In the first week of Columbia University’s graduate-level course, IEOR E4526: Analytics on the Cloud, 30 students are greeted with more than just the usual syllabus and lecture notes. They now have a new tool designed to accompany them throughout the semester: the Curiously™ AI Companion. This advanced tool is set to support them with weekly assignments and enhance their learning experience in cloud-based data analytics.
A Strategic Partnership for Learning in the AI Era
Curiously™'s collaboration with Professor Hardeep Johar and his teaching team at Columbia University’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research has been instrumental in the development of this dedicated AI Companion, crafted specifically for the IEOR E4526 course. The teaching team played a crucial role by supplying the knowledge base materials and assisting us in testing the tool's accuracy and efficacy over the past 3 months during the summer. This collaboration has led to the creation of a tool that integrates seamlessly with the course syllabus and enhances the learning experience.
Introducing the Curiously™ AI Companion
The AI Companion is more than a 24/7 chatbot; it is a dedicated learning assistant fully integrated with the course syllabus, lecture content, and weekly assignments for the IEOR E4526 course. Designed with pedagogical goals in mind, it provides guidance and scaffolding for students without giving direct answers. Backed by a comprehensive knowledge base—including the syllabus, assignments, and past lesson recordings—the AI Companion utilizes Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology to ensure accurate responses by referencing relevant documents from the external vector database. This approach minimizes “hallucinations” and ensures precise answers to specific questions.
Here are the two main modes of our AI Learning Companion:
Concept Assistant: Delivers real-time explanations and insights into complex course materials, offering students a reliable resource for understanding key concepts.
Assignment Assistant: Allows students to select their current assignment, providing personalized support based on their progress in the course. It guides them through problem-solving processes and offers helpful resources without giving away answers directly.
A New Era of AI-Driven Education
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Professor Johar's team for their invaluable partnership and support in developing the dedicated knowledge base and AI tool. We also appreciate the students for embracing this new technology and integrating it into their learning process.
Curiously™'s research team, consisting of Ph.Ds in learning sciences and learning technologies, will be studying the effectiveness of the AI Companion on students' learning outcomes. We are also keen to analyze how interactions with the chatbot help teachers make informed decisions.
We are excited about the future of this innovative project. Stay tuned for more updates as the course unfolds and we continue to innovate and collaborate with leading educational institutions to bring state-of-the-art AI tools to classrooms worldwide.
Ready to see how Curiously™ can elevate your classroom? Request a demo today and discover how personalized learning at scale can become a reality for your students!
