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Edtech Insiders

Bridging AI and Human Connection in Education with Libby Hills and Owen Henkel of Ed-Technical Podcast

Nov 4, 2024
Libby Hills, a leader at Jacobs Foundation in EdTech, and Owen Henkel, an AI researcher at Oxford, discuss the evolving role of AI in education. They highlight the limitations of AI in understanding student learning and showcase the hybrid models merging AI with human interaction, like the Rori math tutoring chatbot. The conversation touches on effective tutoring strategies and UK government initiatives supporting AI integration. They emphasize the importance of maintaining human connections to motivate students amidst the rise of AI technologies.
34:01

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • While LLMs are proficient in language tasks, they struggle with understanding student comprehension, necessitating a blend of AI and human interaction for effective tutoring.
  • Hybrid tutoring models combining AI with human support are being developed to enhance learning outcomes while preserving essential interpersonal relationships between educators and students.

Deep dives

Limitations of Language Models in Understanding Student Needs

Large language models (LLMs) excel in handling language tasks but fall short in modeling student understanding and engagement. They lack the capability to assess a student's comprehension or misconceptions, which is essential for effective tutoring. For educational applications, a more sophisticated approach is necessary, one that combines LLMs with a robust understanding of student knowledge and emotional states. This deficiency in LLMs prompts further exploration into developing additional models that could better support personalized learning.

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