Babson College rolls out AI MathBot to help close learning gaps
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Babson College is rolling out several AI tools and programs. Photo: Joanne Rathe/Boston Globe via Getty Images
Babson College is using an AI-driven tool to help students with math.
Why it matters: Colleges nationwide are seeing students struggle with math, likely as a result of learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Patty Patria, Babson's chief information officer.
- The MathBot, a generative AI tool that Babson created with Microsoft and Terawe, could help their students catch up, Patria tells Axios.
State of play: Babson is piloting MathBot in two classes this semester with up to 80 students.
- The tool is trained on math textbooks and was tested with more than 90% accuracy, Patria says. But it'll also be monitored by Babson faculty.
- MathBot is supposed to help students get individualized help with math concepts, by tailoring its work to each person's learning pace and style.
- But those students can and should still go to the tutoring center if they learn better from other people, Patria says.
The big picture: Colleges across the country are using AI, whether to replace teacher's assistants, learn about another country's culture or review coursework.
- Babson, based in Wellesley, prides itself on its entrepreneurial spirit, which could make it more open to experimenting with generative AI in its early stages.
Zoom in: Babson gave its students access to the AI assistant Microsoft Copilot.
- The college also plans to award up to 250 students $1,000 each for AI ventures, both for class projects and entrepreneurial ideas students want to pursue personally.
- Babson is piloting using predictive modeling in two classes to help identify students who may be struggling with math or other subjects to encourage them to go to the tutoring center.
Reality check: Most AI tools can't be trusted on their own to be 100% accurate all the time.
- Generative AI is still known to make things up or "hallucinate" information.
- That's why Babson created guardrails for the MathBot pilot, from having it trained on math textbooks, to testing it and having professors monitor its activity.
What's next: Babson will review the results of this semester's MathBot pilot and the yearlong predictive modeling pilot in the winter.
- If the Mathbot pilot is successful, Babson will likely expand access to more students, Patria says.