Google and University of Michigan launch virtual AI classroom assistant
Google Public Sector and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business (Michigan Ross) unveiled a Virtual Teaching Assistant (TA) pilot program powered by Google’s Gemini models at the ASU-GSV Summit today. The AI agent aims to personalize student learning while offering educators valuable data.
The agentic AI Virtual TA offers students round-the-clock support and facilitates self-directed learning. Educators can customize it to incorporate specific curriculum details, providing on-demand explanations and problem-solving guidance without giving away direct answers so that students can think critically.
“The Virtual TA is a prime example of how a customizable, Gemini-powered solution can advance the future of learning and help train the next generation workforce,” said Chris Hein, Field Chief Technology Officer, Google Public Sector.
Michigan Ross is piloting the Virtual TA in courses including financial technology, operations strategy, operations analytics, and statistics. Initial results suggest increased student engagement and deeper insights into student learning patterns. The Virtual TA provides:
- Real-time analytics: Offers current data on student engagement.
- Summaries: Provides insight into commonly asked questions.
- Feedback: Gathers feedback on the AI agent’s effectiveness.
“We’ve seen early indications of success in leveraging the AI-powered Virtual TA and look forward to further using this tool to advance learning,” said Jun Li, Michigan Ross Professor of Technology and Operations.
Michigan Ross will incorporate pilot insights into a research study involving approximately 9,000 students, 72 courses, and 26 schools. This aims to develop guidelines for optimal AI deployment in diverse educational settings, marking one of the largest deployments of an AI agent in education.