling and grammar errors. It also provides edits on the actual syntax of your text, offering suggestions to rephrase, rewrite, simplify, add details, adjust tone, and more. The result is not only a more polished piece of work, but also an opportunity to learn from your edits.
4. Duolingo
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Duolingo is a great app for learning a new language, allowing students to supplement the language courses they are taking at school and further develop their skills at home.
The beauty of the Duolingo app is that it gamifies the language-learning experience through bite-sized lessons that feel like individual quests, and it also features streaks, leaderboards, leagues, and a points system to motivate learners to keep going.
I quickly fell in love with Duolingo and spent 245 days straight trying to learn a new language.
Also, college students: This new AI tool might make reading easier
Foreign language courses are typically compulsory for students throughout their education, from secondary school level through to college.
Learning a new language is already difficult, but from my experience, foreign language courses are not a priority in schools, especially for younger learners, which leads to a lack of resources and sometimes poor teaching.
Duolingo is a great way to fill in any gaps in your understanding that arise in class, test yourself on your language comprehension before an exam, or supplement your lessons with practice outside of class.
5. Socratic
Socrates at Google
While young learners can benefit from AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, there are concerns about allowing them access to the entire internet. For parents concerned about these concerns, Socratic by Google is a great alternative.
The Socratic app allows students to type in questions about what they're learning in school and upload worksheets, and the app generates conversational, human-like responses with unique graphics and relevant YouTube video links.
The app does more than simply provide answers and write essays: instead, it acts as an intelligent study tool, providing step-by-step explanations and instructions that students can use to work out the answers themselves.
Also, How Google Socratic Can Help You With Your Homework
For parental peace of mind, Socratic also blocks answers to inappropriate questions.
The app isn't limited to younger learners — Google actually calls it “a Google learning app for high school and college students” — but its limited functionality and fun graphics make it a better fit for younger learners.
