Best AI Tools for College Success

As we enter the age of Open AI it is important to remember that it will never write the way you do or have the same unique thoughts as you, yet we can leverage this technological tool to unlock who you are and how you think to elicit more clarity and uplevel your educational capacity. Let's talk about the best AI options for college students.

Artificial Intelligence's Role in Modern Education

After listening to many podcasts and reading various government reports on the explosion of AI, educators are nervous about this new technology. However, after listening to Sal Khan’s TED Talk, his subsequent interview with Adam Grant, and attending multiple discussions surrounding the introduction of AI-based learning platforms at the annual NACAC conference, I am hopeful that this tool will help students and teachers in higher education expand their capabilities.

Benefits of AI Tools for Students

Khanmigo, by Khan Academy, has been rolled out as the ultimate virtual tutor and supporter of student achievement. Sal Khan explained in his TED talk that when missing a distributive property, machine learning will help students learn faster by teaching them how to identify their missing step and offering another try along with the rule that would prompt a student’s approach.

Additionally, when writing a research paper or essay, AI can support students by prompting their ideas, asking them to outline, and providing depth to their thoughts that are aligned with the rubric teachers established to guide their process.

When students are offered immediate feedback that continues their progress, conversely teachers are afforded an online learning assistant that knows the material, can support initial review of work, and is specifically designed to help identify where students need more support. As Khan explains, everyone benefits because the flow of information has exponentially increased through AI technology which, in turn, aids students in their academic journey.

Spotting Low-Quality AI Tools

With this said, many AI systems do not have the same thoughtfulness embedded into their DNA and are owned by companies looking to make a quick buck. Just like scam phone calls, emails, or ads, there is a glut of scam AI systems that exist in every market. One way to spot a fake is they have a terrific front page but when clicking the “try now” or “get today” buttons it does not advance you or place you in a sales loop. In this case, taking a moment to research vetted systems where students can utilize platforms that have a conscience is vital. Below is a list of AI programs that I trust to help students, teachers, counselors, and their supporters level up their academic process:

The Best AI Tools for College Students

OK so let’s get down to my favorite AI tools that can be a terrific support for college students.

Dragon Dictation has been reimagined as Dragon Speech - For those who struggle with writing, you can dictate into Dragon and it will help translate your thoughts into sentences. Another option is if you use Google Chrome and are in a Google Doc, click on Tools, Voice Typing, and then start to translate your ideas onto the page. This is a terrific way to talk to your computer and let a generative AI writing tool help translate what you are saying onto the page. 

Khanmigo - For $4 per month or $44 per year you can have a personalized tutor and teachers can have a personalized teaching assistant through Khanmigo. This incredible learning app is already being widely used through Khan schools, public institutions, and universities.

Duolingo Max - Our favorite app Duolingo is now transitioning its use of AI into Duolingo Max where they utilize a Large Language Model (LLM) to predict how a user will put together a sentence or the next words in text messages. This system then helps the AI-assisted tool create language learning lesson plans tailored to the student.  

Loom - This is a personal favorite! If you ever wanted to avoid explaining something via email that takes much longer to type out or you have a quick question that can be answered in a video…Loom is your answer. Just download the AI system to your email, Drive, or any of your desktop products — then you can click the button to record, you can include your live image, or not, and screen share what you wish.

Kahoot! - For a fun interactive class that helps students engage with QR codes and questions, Kahoot! is a must. It can then provide AI-generated, relevant questions based on the learning environment. There is a fee, but often you may have access through your school or organization. There is a similar AI system used to create questions from a presentation and PowerPoint as well called ClassPoint AI.

Notion - Typically this is used for businesses and team connection, but teachers, coaches, college, and career counselors like me can use these systems to help students with a wide range of projects. From staying on track to collecting meeting notes, setting up calendars, and helping with overall executive functioning skills. 

Otter - If you attend meetings on a variety of platforms, Otter transcribes notes, summarizes key takeaways, and records the conversation with key screenshots. You can pay for an upgraded account but the first 300 minutes for free each month.

There are many other AI systems to explore, but with anything you try start by defining your goals, researching the tools, integrating them into your systems, and then think about how it is helping you create efficiencies. These tools are not a replacement for your unique thoughts, but they sure can help ask more of you. In my case, the power of AI has helped streamline so many systems which allowed me to spend non-student-facing time researching and writing effectively and at a high quality.

To learn more about the best AI tools for college success or any other related topics, email hello@collegeflightpath.com or book a free 15-minute call.

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