Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making significant strides in various aspects of our daily lives. One such area is education, where AI has shown immense potential in streamlining the learning process and enhancing academic outcomes. In this article, we will explore a personal account of how AI was used to overcome a challenging situation and achieve remarkable results in a short span of time.
The Dilemma:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the student found themselves confined to their room for most of the semester, missing out on vital lectures at school. With only three days left before the exam, the challenge was to find an effective way to cover 12 weeks’ worth of material in a limited amount of time.
The Innovative Approach:
Acknowledging the growing body of research on AI-assisted learning, the student decided to turn to ChatGPT, a sophisticated language model, for help. The objective was to use AI to determine which lecture content would be relevant for the exam, which consisted of multiple-choice questions based on the lectures.
First, transcripts of all the lectures were obtained from Echo360. Since the text was too lengthy for ChatGPT, an online summarisation tool (www.paraphraser.io/text-summarizer) was used to condense the transcripts to 900-1000 words each. With the summarised content in hand, ChatGPT was asked to analyse the material and highlight key topics discussed in each lecture.
The Resulting Study Plan:
Using AI-generated insights, the student spent the first day identifying the main points of each lecture, condensing 24-30 hours’ worth of material into just 4-5 hours of focused study. On the second day, ChatGPT was tasked with defining crucial terms from the lectures, relying solely on the course textbook and the summarised transcripts. After another 4-5 hours of refining the information, the student had a comprehensive list of relevant concepts and definitions.
On the third and final day, the student thoroughly reviewed the AI-curated material, preparing for the exam with remarkable efficiency. The outcome was a remarkable 94% score on the exam, achieved by studying for just three days without attending a single lecture.
This personal account demonstrates the extraordinary capabilities of AI when applied to education. The student’s innovative approach allowed them to overcome a challenging situation, successfully utilising AI as a tutor to guide their studies. The experience serves as a testament to the potential of AI in transforming the learning process, as well as a catalyst for further exploration and discussion on the subject.
