All right, so ready for another deep dive.
Absolutely, bring it on.
Awesome, today we're heading over to Oxford.
Oh, Oxford.
Yeah, to see how they're using AI to learn like geniuses,
we found this YouTube video that-
Interesting.
Yeah, it really is.
It talks about how they're encouraging everyone
to become like machine enhanced learners.
It sounds so futuristic, right?
Yeah, a little bit, a little bit.
But like, what does that even mean?
Like in reality?
It is kind of like, it's not about just letting AI
do the work for you.
It's more like you've got this super smart study buddy.
Okay.
That can help you personalize your learning.
Okay, that makes a lot more sense.
But I gotta say, like sometimes,
don't you just wanna take the easy route?
Oh yeah.
Like just have the AI summarize everything for me.
I get it, it's tempting, right?
But think of it this way, if you had a personal trainer
and they did all your workouts for you.
Right.
Would you actually get any stronger?
Hmm, yeah, no, that's true.
Okay, so how does Oxford suggest we use AI for learning?
So they talk a lot about this thing called retrieval practice.
Retrieval practice.
Yeah, so basically it's this really powerful method
where you actively try to recall information
instead of just like passively reading it
or listening to it.
Gotcha, like constantly quizzing yourself, right?
Exactly, exactly.
It helps build those mental muscles.
Okay, but where does the AI come in?
So this is where it gets really cool.
You can basically program AI
to be like your own personal tutor for retrieval practice.
Whoa.
AI generate custom quizzes based on what you're learning.
Wow.
And it could even like adjust the difficulty
as you get better.
That is pretty cool.
So the video also mentioned this AI researcher,
M and Ian Mick, have you heard of him?
Yeah, yeah, he's great.
He's got a lot of really good stuff on AI
and what's called prompt engineering.
Oh, prompt engineering.
Yeah, that's like the key to getting AI to work for you.
You have to learn to ask the right questions, you know?
Like craft those prompts
so you can get the best information.
He actually suggests using AI to implement
the Socratic method.
Wait, the Socratic method?
Yeah, I know it sounds super old school, right?
Yeah.
But it's all about asking those probing questions
to figure out where the gaps in your knowledge are.
Okay.
And then it helps you think more deeply.
It's like having a conversation with yourself.
So it's like using AI to challenge your own assumptions
and really figure out the why behind things.
Exactly, yeah.
And you know what's really interesting?
Right.
They actually use a similar approach
in the Oxford admissions interviews.
Really?
Yeah, like they ask these open-ended questions
to see how applicants think critically and solve problem.
So it's kind of like AI learning is like prepping
for an Oxford interview.
It is, it is.
And it just shows you how important active learning is.
That's so cool.
Okay, so besides retrieval practice in the Socratic method,
what other AI learning hacks did they share?
Well, one thing they mentioned was requesting
multi-level explanations.
Multi-level.
Yeah, like you could ask the AI to explain something
as if you were a child.
Okay.
And then as if you were a high school student.
And then finally like a university scholar.
So you're like building up your understanding layer by layer.
Exactly.
So you really grasp it from different angles
and at different depths.
That's smart.
Oh, and here's another trick.
You can actually ask AI to create practice question for you.
Okay.
Or even come up with real life analogies.
Ooh, that's a good one.
To make those abstract concepts more relatable.
Yeah, yeah.
So it's like having a personalized textbook
that's constantly adapting to how you learn.
This is sounding more and more like
we're gonna get super learners.
Right.
And the coolest thing is like with AI,
there's no shame in asking those quote unquote dumb questions.
Exactly.
Or needing things explained multiple times.
Yeah, it takes away that fear of judgment
that you might feel in a classroom.
Totally.
Speaking of traditional learning frameworks,
have you ever heard of Bloom's Taxonomy?
Yeah, yeah.
Isn't that the one with all the different levels of learning?
Yeah, yeah.
It outlines like six different levels of cognitive skills.
Starting with basic remembering.
Okay.
And going all the way up to creating.
So like remembering facts is the first step.
And then understanding them, then applying them.
Exactly.
And the amazing thing is AI can be programmed
to help you work through every single level.
Whoa.
It's like having a personalized learning plan.
Wow.
That guides you from just understanding the basics
to actually applying and even creating new things.
That's incredible.
Like it's Bloom's Taxonomy with an AI twist.
Yeah.
Which really does feel like the future of learning.
It does.
This is blowing my mind.
Bloom's Taxonomy with AI.
It's like, whoa.
This reminds me of something I always struggled with
in school, you know?
What's that?
Summaries.
Like I could never get the right.
I would either put way too much in there, you know?
Or I'd miss the main points completely.
Yeah, it's tricky.
I wonder if like, could AI help with that?
Oh, absolutely.
AI could definitely help with summaries.
But there's a catch.
Okay.
You shouldn't just rely on the AI to do it for you.
Right.
If you had someone write your essay for you.
Yeah.
You're not really learning anything.
So what you want to do is try summarizing yourself.
Okay.
And then compare it to what the AI generates.
So it's more like AI is a check and balance.
Exactly.
So when you compare them, you can see, okay,
where did my understanding maybe go off track?
Oh.
