Educators’ Guide to Selecting an AI Student Tutor

Initially referred to as computer-assisted instruction (CAI), computers have been used for teaching and tutoring for as long as transistor radios, the Etch-a-Sketch^ⓒ, and post codes. However with the launch of ChatGPT in November of 2022, the wide - and free or low cost - access to generative AI-supported ‘chatbots’ for student tutoring has dramatically increased. If you are considering adopting a courseware solution that includes an AI-supported student tutor, or recommending a standalone AI tutor for students to use, this Educators Guide provides information that you may find useful in making a final decision on which solution to adopt.

Potential Benefits of AI Student Tutors

There are numerous benefits to students being able to access affordable, high quality tutoring support on demand. For example:

• Improving inclusivity and access: AI-powered tutors can be a source of free (or low cost) support to all students. Low-income students, students of color, and students from underserved communities may have previously lacked access to tutoring services or felt discouraged from seeking more traditional tutoring services because of costs, difficulty meeting at limited, set hours, and/or a lack of comfort in publicly asking for help.
• Enhancing student engagement and motivation: Some students, particularly students from underrepresented groups and first-generation college students may feel uncomfortable publicly asking for help understanding course content or assignments. AI student tutors can provide assistance when and where students most need it, in private settings where students don’t perceive themselves as being judged for asking for help, which can improve student engagement and motivation.
• Decreasing cognitive overload: Because AI student tutors meet students at the point of need to provide study resources and assist students in breaking down complex problems into more manageable steps, students may experience less cognitive overwhelm. Moreover, some AI student tutors automatically understand the exact homework problem students are attempting to work through as well as the context in which the student is encountering the question. Both of these capabilities help decrease cognitive load for students which can improve learning.

Potential Risks of AI Student Tutors

One of the most frequently mentioned concerns about AI student tutors is the inability to ensure the accuracy of the guidance unvetted AI student tutors may provide. With the all too real possibility of ‘hallucinations’ and other generative AI phenomena, this concern is justifiable. AI-powered student tutors may sometimes provide inaccurate or misleading information due to limitations in their algorithms. This can confuse students and potentially hinder their learning process. Understanding the source of information for the AI tutor and how updates are handled is vital to maintain the accuracy and reliability of the AI tutor's responses.

In addition to concern over the accuracy of the tutor’s responses, there are other potential risks including:

• Student privacy: Utilising an AI-powered student tutor raises significant privacy concerns as sensitive student data could be exposed. Ensuring robust data protection measures is essential, as is transparency in data collection for students who engage with the tutor.
• Biased responses: AI tutors might inadvertently provide biased answers, reflecting the limitations or biases present in their training data, which could lead to the reinforcement of stereotypes or misinformation.
• Inequities in access: If not all students have equal access to the AI-powered tutor due to high costs or other considerations, the educational gap between different socio-economic groups could continue to widen.
• Over-reliance on technological support: Over-reliance on AI tutors may inhibit students from independently developing problem-solving skills. It's crucial for AI student tutors to be built to support evidence-based pedagogical approaches that support deep learning.

Available Options

Students can access widely available generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude, so those are not covered here. Broadly speaking there are two categories of AI-powered student tutors: those available within existing digital learning solutions, like courseware solutions, and standalone student tutors.

• AI student tutors within courseware solutions: Educational providers like Macmillan Learning and Pearson now offer AI student tutors as a part of their courseware offerings, for specific classes. With only a cursory comparison, these AI tutors may look similar at first. However, it is important to understand how these companies’ tutors approached the learning design of the feature within the larger framework of the courseware’s homework or study functionality.
• Standalone AI student tutors: A number of companies from ed tech start-ups like AI Tutor app to more established study companies like Khan Academy have entered the AI tutor space with either free or low cost access for students. As with any AI-powered tutor it will be important to know how student data is used, what measures are taken to minimise erroneous and/or biased responses, and the pedagogical principles that guide the tutor’s user experience.

Questions for AI Tutor Vendors

When making a decision on which AI student tutors to adopt or recommend to your students, you may consider asking the following questions to better understand the tutor’s capabilities?

