Improving school curriculum with AI

Bill Salak, CTO at Brainly, explores AI in education. The role of technology in facilitating student learning is a topic of ongoing debate. One such point of contention is the use of AI tools to assist students with homework. While some see AI as a valuable resource for clarification and practice, others express concerns about potential drawbacks. Today, Bill discusses whether we should let kids use AI in their homework.
About the speaker

Bill Salak

Brainly

 - Brainly

Bill Salak is CTO at Brainly

Show Notes

  • 01:29
    The origin and purpose of Brainly
    Brainly was founded over a decade ago, inspired by in-person study groups in Poland, to recreate the collaborative study group experience online. Since then, it has grown into a global platform with over 350 million users, facilitating homework assistance and peer collaboration.
  • 02:33
    Brainly's AI powered personalization
    Brainly's platform uniquely leverages AI, focusing on understanding why a student asks a question rather than just providing answers. Brainly addresses root causes and personalizes assistance for better learning outcomes by considering each learner's unique needs.
  • 06:02
    Using Brainly for homework assistance
    Parents and kids can access Brainly via the website or app, where they can immediately start using it anonymously without registering. Brainly is intended for students aged 13 and older to ask questions and receive assistance with their homework tasks.
  • 06:37
    Personalized homework assistance with Brainly's AI
    With Brainly's mobile app, a student tackling Algebra II can snap a picture of a challenging equation and submit it for assistance. Brainly's AI analyzes the question, learning from the users interactions and leveraging the history of similar students for more complete responses.
  • 08:58
    Attitudes towards AI in learning
    Some critics believe the struggle and hunt to access information is integral to learning. However, Brainly challenges this notion, emphasizing that access to information is a fundamental aspect of learning.
  • 11:08
    Building critical thinking skills
    Brainly acknowledges the need to teach students how to use the information they access to develop critical thinking skills. They believe their focus on understanding the "why" behind a question helps students make those connections.
  • 12:03
    How learners engage with the Brainly platform
    While some users will delve deeper into certain subjects based on interest, others move on after getting the initial answer. The platform accommodates this diversity by offering the answers upfront, followed by detailed explanations, catering to individual learning styles and interests.
  • 14:09
    School acceptance of Brainly
    Brainly receives mixed reactions from schools, with some teachers appreciating its value and outreach from schools interested in integrating it into classrooms. While Brainly wasn't initially designed for classroom use, theyre developing a product specifically tailored for classroom integration.

Quotes

  • "What we're doing with AI is trying to figure out, how can we answer this question best for this particular learners' need?" - Bill Salak

  • "What we found in our research is that the best teachers will try to understand why a student's asking a question." - Bill Salak

  • "The process of learning is taking something you don't know and connecting it to something you do know so that your mental model or your map of the information improves." - Bill Salak

  • "Access to information is a prerequisite to learning." - Bill Salak

About the speaker

Bill Salak

Brainly

 - Brainly

Bill Salak is CTO at Brainly

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