Equipping instructors with key insights, the IBM alliance helps one better manage courses and flags students needing extra assistance.
IBM and Pearson have entered into a global education alliance intended to make Watson’s cognitive capabilities available to millions of college students and professors. The latter’s digital learning products will merge with said capabilities to create a more immersive learning experience.
The platform simplifies the process of acquiring help and insights on demand by asking questions in natural language. As well as equipping instructors with insights about how well students are learning, it helps them better manage an entire course and flag those requiring additional help.
For example, a student experiencing difficulty when studying for a biology course can ask Watson questions, a feature embedded in the Pearson courseware to help spot patterns and generate insights. The former assesses one’s responses to guide them with hints, feedback, and explanations.
It also clears common misconceptions, while matching one’s pace, allowing him or her to master a given topic. The solution seeks to address the challenges students face in balancing hectic work and course schedules with the demands of advanced learning, creating a flexible virtual resource.
The goal of said approach to tutoring is that it may become the difference between a student successfully completing a required course and dropping out. Pearson and IBM are innovating with Watson APIs to enable education-specific diagnostics and remediation capabilities and drive real-time dialogue.
“Our goal is to empower college students and improve study performance. The idea of having a built-in resource to help tackle the challenging questions college students get stuck on is amazing,” said Harriet Green, General Manager, Watson IoT, Cognitive Engagement & Education at IBM.
