Can AI . . . generate learner engagement with new topics?

Can AI . . . generate learner engagement with new topics?


Yes!  Google has developed an engaging AI platform that creatively introduces new material through various media and thoughtful follow-up questions.

It's Time to "Learn About" Something New

Remember those days when something was just plain fun? That’s the feeling a user gets when interacting with Google’s Learn About!

Google advertises this AI-enhanced platform as a way to "[g]rasp new topics and deepen your understanding with a conversational learning companion that adapts to your unique curiosity and learning goals." 

It certainly does this in a charming AI way . . . 

Learn About homepage default question: “Are flamingos born with pink feathers?”
Learn About homepage default question: “Why do some sea creatures glow?”

Time to Learn About . . .

After being greeted by the homepage, click the “Try Learn About” button.  You’ll be taken to the chatbot page - which offers a collection of pre-made inquiries, but also lets the user type in a prompt of their choice or upload an image.

The chatbot page - showing a variety of pre-made responses a user can select.

If a user were to select, "Tell me about the history of writing," the response will be an eclectic collection of content (shared in a visually-pleasing way): a text answer to the question; a visual interactive timeline; options for following up on related material; the option to explore the idea with greater or less depth or a search for additional images; and suggested topics related to writing.

Content response to the pre-made prompt on the history of writing.


Interspersed within the text and videos are "learning cards" = icon-identified call-outs of standout details such as: Build your vocab, Interactive List, and Why it matters.  Learn About supporting information states that additional "learning cards" include: "common misconceptions," "stop and think," and "test your knowledge."

Wait - there’s more . . . Unsure about a word’s meaning? Then highlight it!  A pop-up menu gives options for a deeper dive right away:
  1. What is this?: learn a new definition or explanation
  2. See a picture: users are shared a collection of images related to the word
  3. Search the web: find more information
  4. Ask about this . . . : engage with AI to have your question answered!

Highlighting the word “invention” within the history of writing and received the following: a definition, explanations as to why it matters, and an interactive list of famous inventions.


The pop-up box menu for uncovering more about a highlighted word.

The prompt “Why do leaves turn colors in the fall?" generates an Interactive List learning card on the key pigments in leaves.

How Does Learn About Fit into Teaching?

  1. While this barrage can be seen as overwhelming, it can be framed as a wonderful technique for engaging a learner with new material for the first time = look how dynamic, complex, and interesting it is!
  2. It also serves as a great model for a creative summative assessment in which students need to find, collect, organize, and share information through multiple means regarding a single idea or topic.
  3. Learners can also be asked to critically evaluate the material shared in response to a prompt: is it relevant, are the sources legitimate, is there anything missing, and so on.

Caveats

Google Learn About is an “experimental” site and may be prone to glitches including the inability to process a prompt request. 
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Content response (continued) to the pre-made prompt on the history of writing.
 

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