( Eco Times / 07 July 2024 / Authors > Himanshi Lohchab and Aashish
Aryan )
Extract :
Shalini Mehta, a primary school teacher in Pune, uses Google Docs on her
smartphone to record questions for a test on agriculture. The worksheet
featuring multiple-choice
questions she’s looking to prepare is ready in less than 15 minutes. Mehta then inserts
the school’s logo and the paper is
good to be sent to her students
Meanwhile in Gurugram, Divya Dahiya,
another teacher, is wondering how to explain a maths question to her class I students.
She captures an image
and posts a prompt on Chatgpt , which generates a play way method to solve the puzzle. Dahiya then asks Chatgpt, to generate 10 similar problems of varying complexity. Within seconds,
a homework sheet is ready
Generative Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) tools
such as Chatgpt have made inroads into Indian classrooms.
A survey by TeamLease EdTech , a learning and
employability solution company, shows that nearly 60 per cent of educators are
using such tools for interactive learning experiences, new testing and
assessment methods, as well as to reduce time for class preparations
However, AI has potential downsides. It may
diminish creative thinking among young learners due to an over-dependence on
technology. About 10 per cent of educators believe that these tools can
diminish human interaction and critical thinking. They are also worried about
the accuracy of AI generated information
“ The learning system in several city schools
is already digital, with either the Microsoft or the Apple ecosystem “, said Jaideep
Kewalramani, head of employability and COO at Teamlease EdTech. “ Both are
rapidly integrating AI into their Apps and peripheral OS. The penetration of AI
in education, from a learning flow perspective ranges anywhere from 10 to 40
percent, and in some cases, peaking at 80 percent “
Educators are using AI to define pedagogy,
create lesson plans, assessment and even evaluate student responses. On the
other hand, students are using AI to summarize lecture notes, create flash cards and solve problems
But first, learners need to be protected from
potential misuse. “ I regularly communicate to all parents that they must
oversee if their ward is copy-pasting home work from Chatgpt : , Dahiya said
Multimodal capabilities of large language
models ( LLMs ) like OpenAI’s GPT-4o, Google’s Gemini, Meta’s Llama and
Anthropic’s Claude have also started seeing early adoption of edtech platforms,
schools and for home tutoring
Online learning platform upGrad is creating a “ Revision GPT “ , which
will direct learners to the right component for revision and ask personalized
questions. This ( revision, teaching and question ) will be used to generate the learner’s skill
score, which has further use cases for upGrad , the company said
“ I use generative AI not as a disruptor but as
an enhancer of existing educational frameworks “ , said Mayank Kumar,
managing director of upGrad. “ What it
will improve significantly are aspects
related to the dissemination of information, content summarization and
revision, along with increased engagement with content. So, in that sense, the
sector will be impacted, but it will still depend on strong teachers who
motivate and guide students “
Coursera , which hosts
educational content from companies and academic institutions, uses AI solutions
to ensure well-rounded learning for users, the company’s India managing
director, Raghav Gupta said. It has also developed an AI enabled tool
called “ Course Builder “ for teachers and faculty members of academic institutions,
Gupta said
“ Faculty members can write a series of
prompts, such as the subject matter of what they teach, the target audience and
the total duration of the class. What AI will then do, is create the full
outline of the course along with the details “, he said, adding that with the
help of the tool, teachers have been able to plan new teaching courses within two
weeks , as opposed to six months that they took otherwise.
Separately, AI unicorn Fractal’s edtech offering is using gen AI
to speed up content creation, which has upskilled 600 employees of a footwear
retail company in record time. “ By mastering diverse prompt design strategies,
we are able to produce high quality initial drafts with remarkable efficiency “,
said Rashesh Shah, chief practice officer, EdTech
For instance, a finance team member applied the
prompt strategy to develop a credit card usage policy , “ using ChatGPT. “ This
process, streamlined by the tool, took only three to four hours – a task that
would typically require at least a day “ , Shah said
Popular Youtube educator channel ThinkSchool
is using image generation tools like Midjourney and Dall-E to create convincing
story line for its videos, rather than using stock images
“ We created a video on French designer Louis
Vuitton’s life “ , said Ganesh Prasad Sridharan, co-founder of ThinkSchool
“ You will not find images of a 13 year old Louis in Paris. But AI has helped us bring out emotions of story-telling which increases watch time , recommendations and revenue “
Vidyakul, a
K-12 learning platform, is training 3 MILLION state board students in Bihar ,
Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat using the multi lingual tutor , “ Drone AI “
“ The State Board curriculum is known for its rigour and depth, and there
is a dearth of learning material available on the internet tailored
specifically for it . AI is helping us bridge this gap by creating content in
Indian languages “ , said Raman Garg, co-founder and CTO , Vidyakul. “ Instead of merely dispensing
direct answers, our AI engages students with probing questions related to their
doubts “
Because when AI is utilized to provide direct
answers, it risks fostering a superficial engagement with the material, Garg
said, adding that students may resort to copy-pasting. To solve this, Vidyakul
has implemented mechanisms to promote ethical use of AI , such as plagiarism
detection.
On-demand English tutoring platform Clapingo
is generating reports that evaluate learners’ conversation on grammar,
accuracy, fluency, pronunciation and vocabulary
“ Only two percent of Indians speak fluent
English, while 30 per cent manage with “ broken English “ and a staggering 97 per cent of Indian
engineer lack the necessary English skills for high-end jobs “, said Abhishek
KG, co-founder , Clapingo.
