New AI tools are about far more than quick content generation

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Our proposition is ambitious:  learning will be transformed by generative AI. A whole range of possibilities have opened up with this new form of AI that doesn’t just generate text but also proactively teaches and delivers learning experiences which have impact in the workplace.

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It is easy to see ChatGPT, Bing, Bard, Ernie, Claude and Gemini as simply text, images, audio and video generators. That in itself is mind blowing. What many miss are the other capabilities, such as summarisation, outlining, question generation, scenario building and dozens of other potential accelerators to learning.

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And don’t be side tracked by examples using ChatGPT-3.5 to produce bad, inaccurate content; that’s like using the very first version of Wikipedia. Technology takes time to develop and this form of AI hasn’t even reached its first birthday.  You’ll also hear myths around data and privacy. Your data need not be used in future training sets, you can control the data.

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In truth, the benefits for learning lie in massively accelerating the process of learning for organisations, teachers, trainers and, most important of all - for learners. You won’t have a problem with engagement - almost everyone is using it! That can’t be said of traditional e-learning.

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Let’s explore the areas where AI supports learning.

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Answers initial needs

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Many people go no further than asking a simple question and getting a simple answer, treating AI like a search engine. That’s fine because it will come back with well structured text which may be enough for your need at that moment. AI is knowledgeable on a bewildering range of subjects and will reply in the style and at the level and length you require. That’s great because it satisfies a need many learners have when they need to get started or get stuck on something. This is the fasted adopted technology in the history of our species and hundreds of millions of people are using it because it has this simple utility. It is challenging search and traditional learning with its simple interface and human-like output.

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Dialogue

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At the next level, you can engage in what all humans and teachers actually do - ‘dialogue’, namely drill down and out from your original prompt. That means asking AI to elaborate, clarify, give examples and so on. This is normal for any teacher-learner dialogue and is fundamentally the Socratic method.  AI can remember (up to a limit) what you have already asked - it has that teacher-like quality. With the recent astounding developments in avatars, translation and lip-synch technology, learning can be taken to a new level.

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This opens up huge opportunities for performance support, especially as generative AI can now speak to you, hear what you say and interpret real world images. It literally interacts with learners and their context.

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Embodies learning theory and design

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Let’s up the stakes even more and build on these foundations with a generative AI system that also embodies accurate learning science and great design. That’s exactly what we have done at Stellar Labs; built-in pedagogy but not just any old pedagogy. Pedagogy that is well-researched, tried and tested. By taking the best principles of neuroscience and learning experience design, from our two experts Stella Collins and Donald Clark, we produce not ‘content’ but ‘effective learning experiences’.

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This really matters because we can eliminate learning myths such as learning styles and promote strong learning theory around transfer - learning becomes more visible. In addition, we bake in good learning design principles.

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Our focus is on transfer and action, not just knowledge. This means questions that focus on what you can do rather than just the knowledge you remember. It also enables scenario-based learning, with structured scenario designs.

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It is not generating content that matters but the quality of the learning experience, including support. We are not in the business of creating content, we take things much further to support leaning transfer in the workplace; for instance giving managers the tools to validate work based activities. We started with sound pedagogy delivered through AI technology, not the other way round. We have baked strong research-based findings into the product so that it produces top class learning experiences - with impact.

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We want you to be able to create effective learning on any subject in minutes, not months. To achieve this we have taken the best learning science we could find, with a focus on transfer and action to produce learning that carries over into the workplace.

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Bibliography

Clark, D., 2021. Learning experience design: How to create effective learning that works. Kogan Page Publishers.

Collins, S., 2023. Neuroscience for learning and development: How to apply neuroscience and psychology for improved learning and training. Kogan Page Publishers.

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