Google was the talk of edtech circles last month with significant updates to NotebookLM and Learn About. However, Google’s foray into AI tools for teaching and learning has been marked by a piecemeal approach that has at once teased and frustrated educators. Let’s take a look at why.
Google I/O 2024: Promising Tools, Limited Availability
At the Google I/O event in May, the tech giant introduced several promising teaching and learning tools powered by AI. Google introduced LearnLM, “a new family of models for learning” based on the Gemini large language model, claiming that it can help teachers simplify lesson planning, discover new teaching ideas, and differentiate instruction. They also showcased an experimental tool called Illuminate, which was obliquely introduced as a tool “to make knowledge more accessible and digestible.”
Furthermore, Google announced that its Circle to Search could provide students homework help directly from select Android phones and tablets and that “later this year,” it could solve more complex problems. Finally, they introduced an intriguing prototype of Audio Overviews for NotebookLM, which creates a verbal discussion of uploaded sources.
While the I/O presentations were slick, they were short on specifics, with many “soon you’ll be able to” or “later we’ll” statements, bereft of specific launch dates and availability. Almost six months later, many features still need to be available to classroom teachers because many advanced AI features require paid subscriptions or are available only in specific regions. For example, only certain LearnLM-powered features are accessible to users, and Google’s Illuminate is wait-list only.
Moreover, Google has not released an official update confirming the implementation of Circle to Search’s “advanced” capabilities on Androids, nor is it natively available on iOS devices. Going to Google’s official Learning & Education section doesn’t shed much light on recent developments; click “Updates,” and you’ll see an article from June.
Google Workspace for Education: Popular but Limited AI Enhancements
Part of the issue is that Google is more focused on integrating AI to enhance Google Workspace, which commands subscription revenue. Particularly, Google Workspace for Business has higher subscription fees and more extensive user bases than the education sector. That said, Google Workspace for Education is widely used by schools and teachers across the United States, with estimates suggesting that over 60% of K-12 schools rely on Google for Education tools.
Google has rolled out AI enhancements to Google Workspace for Education, but these largely mirror improvements to its core apps, such as Gmail, Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Meet. (Google Classroom, an exception, is a uniquely education app.)
The principal driver of these enhancements is Gemini, Google’s AI-powered assistant that integrates with Google Workspace for Education apps. In Google Docs, Gemini can write lesson plans, meeting notes, and application letters based on text prompts. You can also write lesson plans in Google Classroom and create practice sets with real-time feedback. Gemini can create custom images and text content in Google Slides based on user prompts. At the same time, Google Sheets can summarize sheet content, create conditional formatting, and create formulas based on user goals.
However, access to Gemini’s features depends on the specific edition of Google Workspace for Education your institution uses. A paid add-on is required to use Gemini’s advanced features directly within Google Workspace applications. Additionally, Gemini’s specific integration with educational tools is primarily experimental, and certain features may not be fully rolled out across all education accounts yet, making it sometimes impossible to know what Google enhancements will appear when.
Recent Developments in Google’s Education AI Tools
Despite ambiguity and delays, Google has made progress in developing AI tools aligned with teaching and learning needs, catching the attention of edtech specialists and classroom teachers alike. Two notable examples are NotebookLM and Learn About.
NotebookLM is a versatile personal research assistant that can analyze various types of content, including PDFs, Google Docs, Google Slides, websites, audio files, and even YouTube videos. It generates summaries, key themes, and thought-provoking questions about the sources, providing teachers and students with an interactive and personalized learning experience. The most intriguing feature is the Audio Overview, as it transforms source content into an engaging podcast-style discussion between two realistic-sounding presenters.
On the other hand, Learn About is an experimental platform that leverages AI to create adaptive learning paths. Its conversational AI features allow students to ask questions and receive targeted explanations, with the added benefit of short, digestible information and suggested prompts for each query. The sidebar offers more data and material to explore, giving Learn About lots of potential to transform how students navigate and interact with educational content. However, it is currently only available for U.S. users.
Challenges and Concerns
Despite the potential benefits of Google’s AI tools for education, Google’s slow and partial rollouts have it chasing rivals. Over two million teachers are already using MagicSchool. This AI teaching assistant offers a range of lesson planning and differentiation tools, not to mention the millions of teachers already using ChatGPT for lesson planning.
AI teaching assistants like SchoolAI and Brisk are gaining traction as well. They offer a comprehensive suite of features designed to streamline a teacher’s workload, automate many time-consuming tasks, and provide a hub for various educational activities. Unlike Google, their AI tools are centralized, easily accessible, and uniformly affordable. Brisk, in particular, is popular because it integrates seamlessly with Google Drive, enabling teachers to leverage AI in streamlined ways that are difficult to accomplish in the Google ecosystem alone.
Teachers want AI tools, and they want them readily available, ideally in one location. This poses a significant challenge for Google. Drive, Docs, Slides, and Sheets are “workspace” tools, while LearnLM, NotebookLM, Learn About, Circle for Search, and Illuminate are “learning” tools. They are not housed together. With so many tools and features, each with different accessibility and availability, it’s easy to imagine how lost a typical K-12 teacher must feel.
It’s also striking how many features are unavailable for K-12 students. In Gemini Advanced, only users 18 and older can upload documents and ask questions about them. Likewise, the new Learning Coach Gem will only provide a student with guidance if the student is 18 or over. Other AI teaching assistants are filling the void, with SchoolAI setting up chatbots with specific parameters and guidelines tailored to K12 classroom needs and Mizou offering customized chatbots to tutor, assess, and grade students in up to 50 languages.
Moreover, some educators have expressed frustration with the restrictions and limitations of AI responses. I’m among them. While these safeguards are in place to ensure accuracy and prevent the spread of misinformation, they can sometimes hinder teachers’ ability to get the answers or support they need, with Gemini occasionally refusing to answer questions on benign topics.
Lastly, there is often a mismatch between teacher needs and the features offered by AI tools. The hodgepodge introduction of tools for select academic disciplines makes them hard to find if you don’t follow Google or edtech news closely, and educators may find that the available tools don’t fully address their specific challenges or align with their instructional goals. (How many U.S. K12 teachers want Google AI tools to focus on London’s metro system?)
The Road Ahead
Google has made significant strides in developing AI tools for education, but the journey has been bumpy and often unfulfilling. While offerings like NotebookLM, Learn About, and Illuminate show promise, limited availability and access still need to be overcome.
Google must strike a delicate balance between innovation and accessibility, ambition and practicality. The tech giant has the resources and the expertise to influence AI in education. Still, it must do so in a way that genuinely empowers educators and learners, not just in theory but in practice.
As Google continues to refine and expand its AI offerings, I will watch with a mix of hope and skepticism. Will Google’s AI tools live up to their promise, or will they remain tantalizing but out of reach for many? The answer lies not just in the technology itself but in Google’s willingness to engage with educators, iterate based on their feedback, and make bold moves to democratize access to these powerful tools.
About the author
A former high school teacher and edtech CEO, Tom Daccord is the creator of the popular “Tom’s Takes: AI Tools & Views” website and the author of the newly published book AI Tools & Uses: A Practical Guide for Teachers. Tom is our K12 Contributing Editor.
