OpenLearning launches ChatGPT-like AI to develop educational courses

Think ChatGPT can only help students cheat? Think again. While, yes, sure, it can help kids get an easy pass, it can also take some load off teachers.

EduTech company OpenLearning (ASX: OLL) has announced the launch of its new generative AI-powered course authoring tools. These tools are expected to revolutionise how education providers create and deliver course content. Developed on Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI Service, these cutting-edge tools use GPT4 APIs, streamlining course design and reducing the time and effort required to develop high-quality short courses, micro-credentials, and online degrees.

OpenLearning’s AI-powered tools will generate course content and learning activities per the Company’s educational philosophy of active learning and social constructivism. The embedded generative AI will provide tailored suggestions to educators during the course design, helping them create more engaging and compelling learning experiences.

“Building these tools using Azure OpenAI Service has allowed us to develop a truly innovative solution that will enable education providers to design high-quality courses faster and more efficiently than ever before,” said Adam Brimo, CEO of OpenLearning. “Our focus is on empowering educators and education providers to design and deliver high-quality learning experiences while ensuring the responsible use of AI.”

Pointing to the ethical concerns generative AI is notorious for, OpenLearning has said that it will not provide students access to generative AI tools through its platform. Instead, the Company will support educators in their course creation and delivery process. The AI-powered tools will be available to selected partners to gather feedback and measure their effectiveness.

Several institutions have been invited to participate in the pilot program, including Western Sydney University, the Education Centre of Australia, Universiti Tenaga Nasional Malaysia (UNITEN), Sunway University Malaysia, and the University of Wollongong KDU Malaysia. This program aims to gather feedback on the effectiveness of these AI-powered tools in enhancing students’ learning experiences.

Prof. Dr Abhi Veerakumarasivam, Provost of Sunway University Malaysia, said, “OpenLearning’s AI-powered course authoring tools will transform the way we design and deliver our courses. Generative AI tools will dramatically shape the future of work. Thus, we need to equip our educators and learners with the enhanced capacity to use these tools effectively, ethically and responsibly.”

OpenLearning already has over three million learners and more than 200 universities and colleges, making it one of the largest online education platforms globally. With the introduction of these AI-powered tools, the Company expects to attract more institutions to its platform.
One of OpenLearning’s critical design features is its focus on students’ learning processes that asses “how a student learned” rather than “what they know”. This approach to learning helps prevent students from misusing generative AI and gives educators information about students’ abilities, even when they use AI. This helps maintain the quality of education.

OpenLearning’s AI assistant uses GPT-4 technology from Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI Service to quickly generate compelling course material, learning tasks, and assessments incorporating user input and online pedagogical best practices. With generative AI enjoying its time in the spotlight, the odds are that we will see its application in various ways in education—beyond cheating, of course.