You know, what did I miss?
You can even ask the AI, why did you include this
in the summary.
Right.
That way you're really using the AI
to refine your own thinking.
That's such a good idea.
It's like turning a shortcut into an actual learning moment.
Totally.
The video had some really interesting examples of this.
Like the creator would use these prompts
to get the AI to pinpoint the key concepts.
Those prompts are so important.
Yeah.
It's like you're giving the AI instructions
to help it understand exactly what you want.
Right.
In one example, they asked the AI to come up
with 20 key terms from a research paper.
Okay.
And then put them into five different categories.
Wow.
So it's like you're creating this structured overview
of the entire paper in a few steps.
That's so helpful for breaking down complex information.
Yeah.
And the cool thing is the AI can do that for anything,
any topic.
And then there was another example
where they had AI list out all the propositions
Oh, interesting.
in the text and they had it in a very specific format
like math hang out the argument, you know.
That's a fantastic way to really analyze
like how is this argument structured?
How do the different points connect?
Right.
And it really helps you understand the logic
behind what the author is saying.
And all these cool techniques and prompts
they come straight from Oxford.
I know, right?
It's amazing.
They have a whole webpage on this.
Wow.
It's like they're giving away their secrets.
It is.
It's fascinating to see how universities
are really embracing AI as a learning tool.
Yeah.
They also mentioned a paper from Cambridge
in the video, right?
Yes.
The one about the clear principle.
Yes, the clear principle.
But they don't really go into detail about that one.
Right.
Well, clear stands for contextualize, explain, apply,
reflect and then repeat.
It's a framework for really engaging with information,
using AI to help you understand it on a much deeper level.
OK.
So can you give me an example of how that would actually work?
Sure.
So let's say you're trying to learn about photosynthesis.
OK.
You could start by asking the AI to contextualize
photosynthesis within the broader topic of plant biology.
OK.
So you're seeing the bigger picture.
Then you could say, explain the process of photosynthesis
step by step.
So you're building it up in a structured way.
Exactly.
And then you move on to apply.
You could say, how does photosynthesis impact
the global carbon cycle?
Oh, so you're seeing how it matters.
Right.
Making those connections.
Then reflect.
You could ask, what are the limitations of photosynthesis?
Or what are some alternative pathways for energy production
and plants?
Ooh, that's getting deep.
It is.
You're going beyond just memorizing the facts.
Right.
And then you repeat the cycle with new information.
So it's a continuous learning process.
It's really cool.
And it seems like the clear principle
is all about using AI as a partner in your learning,
not just a shortcut.
Exactly.
It encourages you to stay curious, ask questions,
really engage with the material.
This is amazing.
It's kind of making me think, are human teachers
going to become obsolete with all this?
That's a great question.
And it's something a lot of people are worried about.
But I don't think AI will ever truly replace human teachers.
Because there's that human element.
The ability to connect with students, to inspire them,
to mentor them.
Yeah.
That's something AI just can't replicate.
So it's more about finding that balance
between the power of AI and what human teachers bring
to the table.
Exactly.
It's about creating a learning environment
where technology and human interaction work together
to give the best possible experience for every student.
Wow.
It's really mind-blowing to think about where
this is all headed.
I know, right?
It's pretty exciting.
Yeah, with AI and learning.
Who knows?
Maybe we'll all have our own personal AI tutors someday.
Yeah, imagine that, right?
Yeah.
Like, what if learning could be this super
individualized, engaging thing for everyone?
It would be incredible.
Yeah, it would totally change everything.
It would be amazing to see how it could make learning more
accessible for everyone.
Oh, absolutely, yeah.
No matter what their background is or how they learn best.
It would level the playing field.
And it wouldn't just be about just getting information.
It would be about developing those critical thinking
skills.
Yeah.
Problem solving, creativity, all that stuff
that's going to be so important as the world keeps changing
so fast.
Absolutely.
It's like, AI could help us unlock our true learning
potential.
Yeah, I love that.
Unlocking our potential.
Where do you think this is all going?
What's the next big thing in AI in learning?
That's a great question.
I'm really interested in how AI could
be used to understand our emotions while we learn.
Oh, wow.
Like, imagine if you had an AI tutor that could tell
when you're getting frustrated.
Oh, that would be so helpful.
Yeah, or discouraged.
And then it could adjust how it's teaching you.
That's like an AI empathy machine.
I know, right?
And as AI gets more advanced, I think
we're going to see even more personalized and adaptive
learning experiences.
It won't just be about the content, but also how it's
delivered, the pace, even the tone.
It'll be like having a learning experience that's
perfectly tailored to you.
So cool.
This has been an incredible deep dive.
It has.
I feel like I have a whole new set of tools to learn better.
I know, me too.
Not even just harder, but smarter.
That's the key, right?
Yeah.
Working smarter, not harder.
Yeah.
So for everyone listening, if you're feeling stuck
or you just want to try something new,
don't be afraid to experiment with AI in learning.
I think you'll be surprised at what you can achieve.
It's amazing.
Well, thanks for joining us for this deep dive.
Thanks for having me.
It's been a blast.
Until next time, keep those minds curious and those learning
engines running, 20, 60, to 20, 60.