Ever since ChatGPT debuted, universities have been panicking. Some banned the use of generative AI at school immediately, as products like ChatGPT can be used to cheat on tests and homework. Those worries remain to this day, more than two years later. If anything, genAI software is even more powerful and is even better at helping students cheat on schoolwork.
New research has shown that overreliance on AI might erode our ability to think, and critical thinking is key for actually performing tasks in the real world. That study focused on adults in work settings rather than students. However, using AI to cheat at school will surely impact critical thinking for younger AI users.
Anthropic is now ready to change the discourse about using AI at school, especially when it comes to higher education.
Rather than worrying about detecting assignments that were written by AI, Anthropic launched a new “Claude for Education” program that includes an AI Learning Mode. It’s meant to help students use their brains rather than provide direct answers and help them cheat.
Learning Mode is meant to guide students to finding their answers on their own. Anthropic says in a blog post that Claude Learning Mode will promote critical thinking skills, the kind a recent study said are at risk of erosion in the age of AI.
Rather than offering the solution to a problem, Claude Learning Mode would use Socratic questioning to nudge the student to figure it out. “How would you approach this problem? or “What evidence supports your conclusions?” are some of the things the AI might say to you when using this AI mode.
Learning Mode can also be used to create “structured formats for research papers, study guides, and outlines” and “highlight fundamental principles behind specific problems.”
Claude for Education also contains AI tools for faculty. Teachers can use it to provide feedback on student essays and generate tests for various subjects with varying difficulty levels. Administrative departments will use Claude for Education to automate certain tasks, like repetitive emails. They’ll be able to look at enrollment trends with the help of AI, and even create FAQ formats for more dense policy documents.
Antorhopic also emphasizes “enterprise-grade security and privacy control” regarding administrative staff work. I assume the same policies would apply to students accessing Claude for Education’s Learning Mode.
So what’s the caveat? Learning Mode isn’t directly available to whomever would like to use it. Anthropic is launching Claude for Education in partnership with several universities. The list includes Northeastern, which will see Claude for Education reach 50,000 students, faculty, and staff across 13 global campuses.
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Champlain College are two other entities that signed deals with Anthropic for the Claude for Education program. Anthropic also announced Claude for Education partnerships with Internet2 and Instructure.
Other institutions can get started with Claude for Education at this link. Anthropic doesn’t say how much access to this AI program costs. Presumably, it involves deals with universities, which will then make tools like Learning Mode available to enrolled students.
Not too long ago, I said you should start chatting with ChatGPT (and any other AI) as soon as possible to prepare for the future, even if you hate genAI software and worry AI will take your job. When I wrote that, I was referring to regular people of all ages who have found themselves dealing with AI everywhere they go.
Claude for Education makes me realize I didn’t consider students a separate, key category where AI use might differ. Like adults, I think students of all ages should get used to all sorts of AI tools as soon as possible, but with a key difference.
Students should not use AI to cheat through high school and college. Instead, AI can help them learn what they’re supposed to learn while in school. The added benefit is that they get to learn how to interact with AI while they learn other subjects.
Claude’s Learning Mode might be the tool that helps with that. Other leading AI firms should consider similar AI model versions.
The post Claude’s special new mode is the right way to use AI for homework appeared first on BGR.
