AI 4 SCI: Using AI-Powered Tools to Support Inquiry Science
To be shared at the NSTA National Conference in New Orleans on 11/08/24!
Source: vecteezy_somchai sanvongchaiya via Pixabay.
This summary highlights the functions associated with AI-enhanced tools that support STEM work via the 5 stages of Inquiry Science. What if you don’t teach a STEM course? These tools can be applied to any discipline!
THE FIVE STAGES OF INQUIRY SCIENCE
Engage: activities at this stage aim to capture students' interest and stimulate their curiosity about a topic.
Explore: students actively explore the concept or phenomenon, often working in groups.
Explain: students begin to make sense of their observations and data, often with guidance from the teacher.
Elaborate: students extend their understanding by applying concepts to new situations.
Evaluate: assessment of student understanding and skills, both formative and summative.
PREWORK
Eduaide.Ai (“Teach Smarter, Not Harder”)
Free plan includes: 15 generations/month, Limited Feedback Bot, and Enhance & Transform Features
User data is not shared with third parties and user-AI interaction (both input and output) does not train the model
AI features provide comprehensive support throughout the instructional process addressing: Planning (Lesson Seed, Unit Plan, Prior Knowledge & Scaffolding, Engagement Activities), Information Objects (Direct Instruction Script, Rubric, Elaborate Analogy, Anchor Chart), Independent Practice (Essay Revision, Exemplar Essay Review), and Cooperative Learning (Jigsaw Activity, Debate, Learning Stations, Think-Pair-Share)
The Assessment Builder generates Multiple Choice, True of False, Short Answer, Fill In The Blank, Matching, and Essay questions
MagicSchool (“Teachers are Magic!”)
Free plan includes: all 70+ standards-based, time saving AI tools, Raina [the proprietary AI chatbot], 40+ educator-monitored tools, AI Slides generation with Presentation Generator exportable to Google Slides, and AI Image generation for educators and students powered by Adobe
Extensive AI tool library applicable to all stages of instruction
Tools are customizable, include templates, and provide exemplars
Includes access to “MagicStudent,” a student-facing AI platform that creates classes which are shared, overseen, and monitored by instructors
Teachers select the AI tools their students engage with
Figure 1 MagicSchool tools page.
Perplexity (“Perplexity is a free AI search engine designed to revolutionize the way you discover information”)
As an AI-powered search engine, Perplexity provides an “Answer” that is a summary of Internet content rather than a list of website URLs
Users can select a search Focus: Web, Academic, Math, Writing, Video, or Social
Responses include sources, in-summary citations, related questions for further searches, and additional information types (images or videos)
Platform-suggested prompts to assist students include:
The patient tutor: "Explain each concept in simple terms. Break it down into clear, easy-to-understand bullet points so that it is accessible for someone with limited prior knowledge of the subject."
The informed professor: "Provide an in-depth overview of the topic. Link to relevant sources and additional ideas from the internet to facilitate further exploration on this subject."
The study buddy: "Respond to questions with a lighthearted tone. Use relatable examples to make the explanations more engaging and fun, while still covering all essential information."
“Spaces” are “AI-powered research & collaboration hub[s]” where users can gather, select the AI model they work with, and give it guiding instructions on how to respond
“Spaces” accepts PDF, WORD, EXCEL, and PowerPoint files as knowledge base sources
ENGAGE
According to some sources, one of the most dynamic AI models, the most fluid at writing, and one of the best at coding
Free accounts get up to 30 chats/day
Can interpret handwriting, charts, and graphs (content must be uploaded as an image file)
User ID > Feature Preview > Analysis tool = lets Claude generate “data visualizations” (charts and graphs)
Visual PDFs now interprets charts and graphs within a PDF
Claude can generate and run JavaScript code
Copilot
Available via the Microsoft Edge browser
To allow Copilot to engage with in-browser content: browser Settings > Sidebar > App and notification settings > Copilot > Allow Copilot to read context clues on the web
Changing the Sidebar settings allows PDFs stored on a computer to be opened in the browser for Copilot use: right click on the file > Open with > Microsoft Edge
Shares in-text source references
User-AI interaction can be shared through hyperlinks or email, as well as Facebook, X, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Reddit posts, or in OneNote
Text-to-image generation is powered by DALL·E3
4 images are generated with each prompt; 30(?) maximum image generations/day
Accepts image uploads and has excellent “computer vision”
Generates a primary chatbot response as well as additional “drafts” to choose from (“drafts” are hidden by default)
User-AI interactions can be shared through Google Docs or Gmail
In-text citations, sources, and suggested related content shared in conjunction with prompt response
Manipulates global satellite imagery to concentrate on desired locations/areas
"Historical Imagery" creates an interactive a sliding timeline, while "Timelapse" automates a visual chronological progression
Figure 2 Google Earth with "Historical Imagery" feature engaged.
