Have you ever wondered what happens when you give students the freedom to shape their own learning process? Well, in the AI Lab at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and during the Minor Digital Innovations for Society & Government, I see it happening every day, and the result is astonishing. I can tell you: most students are good! And when they get the chance to build their own feedback and feedforward chatbots, they seize it with both hands.
Students Building Their Own AI Tutors
Imagine walking into a classroom where students aren’t just learning but actually building their own AI tutors. They’re creating chatbots and tutors that analyze their work, give feedback, and even suggest improvements. This is happening in the AI Lab at HU, where technology literally comes to life in the hands of students.
And this is no gimmick. These AI tutors are entirely programmed by students to continuously support their learning process. They can choose to receive suggestions on how to improve their work (feedforward) or feedback on what’s already done. The best part? Most students consciously choose suggestions because they understand that this is the way to truly learn.
A Choice with Impact: Suggestions or Immediate Results?
This is where the magic of choice comes into play. Students can choose between getting suggestions that help them improve their work or receiving a “finished” result. What would you choose if you were a student? It might be tempting to go for the final product, but my experience shows that students opt for something remarkable: they want to learn!
Time and again, I hear them say, “DUH, I’m here to learn!” They overwhelmingly choose suggestions and feedforward. Why? Because they get that learning isn’t about the final result but about the process. They want to do it themselves, discover it on their own, and become better in the process. It’s inspiring to see how intrinsically motivated they are. This is learning at its best!
Relieving the Workload for Teachers
As an AI teacher, I also see another side to this development, and it’s just as valuable. The AI tutors that students build play a crucial role in our new educational model: programmatic and portfolio-based assessment. This model requires regular evaluations and feedback moments, which can greatly increase the workload for teachers. But by using these smart tutors, the negative operational effects of programmatic assessment are partially alleviated. The tutors take over some of the feedback tasks, reducing the workload for teachers and freeing up more time for personal guidance.
Moreover, the AI tutors improve the quality and consistency of the bi-weekly data points we use to assess students. The feedback they generate is reliable and high-quality, providing better insights into students’ progress. And the great thing is, students are simply happy with it! They have continuous access to support without having to wait for a teacher. It makes them more independent, which is exactly what we want to achieve.
Happy Students Choose Learning
You might think that students would prefer an easy way out, but what I see time and again is that they really choose to learn. They’re happy with the freedom to steer their own learning process, but they don’t opt for the easy route. They want to challenge themselves, grow, and make mistakes to learn from them. And honestly, that’s exactly what I, as an AI teacher, want to see.
What inspires me most is the joy that students radiate when working with their own 24/7 tutor. They feel supported, but also responsible for their own learning. And when they say, “DUH, I’m here to learn!” I know we’re doing something right.
Conclusion: Learning in Total Freedom
What I’ve learned from this experience in the AI Lab and the Minor Digital Innovations for Society & Government is that students want more than ready-made answers. They want to learn, improve themselves, and above all, take responsibility for their own success. When we give them the tools and the freedom to do that, you really see them thrive.
These AI tutors are not just a fun experiment; they are an integral part of our education. They relieve the workload for teachers, improve the quality of our assessment processes, and – perhaps most importantly – make students happy. This is the future of education, and it’s amazing to see how our students are embracing it with both hands.
So if you ask me, what happens when you give students the freedom to steer their own learning? My answer is simple: they choose to learn. Most students are good, and they prove it every day.
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