How AI Tools Are Helping Students Learn More Efficiently

AI has quickly gone from a tech buzzword to a staple tool in many modern workplaces. Now, this change is taking place in educational institutions too. Students already use AI at home to critique their work or generate ideas for essays (hopefully not to write them!), while teachers might be wondering how to incorporate it into the classroom.

The great swathes of the internet’s information is now so easily accessed and understood that even children can read scholarly articles in an accessible way. So much is changing in the classroom because of AI.

Here are just a few ways it can help students learn more efficiently, whether you’re trying to get to grips with AI for the first time as a teacher, or wondering how to benefit your students even more by utilising its full capabilities.

Personalised Learning Methods

One teacher tends to mean one teaching method. As versatile as modern teachers are, they can’t dramatically change their teaching styles or personality to suit every single student.  In classes of 20, 30, and even 40 children, that’s far from a catch-all. AI is leveling the playing field – especially for students with disabilities. For example, it can convert an image to text so that blind students can read descriptions of pictures, while those with dyslexia can have their texts automatically spell-check and proofread in a judgement-free environment.

Students who are struggling with a concept or subject might need more attention and help with the foundations while leading students need a challenge. AI can be used by teachers to scan through class marks, responses, and other data to find common points to focus on, while pinpointing individuals at either end of the bell curve. Students can use AI to tailor topics to their own learning styles – for example, one student may benefit from a video lecture explaining a difficult concept, while another will prefer a more interactive form of learning, such as a quiz.

Instant Student Feedback

The homework loop often takes a few days to a week to complete. From deadlines being set to students receiving marks and feedback, it can be hard to find time to catch up with teachers to clarify comments or consolidate knowledge as the term progresses.

AI gives students the opportunity to have a teaching assistant with them all the time. Putting an essay draft into an AI chat can deliver critiques on grammar, passive voice, and even general formatting and flow. The teacher can still step in for guidance and correction and offer a more conclusive response when the final piece is handed in, but AI can offer straightforward feedback instantly for the drafts along the way.

Goals & Adapting Curriculums

If a teacher writes a curriculum at the start of the term expecting students to know last term’s topics or be able to keep up with the intended learning, it can be hard to get back on track if they don’t. Before long, grades drop, learning slows, and students feel overwhelmed, confused or demotivated. AI lets teachers track, analyse, and adapt their curriculums to students’ needs to avoid this scenario.

If one student needs to catch up on their calculus, AI can write up a study guide for their weekend, while another can have their weakness in fractions identified. With AI, one teacher has the time to attend to every student and make sure no one is getting left behind. If the general consensus is that the teaching is too fast or slow, seamless adaptations can be made that don’t require hours of reworking the curriculum.

24/7 Learning Support

AI-powered virtual assistants and chatbots are picking up where the school day ends. These tools can answer questions, explain concepts, and guide students through difficult topics — anytime, anywhere. They handle routine queries so teachers can spend more time on meaningful student interaction. But they can also be useful for supplying administrative and logistical support, for example providing a portal to answer questions regarding exams, term dates or school events.

That said, these tools aren’t perfect. They’re not meant to replace human educators, but to amplify what they’re best at. The goal is to free up time and brainpower for the stuff machines can’t do — like inspiring curiosity, curating human connection and encouraging creativity.

Teaching That’s Streamlined, Not Replaced

It might sound like AI is taking over as the new teacher, but AI is the tool that allows teachers to focus on fostering a love of learning. Tools like Gradescope let teachers skip tediously marking straightforward ‘correct or not’ quizzes while they can focus on improving their class materials.

Until now, few education systems have been able to keep up with the heavy workload of 20+ children to one teacher, but with AI, education levels are set to skyrocket. This also frees up the neverending workload for educators, with fewer evenings lost to hours spent marking and lesson planning.

The Future: Immersive Learning With VR

What if you could ask your VR goggles to show you the wildlife of the Danube Delta? Watch Dalmatian pelicans fish in the reed beds while you’re in biology class? It’s still in development, but the goal with VR in the classroom is to create immersive experiences that situate students in whatever they’re learning about and consequently become harder to forget.

It’s not just pictures on a projector, or words from a lecture, but a whole virtual world around them. Triggering emotive responses to sensory stimuli adds a whole new dimension to learning that situates students in virtual 3D situations to ‘experience’ what they’re learning about.

Are There Ethical Risks to Utilising AI In The Classroom?

As with any new technology, there are valid pitfalls and concerns to consider before a general rollout. Chief among them is plagiarism, which is even easier now that AI can write almost anything for you. Schools are adopting AI text checkers and even returning to handwritten work to combat this. AI is a great tool for speeding up mundane tasks, or making information easier to access and understand, but genuine learning won’t take place if final exams or projects are carried out entirely by AI.

Another risk is accessibility, with gaps such as rural students being unable to rely on AI due to connectivity issues or lack of institution funding, or individuals having different levels of experience and familiarity with AI due to their ability to continue using it (or not) at home.

Finally, there are concerns about the accuracy of AI’s teaching. Since it’s fed primarily by the internet, and the internet is a hotbed of theories and rumours, AI is likely to make errors in judgement.

Efficient Learning With AI In The Classroom

AI is the volatile new tool that has educators scrambling to prevent plagiarism just as much as to streamline their workload. Once the experimenting and innovating stabilise, teachers will be able to focus on what makes them unique and valuable to their students – the human connection that creates a desire to learn and supports their interests.

We’ve just explored the many ways AI can be used to help students learn more efficiently, alongside traditional teaching methods. Incorporate one or two into your curriculum and watch your students find lessons and lectures become more stimulating and rewarding.