Can AI Enhance The Effectiveness Of Online Learning Platforms?

Online learning platforms have undergone some serious transformation in the last decade. Before, they were seen as an additional extra that was nice to have. But now? They are a crucial part of how people learn new things and develop their skills.

Learners today are more fortunate in that they have access to far more resources from free YouTube tutorials to courses and certifications that are fully-accredited on platforms like Udemy or Coursera. Tools like these are aimed at making learning more accessible where students can go at their own pace.

But as great and convenient as these platforms are, online learning still gets a lot of mixed reactions. Some students can do really well while others drop out or can’t retain the information they have learned.

So the question is, aside from making online learning available to more people, how can it be made more effective? Is the answer AI?

 

Why Have These Platforms Gained So Much Traction?

 

Previously, there were a lot of constraints preventing people from furthering their education. Perhaps it was too costly or transport wasn’t available. Some didn’t have the luxury to continue learning and had to start working straight away instead to provide for their households.

Online learning has been able to remove these barriers in a number of ways.

It’s flexible: Students can learn from wherever they are and when they can. Since there’s no need to travel to a physical location, studying can be done at a time of day that works best.

There is variety: These platforms have so many choices available spanning almost every industry you could think of. You could choose to do a course in software development and then do another on photography all on the same platform.

Ideal for upskilling: A lot of professionals are using these platforms to further their careers especially in industries like AI which is constantly changing so they can stay up-to-date with new developments.

It’s affordable: Most online courses are a fraction of the price of university degrees. Some are even free of charge. This makes them accessible to a much wider audience who previously couldn’t afford it.

 

How Can AI Enhance The Effectiveness Of These Platforms?

 

With the use of Artificial Intelligence, online learning is going far beyond just being available to more people. It’s able to make the content more personal and engaging, designed to give learners the best possible experience.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways that AI is able to do this.

 

 

Next Level Personalisation

 

Not everyone learns the same way, some are visual learners, others like written words. Using the incorrect learning style can affect how you take in and retain the information down the line.

Most online courses take a one-size-fits-all approach where everyone receives the same content in the same order and at the same time. This is regardless if you have prior knowledge on the topic or have a unique learning style.

Now bring in AI and it can assess what existing knowledge you have to determine the level of difficulty of the content, focus on the concepts that you get stuck on and showcase it in different formats whether it be video or interactive.

The learning becomes tailored to you so that you are in the best position to learn and remember the content.

 

Makes Education More Accessible

 

With the use of AI, any barriers that prevent people from learning online can be entirely removed. It doesn’t just refer to more people being able to use it but to do so in a way that is preferable to them.

Whether it’s using translations so people can learn in their own languages or screen-reading assistance for those who are visually impaired, AI is making online learning inclusive for everybody.

 

Feedback In Real-Time

 

A lot of online courses can’t give you real, in-depth feedback. Your answers are usually either correct or incorrect and that’s about it. Naturally, you don’t know where exactly you went wrong and where you could improve.

AI doesn’t just tell you what the right answer is, it walks you through why it is and gives you instant corrections. This ensures that you don’t keep making the same errors throughout the course.

This is seen particularly in language learning apps where if you pronounce a word wrong, it gives you the correct pronunciation so you are coached in real-time.

 

Assists Educators

 

There has been some concern about AI replacing teachers. But actually, in reality, AI supporting human educators can produce the best results.

It can help with things like marking multiple-choice questions to free up the teacher’s time and handle basic queries that are constantly asked so the teacher can focus on the questions that need deeper explanations.

So there is no need to remove the human element. It’s crucial to have. But in some ways, AI can make it easier for teachers to focus on the things that only they, as the teachers, can do.