Allows type-specific (e.g. grocery stores) searches in “Search Google Maps” textbox
EXPLORE
Figure 3 Elicit results page sharing a content summary, paper listing, and additional column options.
Collects research papers based on user queries and allows for in-depth analysis through 34 focused filters including: Main findings, Methodology, Dataset, Experimental techniques, Algorithms, Participant count, and Policy recommendations
Adding a “new step” let users: Ask a new question and find papers, Extract data from uploaded papers, and Get a list of concepts
Glasp.ai (a Chrome browser extension available at chrome://extensions)
Generates complete, time-stamped transcripts of YouTube videos (which already have Closed Captions or transcripts) – as opposed to real-time statement-by-statement transcription
Transcript can be copied and pasted, exported/shared to ChatGPT, or copied as Plain Text
Breaks down complex tasks into more manageable components
Provides additional supports including writing assistance and time management suggestions
GPT-Consensus (a GPT available via Chat-GPT’s “Explore GPTs” library)
A “[s]cientific research assistant specializing in answering queries and conducting literature research”
Accepts files from Google Drive, MS OneDrive, WORD, EXCEL, and PDFs
Free plan includes: Limited functionality, Model: Llama 3 (70B) – the default LLM, Max 3 saved concept maps (a paid subscription allows users to upload PDFs as source material)
Select an “input” (topic) and choose AI-generated details on selected aspects including: the how, what, origin, pros, and cons
Information placed in editable “nodes” with illustrated connections
To save the concept map, click the “Save as” button; for all subsequent saving of the same file, click the settings/overview button
Figure 4 Heuristi.ca concept map showing three nodes and node options menu.
“Tools” > scroll down to the bottom of a page (Pricing, Concept Maps, Changelog, or Library) on the Heuristi.ca site
The site offers a suite of free features: AI Flashcard Generator, AI Quiz Generator, AI Essay Outline Generator, and AI Study Notes Generator
Live Caption (a Chrome browser feature)
Generates real-time captions for videos lacking Closed Captions and/or transcripts
The browser default for the setting is “off,” so it must be toggled “on”: Chrome browser > Settings > Accessibility > Live Caption
Research Rabbit (“Reimagine Research”)
Search and collect peer-reviewed research papers
Download papers or access online content directly (when available)
Similar work, references, citations, additional work by current authors, suggested authors, and related topics shared
SciSpace (“The Fastest Research Platform Ever”)
Available at https://typeset.io/
Free plan includes: Limited AI words in Writer, Limited Chats with papers and PDFs, Limited Literature Review searches, Standard Model Access only, Limited Paraphraser outputs, Limited AI powered notebooks, Limited Paper summaries, Add 5 columns in literature review, Limited Citation Generations, and Limited Concept searches
Provides list of research papers on a given topic (Literature Review), chats with PDFs through AI, extracts key concepts (or data) from source material, generates citations, and transforms PDFs into short highlight videos
EXPLAIN
Free plan includes: unlimited charts, 3 boards, share anywhere, and limited AI use
Data sources include Google Sheets, EXCEL, .CSV files, pasted tabular data, manually-entered data
Ask Claude to share info that can be cut & pasted into Notepad and saved as a .CSV file
Multiple chart/graph formats and design elements are available and all charts/graphs can be downloaded
Figure 5 Graphy bar chart (watermark disappears with paid subscription).
