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Although generative AI is disrupting math, its likely impact in that field has received less attention than in essay writing.
But with new applications coming out, that may change.
The latest: Apple’s “Math Notes,” an AI feature in the upcoming iOS 18 update that spits out answers to math problems in an approximation of users’ handwriting through the Apple pen. The update is expected to be released later this year.
ChatGPT and other AI chatbots have been able to handle math problems since they first hit the scene. But the quality has been inconsistent, with some tests by journalists finding errors in even basic math. Moreover, tinkering with how chatbots are prompted can change the accuracy of the answers to math problems. For example: One report suggested that instructing AI to act as if it was a character from Star Trek could lead to more accurate math answers.
But what does this mean for classroom instruction?
For some, such as Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, generative AI is the cutting edge of instruction, and it will revolutionize learning by enabling personalized tutors and serving as a kind of teaching assistant for instructors.
Others take a less enthusiastic view. Dan Meyer, a former high school math teacher who writes in Math Worlds, has argued that AI chatbots are ”neat” but not very revolutionary in K-12 education. In Myer’s view, they can undervalue the role of classroom discussion and its instructional value.
And other teachers have suggested that the AI tools may work better for some kinds of math than for others.
A review by one algebra teacher, Raazia Ali, showed inconsistent results in a chatbot’s answers to different kinds of math problems. Some were accurate and some not. There were also varying levels of detail in the responses, depending on the exact version of a chatbot she input problems into.
This led her to conclude that the tools might be used by instructors to create practice questions for students, but only if they check the bot’s work carefully.
The bigger worry, though, is that if students come to rely too much on chatbots to answer questions for them, they may fail to learn the basics, or come to misconceptions about math. |
📰 HEADLINES
DEAR LAWMAKERS: Child care concerns have reached a boiling point for parents and early learning providers, and it’s become increasingly difficult for families to meet basic needs like health care and housing, according to a report from the RAPID project at Stanford Center on Early Childhood, which highlights survey data about what caregivers of young children want their policymakers to know. Researchers at Stanford explain what’s at stake this election.
KILLING TIME: “What does it mean for work to be done so quickly? What is the cost?” Evi Wusk, an assistant professor of edtech, wonders. In this essay, Wusk reflects on time, work and the influence of AI on teaching and learning, asking readers to think about whether, in our pursuit of reducing the time it takes to do things, we’ve forgotten to consider the value of the experience.
GAME ON: Clementina Jose had a hard time connecting with disengaged Black boys in her school. After traditional outreach methods proved unsuccessful, she created a program that leverages their love of basketball and emphasizes emotional wellness. It’s an example, she argues, of the importance of culturally responsive teaching practices to promote holistic well-being and academic success. |
📢 DEALS
Learn to Win, a training software company originally focused on college and professional sports, raised $30 million in Series A funding.
GPTZero, an AI plagiarism detection startup, raised $10 million in Series A funding.
Rising Team, a professional development software company, raised $8 million in Series A funding.
Pok Pok, a company with a Montessori-inspired early childhood education app, raised $6 million in Series A funding.
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Join us at the Solutions Summit during ISTELive 24 on June 23! Connect with top edtech minds, gain insights on impactful product development, and network with industry leaders. Featuring speakers like Richard Culatta and Dr. Sydnee Dickson, this exclusive event is your gateway to revolutionizing education through AI and innovation. Request your invitation now!
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🏃 MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Coursedog, a higher ed operations platform, named Andrew Rosen as CEO.
LiFT, a school for neurodiverse students, named Matt Spence as executive director.
Chegg laid off 23 percent of its global staff as part of a restructuring. The announcement led to a bump in the stock price.
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👀 ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Edtech funding continues to decline, and it hasn’t yet found its bottom. (Crunchbase)
Are disappearing teacher vacancies the result of districts just cutting positions for lack of funds? (Aldeman on Learning)
Coursera is releasing its own AI plagiarism detection tool. (Inside Higher Ed)
Now that AI is so prominent, is it time to retire the word ‘user’? (MIT Technology Review)
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📆 GOINGS ON
AI AT A MILE HIGH: Next week, a couple of us from EdSurge will be heading to the ISTELive conference in Denver, Colorado (an event run by our parent organization — see details on our editorial independence here). If you’re attending, we’d love to see you at our session on Sunday, June 23, called “News Literacy in the Age of AI.” EdSurge editor and reporter Jeff Young will be on a panel discussing how schools can better teach news literacy in this time of rapid developments in generative AI. |
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