AI Learning: How Students Can Use AI to Study Smarter

AI learning is using artificial intelligence software to supplement and aid the learning process: by explaining concepts, condensing information, generating study material, grading practice problems, and advising study schedules.

The most important point is that students should use AI to improve their own thinking, not replace it. The best students using AI learning will leverage the technology to practice and study harder, not get an unfair advantage by "cheating" the system.

The following article will give specific examples of how students can employ AI to practice smarter, explain concepts, and grade their work. We will also examine common pitfalls and provide best practices for students using AI learning.

There are some research-backed ways of studying that have been proven to be significantly more effective than passive re-reading:

The problem with these techniques is they require much preparation: writing questions, planning intervals, finding analogies - this is where an AI can help. By removing the labour of preparation, you can give your brain the hard work it needs to really engage with the material.

Copy and paste or upload a document and ask the AI to summarise the salient points. This is a great revision aid, but take it further by using your summary as a memory test to see what detail you can recall from the original document.

Try: “Summarise these notes into 10 key points and list the 5 terms I must know”

One of the most powerful AI learning tools, quizzing yourself is much more effective than re-reading notes – and this is something like Quizlet or Waahey Quiz can do for you in seconds. Upload a PDF, add notes or paste text and let artificial intelligence generate questions for you.

Instead of spending hours making flashcards and quizzes, use the time to actually quiz yourself!

Inform the AI about your upcoming exam, subjects to revise and how much time you realistically have - it will build a revision timeline for you. Remember to view this as a guide and make adjustments according to your schedule.

Try: “I have 3 weeks before my Maths exam and can study 2 hours a day. Create a revision plan with weekly goals and rest days”

Explain a topic to the AI as if you were the teacher, then ask it to point out gaps or errors in your explanation. This is a great way to test your own knowledge.

Try: “I'll explain the causes of the French Revolution. Tell me what I got wrong or missed.”

When practicing math, science or computer science problems, attempt the question first – then ask for hints if you're stuck, rather than giving away the full solution. This retains the cognitive benefits of problem-solving while still helping you unstick yourself if you're truly stuck.

Try: “Give me only the first step for this equation. Don't solve it.”

Ask the AI to turn definitions, formulas or dates into flashcards, mnemonics or little stories for you to memorise. These make excellent daily revision sessions that test your long-term memory.

Ask the AI to generate questions in the style of your exam (multiple choice, short-answer, case study etc) and answer them under timed conditions. Ask for feedback on your answers to identify areas for improvement.

Students should focus on having a consistent study habit with AI rather than long individual study sessions.

Learning with friends can be engaging too! A group of students could collaborate on a shared quiz based on the same textbook chapter and compete against each other in a live session. Educators could utilize an AI to generate quiz questions, which they can then edit and tweak for their students. Live quiz sessions are also a fun way for students to revise information with peers.

Note: This is not legal advice. Please consult your school or local authorities if you have concerns about the use of AI in education.

AI learning is most effective when used as an aid. By delegating the mundane tasks of note-taking, revision planning, and practice question generation to an AI study assistant, students can utilise their valuable time and cognitive capacity on remembering and understanding the information. This process, combined with targeted practice, is what will help students achieve their best in their exams.

Want to turn your notes into practice quizzes in minutes? Try Waahey Quiz and start revising smarter today.