Napkin.AI (“Get visuals from your text”)
Currently in Beta testing
Generates infographics from user- or AI-provided text
Infographics can be edited and downloaded
Figure 6 Napkin.AI infographic on the process of photosynthesis.
NotebookLM (“Think Smarter, Not Harder”)
Currently in Beta testing and powered by Gemini 1.5
To access Notebook LM a user must:
1. Have a Google account
2. Set up an account with Google Workspace Labs
3. Log into https://notebooklm.google.com/
Accepts up to 20 files with as many as 500,000 words each
Approved uploads include PDFs, Internet hyperlinks, YouTube videos, audio files, Google Docs, and Google Slides
The chatbot engages only with the files a user selects
“Notebook guide” creates formative assessments including short answer questions, study guides, FAQs, and an Audio Overview (two-person podcast summary of the material)
Notebooks can be shared via an email address or a hyperlink
Wondercraft (“Amazingly easy audio content creation”)
Free plan includes: 6 credits/month, AI script assistance, 40 standard voices, 30+ languages, Access to 10 music tracks, and Access to 10 sound effects
Accepts uploaded NotebookLM audio files for editing and enhancement
Users provide content, add voice, music, sound effects, and clips to the content
Tracks (“podcasts”) can be downloaded as an .MP3 file
ELABORATE
Audiobox (“Create an audio story with AI voices and sounds”)
In Beta testing
Terms of Service states it is not for use in Illinois or Texas
Users record their own voice or select an AI-generated voice, add text to be read aloud, and add sound effects (which they describe for AI generation)
Recordings can be modified/edited slightly and downloaded
Free plan includes: two chatbots (chatbots in Beta testing)
Highly-customizable chatbots are rendered thanks to a comprehensive development template
Chatbots can be shared via hyperlink and recipients do not need a Zapier account to interact with it
EVALUATE
Quizizz (“Create and deliver bell-to-bell curriculum resources that meet the needs of every student”)
Quizizz website free plan lets users create 20 activities
Activity types: Assessments, Lessons, and Flashcards
Interactive Videos is a collection of pre-made videos from “channels” including: Khan Academy, Ted-Ed, History, and National Geographic
Users can create their own activities or access those from local schools (other sources available with paid subscription)
Quizizz AI (“Create Fast. Differentiate with ease”) is a standalone (in Beta) page as well as a Chrome extension for making quizzes from webpage content
Free plan includes: 3 quizzes per month, 10 pages per docs, Limited questions, and 50 responses per month
Creates quizzes from PDF, text, URL, or YouTube content
“Study Mode” offers formative assessments (which students can reference before taking a quiz) including: a summary of the material used to generate the quiz, the key points of that content, and a set of 6 interactive flashcards
Summaries, flashcards, and quizzes can be shared via hyperlink or embedded via HTML into a webpage, or exported via a PDF
QuizwithIt (not AI-powered)
Free plan includes: 30-day access to all quizzes and premium content; when trial period expires, premium platform benefits removed
About Us: We’re a team of scientists, developers, and media specialists who are passionate about bringing knowledge to the world. This website and app is a spin-off of “Science without the gobbledygook”, a widely popular YouTube channel produced by Sabine Hossenfelder, who also oversees this project.
Make it Stick: Can’t remember the video you watched last week? Read an article but forgot what it said? We know the feeling—and we’re here to help. Multiple choice tests are a tried-and-tested method for learning. With our quizzes you can check whether you correctly understood the content of a video or article, with instant feedback.
Collection of categorized pre-made quizzes; users can take quizzes and contribute their comments
“Share quiz” lets users share the assessment via Facebook, LinkedIn, or X (formerly known as Twitter); “Embed quiz” generates HTML code for including a quiz on a webpage