The Future of Education
Using Generative AI to Produce Teaching Aids
Brian Butka, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (United States)
Abstract
The advent of generative AI has revolutionized many domains, with education being one of the most impacted. Generative AI is already transforming teaching and learning practices, shifting the focus towards leveraging its capabilities to enhance classroom instruction despite concerns about potential misuse by students. A review of the literature reveals that efforts to utilize generative AI to produce teaching materials are in the early stages. This research explores the creation of educational content for a sophomore-level course on binary systems, digital logic, and digital systems. The novelty of this work lies in using generative AI not to directly write classroom materials or perform grading, but rather to develop programs that serve as learning aids for students. Notably, the user’s programming expertise does not limit the programming techniques generative AI can apply. The learning aids developed in this research are Python programs written as Jupyter notebooks and accessible from anywhere via Google Colab. The research identifies high-value learning objectives where students commonly struggle, particularly in areas where generative AI often produces incorrect results. AI-generated programs are then used as learning aids on these topics, allowing students to input their own problems and observe the solution process. These learning aids were deployed in classes with 80 students. Their effectiveness was assessed by gathering student feedback and analyzing student performance.
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Keywords |
Generative AI, Python Notebook, Learning Aid |
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