Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Florida School Tests AI as Virtual Tutor for Online Course

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 01/29/19
artificial intelligence

Florida International University is testing out the use of a virtual learning assistant pegged as "artificial intelligence tutoring" in an online program. The university has begun a pilot with Cognii, an education technology company that uses natural language processing to interact with the student as he or she learns a particular topic, gets assessed on comprehension and receives coaching to master the concepts.

The company said its AI tutor can grade open-response answers to short essay questions and "extract rich pedagogical insights and analytics to improve faculty members' productivity."

The project is taking place in the College of Business and, specifically, in an information system management course. Over the last semester, Cognii has worked with an online instructor and support team members to design and pilot several modules to support the use of the tutoring program.

"As we pursue FIU's strategic plan to meet the 21st century challenges in higher education and focus on helping students graduate in a timely fashion with minimal debt while preparing them for high quality jobs, we believe ed tech innovations such as [this one] will play a key role in improving our scale, efficiency and sustainability," said David John Palmer, associate director of educational technology at FIU Online and professor of information systems management, in a statement. "Based on the success during the fall semester, we are looking forward to expanding the scope of using Cognii to improve student learning."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Abstract futuristic digital network with glowing padlock icons

    Microsoft Intros New Agentic AI Security Multi-Model Defense System

    A new multi-model agentic AI security system built by Microsoft's Autonomous Code Security team helped researchers find 16 new vulnerabilities across the Windows networking and authentication stack, the company anounced in a recent security blog post.

  • Profile silhouette of a person thoughtfully touching their chin, overlaid with transparent data visualizations and digital interface elements suggesting artificial intelligence and analytics.

    The Institutional Knowledge Shift Is Reshaping Higher Ed IT

    Higher education IT leaders are navigating a quiet but consequential transition: Experienced team members are retiring or leaving for private-sector roles, and the teams replacing them are smaller, newer, and often stretched thin. The result is a structural shift in how technology decisions are made, executed, and sustained.

  • laptop displaying a red padlock icon sits on a wooden desk with a digital network interface background

    Malware Turns Microsoft 365 Calendar Into Covert Attack Vector

    Security researchers at Group-IB have uncovered a Windows malware strain that turns Microsoft 365 calendars into covert channels for receiving commands and stealing files from targeted organizations.

  • person typing on a touch screen schedule plan calendar

    DOJ Extends Deadline for ADA Title II Compliance

    Institutions working to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II regulations for digital accessibility have received a temporary reprieve: The United States Department of Justice has published an interim final rule to push back the compliance deadline by one year.