“ Our on-video AI teaching assistant helps professionals practice English
conversations in real time, but we also preserve the effectiveness of
one-on-one coaching “, he said
Even government schools are embracing AI. The
Apprentice Project ( TAP ) , a non-profit organization which has built an AI
chatbot, “ TAP Buddy
“ , is powering 34,000 students between classes IV and X across 240 government
schools in India, for self-learning
“ Our chatbot
utilizes AI and video-based content to engage with students, and based on their
pace and rigor , it prompts them to participate in the activities “, said Anand
Gopakumar , co-founder and CEO, TAP. “ Students are
given personalized AI-based nudges and content, including clearing doubts
submitted either as text or voice messages. At the end of each activity, the
students upload videos / photos via the bot, showcasing their learnings “
How
Ed-Tech Firms are Upscaling with AI :
Ø
UpGrad
is creating “ Revision GPT “, to direct learners through problem solving
Ø
Coursera
is using AI to generate course outline in record time
Ø
Fractal
is creating course material in record time
Ø
Youtube
educator ThinkSchool is using AI images for story-telling
Ø
Vidyakul
app can train three million State Board students in multiple languages
Ø
Clapingo’s
AI voice assistant is training professionals to converse in English
Ø The NGO TAP is is taking its AI bot to 240 government
schools
My Take :
Comparative
Tabulation prepared by ChatGPT :
Here's the table with desired information :
|
Platform |
Feature |
For
School Students |
For
Teachers |
Requires
Registration |
Requires
Payment |
User
Friendliness |
|
UpGrad |
Revision GPT for
personalized questions and skill scores |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, varies by course |
Good |
|
Coursera |
AI-enabled Course Builder
for creating course outlines |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, varies by course |
Excellent |
|
Fractal |
Gen AI for speeding up
content creation |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, custom pricing for
enterprises |
Fair |
|
ThinkSchool |
AI images for storytelling
in educational videos |
Yes |
No |
No |
Free (ad-supported) |
Good |
|
Vidyakul |
Multilingual tutor Drone AI
for state board students |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes, nominal fee |
Good |
|
Clapingo |
AI voice assistant for
English conversation practice |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes, subscription-based |
Good |
|
TAP |
AI chatbot TAP Buddy for
self-learning in government schools |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Free |
Excellent |
|
My-Teacher.in |
Personalized lesson plans
and interactive learning tools |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Free |
Excellent |
|
Byjus |
Comprehensive learning app
with video lessons and interactive content |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, subscription-based |
Excellent |
|
Diksha |
Digital infrastructure for
knowledge sharing and teaching |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Free |
Good |
|
CherriLearn |
AI-based personalized
learning paths and assessments |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes, subscription-based |
Good |
|
SimpliLearn |
Online courses for
professional skills and certifications |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, varies by course |
Excellent |
|
Schoolnet |
Digital learning solutions
for K-12 education |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Varies by product |
Good |
|
Genius Teacher |
Personalized learning with
AI-driven recommendations |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes, subscription-based |
Good |
|
Adda247 |
Test preparation platform
for government exams |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes, subscription-based |
Good |
|
Ekagrata Eduserv |
Personalized coaching and
mentoring |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, varies by course |
Good |
|
Doubtnut |
Doubt-solving app with video
solutions |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Free |
Good |
|
Happiest Minds |
IT services and solutions
for education |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Custom pricing |
Fair |
|
Unacademy |
Online learning platform
with live classes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, subscription-based |
Excellent |
|
Techno Services |
Digital education solutions
for schools |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Custom pricing |
Good |
|
StudyIQ |
Online platform for
competitive exams |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes, subscription-based |
Good |
|
Veeksha |
Personalized learning
platform with AI tools |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, subscription-based |
Good |
Summary
of Platforms:
·
UpGrad: Requires registration and payment, cost varies
by course.
·
Coursera: Requires registration and payment, cost varies
by course.
·
Fractal: Requires registration and custom pricing for
enterprise use.
·
ThinkSchool: No
registration required, free with ads.
·
Vidyakul: Requires registration and a nominal fee.
·
Clapingo: Requires registration and a subscription fee.
·
TAP: Requires registration, free
for government school students.
·
My-Teacher.in :
No registration or payment required, unlimited free
use for any visitor.
·
Byjus: Requires registration and a subscription fee, offers excellent
user experience
with comprehensive video lessons and interactive
content.
·
Diksha: Requires registration but is free to use,
provides good user
experience
with a digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing.
·
CherriLearn: Requires registration and a subscription fee, offers
good user experience with AI-based
personalized learning paths.
·
SimpliLearn: Requires registration and payment,
cost varies by
course, provides excellent user experience
with a focus on
professional skills and certifications.
- Schoolnet: Requires registration and payment
varies by product. Offers digital learning solutions for K-12
education. User-friendliness is good.
- Genius Teacher: Requires registration and a subscription
fee. Provides personalized learning with AI-driven recommendations.
User-friendliness is good.
- Adda247: Requires registration and a subscription
fee. Specializes in test preparation for government exams.
User-friendliness is good.
- Ekagrata Eduserv: Requires registration and payment
varies by course. Offers personalized coaching and mentoring.
User-friendliness is good.
- Doubtnut: Requires registration but is free to use. Focuses on
doubt-solving with video solutions. User-friendliness is good.
- Happiest Minds: Requires registration and custom
pricing. Provides IT services and solutions for education.
User-friendliness is fair.
- Unacademy: Requires registration and a subscription
fee. Offers an online learning platform with live classes.
User-friendliness is excellent.
- Techno Services: Requires registration and custom
pricing. Provides digital education solutions for schools.
User-friendliness is good.
- StudyIQ: Requires registration and a subscription
fee. Specializes in online platform for competitive exams.
User-friendliness is good.
- Veeksha: Requires registration and a subscription
fee. Offers a personalized learning platform with AI tools.
User-friendliness is good.