• How do you ensure the tutor’s answers are accurate?
• Which third-party Large Language Models (LLMs) does the tutor use?
• How is personal user data used?
• Do students’ answers train the LLM that the tutor is built on?
• How does the tutor support student learning?
• Will I be able to see what students are using the tutor?
• What is the cost for students to access the tutor?

Already considering a short list of AI student tutor solutions? Here is a free AI Tutor Decision-making Comparative Rubric with more questions to help you conduct a side-by-side comparison.

Conclusion

Though a 2021 Educause poll¹ revealed that only 12% of respondents’ institutions were piloting or using AI for tutoring, with the wide availability of generative AI the reality is that many students are already turning to these chatbots for assistance with homework and assessment. This Educators’ Guide is designed to support instructors who are.

If you are looking to adopt or recommend an AI student tutor that will help students responsibly use trusted generative AI chatbots, and teach Majors Biology , General Chemistry, Introduction to Statistics and Statistics 2, or Principles of Economics and Intermediate Economic click below to request a sample or sign up to speak with your representative.

Section Seven Header

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer condimentum euismod enim in rutrum. Integer ut neque est. In vehicula facilisis tellus, id dignissim nibh aliquet quis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Morbi cursus massa tellus, et pretium erat fermentum id. Curabitur ac erat sed lorem pharetra semper nec a massa. Quisque neque purus, aliquam vel varius blandit, suscipit et nisl. Phasellus faucibus hendrerit quam et venenatis. Vestibulum neque dolor, rhoncus dapibus placerat quis, accumsan cursus massa. Curabitur massa neque, sodales et interdum non, aliquet eu erat.

Maecenas imperdiet lorem vel orci accumsan tristique. Maecenas a molestie lacus. Pellentesque sit amet mauris luctus, consectetur neque quis, porttitor nisl. Pellentesque vel varius neque, sed mollis turpis. Pellentesque tortor neque, iaculis non euismod vel, venenatis ut nunc. Duis rutrum turpis lacinia turpis porttitor, ut faucibus lorem pharetra. Nullam fermentum, ligula sed commodo scelerisque, mi ipsum fermentum nisi, semper rhoncus odio ex ac purus. Aliquam ex nisl, pellentesque ac sapien luctus, venenatis dictum est. Phasellus sem justo, sagittis id elementum ut, suscipit sed risus. Fusce accumsan ex porttitor eros efficitur, ut dictum magna rhoncus. Aliquam at efficitur arcu. Nunc ut nunc placerat, feugiat ex a, accumsan purus.

Section Nine Header

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer condimentum euismod enim in rutrum. Integer ut neque est. In vehicula facilisis tellus, id dignissim nibh aliquet quis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Morbi cursus massa tellus, et pretium erat fermentum id. Curabitur ac erat sed lorem pharetra semper nec a massa. Quisque neque purus, aliquam vel varius blandit, suscipit et nisl. Phasellus faucibus hendrerit quam et venenatis. Vestibulum neque dolor, rhoncus dapibus placerat quis, accumsan cursus massa. Curabitur massa neque, sodales et interdum non, aliquet eu erat.

Maecenas imperdiet lorem vel orci accumsan tristique. Maecenas a molestie lacus. Pellentesque sit amet mauris luctus, consectetur neque quis, porttitor nisl. Pellentesque vel varius neque, sed mollis turpis. Pellentesque tortor neque, iaculis non euismod vel, venenatis ut nunc. Duis rutrum turpis lacinia turpis porttitor, ut faucibus lorem pharetra. Nullam fermentum, ligula sed commodo scelerisque, mi ipsum fermentum nisi, semper rhoncus odio ex ac purus. Aliquam ex nisl, pellentesque ac sapien luctus, venenatis dictum est. Phasellus sem justo, sagittis id elementum ut, suscipit sed risus. Fusce accumsan ex porttitor eros efficitur, ut dictum magna rhoncus. Aliquam at efficitur arcu. Nunc ut nunc placerat, feugiat ex a, accumsan purus.

