How We View Artificial Intelligence At Method

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making waves in various industries, and public education is no exception. AI technology is slowly revolutionizing the education system, offering new and innovative ways to help students learn more effectively. This is certainly the case at Method, where we're always working on making school more personal and effective (and fun) for our students.

In this blog post, we'll explore the applications of AI in public education, including:

1. Personalized learning

One of the most significant benefits of AI in education is its ability to personalize learning. AI-powered learning platforms can analyze a student's learning style, preferences, and progress, and provide tailored learning content and feedback. This approach ensures that students receive personalized support and resources that are best suited to their unique needs and abilities. At Method, we've continually made personalized learning a focal point. And with online learning, a custom and personal learning experience is truly possible.

2. Intelligent tutoring systems

Intelligent tutoring systems are AI-powered tools that provide one-on-one guidance and support to students. These systems can help students learn new concepts, work through problems, and provide feedback to help them improve. Intelligent tutoring systems can also collect data on a student's learning progress and adjust the learning materials to their level of proficiency. We're working on this in our Method-built online platform SmartFox. Our new SmartFox 2.0 update will go live in August, 2023, and the new architecture will allow for many cool updates, including enhanced tutoring options.

3. Grading and assessment

AI-powered grading and assessment tools can help teachers save time by automatically grading assignments and tests. These tools use machine learning algorithms to evaluate written responses and provide feedback to students. This approach ensures consistent and objective grading and allows teachers to focus on providing more personalized feedback and support to students. We're already trying ways to improve grading and assessment, but this is an area that can actually work to de-personalize the school experience for students, because the teacher-to-student interaction that occurs in the grading process is critical. But AI is certainly making it's way into the assessment process, with dynamic testing and scoring coming into practice.

4. Virtual assistants

Virtual assistants powered by AI can help students with their academic work and provide support in real-time. These assistants can answer questions, provide feedback, and suggest learning resources. They can also help students stay organized by reminding them of upcoming assignments and tests. We've already started a version of this with our "Method Bot," which is a chat feature inside Smartfox and on our website. We're trying to find ways to use our bot more effectively to quickly and accurately reply to questions that can be answered through automation. An example might be "what is the first day of school for 2023-24?." Rather than search our website, the chat bot could quickly return the answer and a link to where the Method school calendar is.

5. Predictive analytics

AI-powered predictive analytics tools can help identify at-risk students and provide targeted support. These tools analyze student data such as attendance, grades, and behavior to identify patterns and predict potential problems. Teachers can then intervene early and provide support to students who may be struggling. This is an exciting one because it will further customize the pace and structure of learning for students. As part of the aforementioned SmartFox 2.0 update, we're building reports that have enhanced predictive features.

6. Natural language processing

Natural language processing (NLP) is an AI-powered technology that can help students learn languages more effectively. NLP tools can analyze speech and text to provide feedback on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. They can also generate quizzes and exercises to help students practice their language skills. NLP is awesome, and it already helps us root out plagiarism, which is one unfortunate side effect of AI (yes, students, our teachers can usually tell if your paper was written by AI).

Wrapping Things Up

In conclusion, AI is revolutionizing the public education system by offering personalized learning, intelligent tutoring systems, grading and assessment, virtual assistants, predictive analytics, and natural language processing. As AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative applications that will help students learn more effectively and efficiently. At Method, we're leaning into artificial intelligence where appropriate. If it personalizes and improves the learning experience for our students, we're all over it. And, as you might have already guessed, most of this blog was written with the help of AI.