Section Ten Header

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer condimentum euismod enim in rutrum. Integer ut neque est. In vehicula facilisis tellus, id dignissim nibh aliquet quis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Morbi cursus massa tellus, et pretium erat fermentum id. Curabitur ac erat sed lorem pharetra semper nec a massa. Quisque neque purus, aliquam vel varius blandit, suscipit et nisl. Phasellus faucibus hendrerit quam et venenatis. Vestibulum neque dolor, rhoncus dapibus placerat quis, accumsan cursus massa. Curabitur massa neque, sodales et interdum non, aliquet eu erat.

Maecenas imperdiet lorem vel orci accumsan tristique. Maecenas a molestie lacus. Pellentesque sit amet mauris luctus, consectetur neque quis, porttitor nisl. Pellentesque vel varius neque, sed mollis turpis. Pellentesque tortor neque, iaculis non euismod vel, venenatis ut nunc. Duis rutrum turpis lacinia turpis porttitor, ut faucibus lorem pharetra. Nullam fermentum, ligula sed commodo scelerisque, mi ipsum fermentum nisi, semper rhoncus odio ex ac purus. Aliquam ex nisl, pellentesque ac sapien luctus, venenatis dictum est. Phasellus sem justo, sagittis id elementum ut, suscipit sed risus. Fusce accumsan ex porttitor eros efficitur, ut dictum magna rhoncus. Aliquam at efficitur arcu. Nunc ut nunc placerat, feugiat ex a, accumsan purus.

Section Eleven Header

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer condimentum euismod enim in rutrum. Integer ut neque est. In vehicula facilisis tellus, id dignissim nibh aliquet quis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Morbi cursus massa tellus, et pretium erat fermentum id. Curabitur ac erat sed lorem pharetra semper nec a massa. Quisque neque purus, aliquam vel varius blandit, suscipit et nisl. Phasellus faucibus hendrerit quam et venenatis. Rhoncus dapibus placerat quis, accumsan cursus massa. Curabitur massa neque, sodales et interdum non, aliquet eu erat.

Maecenas imperdiet lorem vel orci accumsan tristique. Maecenas a molestie lacus. Pellentesque sit amet mauris luctus, consectetur neque quis, porttitor nisl. Pellentesque vel varius neque, sed mollis turpis. Pellentesque tortor neque, iaculis non euismod vel, venenatis ut nunc. Duis rutrum turpis lacinia turpis porttitor, ut faucibus lorem pharetra. Nullam fermentum, ligula sed commodo scelerisque, mi ipsum fermentum nisi, semper rhoncus odio ex ac purus. Aliquam ex nisl, pellentesque ac sapien luctus, venenatis dictum est. Phasellus sem justo, sagittis id elementum ut, suscipit sed risus. Fusce accumsan ex porttitor eros efficitur, ut dictum magna rhoncus. Aliquam at efficitur arcu. Nunc ut nunc placerat, feugiat ex a, accumsan purus.

Section Twelve Header

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer condimentum euismod enim in rutrum. Integer ut neque est. In vehicula facilisis tellus, id dignissim nibh aliquet quis. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Morbi cursus massa tellus, et pretium erat fermentum id. Curabitur ac erat sed lorem pharetra semper nec a massa. Quisque neque purus, aliquam vel varius blandit, suscipit et nisl. Phasellus faucibus hendrerit quam et venenatis. Vestibulum neque dolor, rhoncus dapibus placerat quis, accumsan cursus massa. Curabitur massa neque, sodales et interdum non, aliquet eu erat.

Maecenas imperdiet lorem vel orci accumsan tristique. Maecenas a molestie lacus. Pellentesque sit amet mauris luctus, consectetur neque quis, porttitor nisl. Pellentesque vel varius neque, sed mollis turpis. Pellentesque tortor neque, iaculis non euismod vel, venenatis ut nunc. Duis rutrum turpis lacinia turpis porttitor, ut faucibus lorem pharetra. Nullam fermentum, ligula sed commodo scelerisque, mi ipsum fermentum nisi, semper rhoncus odio ex ac purus. Aliquam ex nisl, pellentesque ac sapien luctus, venenatis dictum est. Phasellus sem justo, sagittis id elementum ut, suscipit sed risus. Fusce accumsan ex porttitor eros efficitur, ut dictum magna rhoncus. Aliquam at efficitur arcu. Nunc ut nunc placerat, feugiat ex a, accumsan purus.