Improving Student Learning with Hybrid Human-AI Tutoring: A Three-Study Quasi-Experimental Investigation

Danielle R. Thomas; Jionghao Lin; Erin Gatz; Ashish Gurung; Shivang Gupta; Kole Norberg; Stephen E. Fancsali; Vincent Aleven; Lee Branstetter; Emma Brunskill; Kenneth R. Koedinger

doi:10.1145/3636555.3636896

arXiv · 2312.11274

Improving Student Learning with Hybrid Human-AI Tutoring: A Three-Study Quasi-Experimental Investigation

Danielle R. Thomas·Jionghao Lin·Erin Gatz·Ashish Gurung·Shivang Gupta·Kole Norberg·Stephen E. Fancsali·Vincent Aleven·Lee Branstetter·Emma Brunskill·Kenneth R. Koedinger

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Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications to support human tutoring have potential to significantly improve learning outcomes, but engagement issues persist, especially among students from low-income backgrounds. We introduce an AI-assisted tutoring model that combines human and AI tutoring and hypothesize that this synergy will have positive impacts on learning processes. To investigate this hypothesis, we conduct a three-study quasi-experiment across three urban and low-income middle schools: 1) 125 students in a Pennsylvania school; 2) 385 students (50% Latinx) in a California school; and 3) 75 students (100% Black) in a Pennsylvania charter school, all implementing analogous tutoring models. We compare learning analytics of students engaged in human-AI tutoring compared to students using math software only. We find human-AI tutoring has positive effects, particularly in student's proficiency and usage, with evidence suggesting lower achieving students may benefit more compared to higher achieving students. We illustrate the use of quasi-experimental methods adapted to the particulars of different schools and data-availability contexts so as to achieve the rapid data-driven iteration needed to guide an inspired creation into effective innovation. Future work focuses on improving the tutor dashboard and optimizing tutor-student ratios, while maintaining annual costs per students of approximately $700 annually.

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Danielle R. Thomas, Jionghao Lin, Erin Gatz, Ashish Gurung, Shivang Gupta, Kole Norberg, Stephen E. Fancsali, Vincent Aleven, Lee Branstetter, Emma Brunskill, Kenneth R. Koedinger. 2023-12-21. Improving Student Learning with Hybrid Human-AI Tutoring: A Three-Study Quasi-Experimental Investigation. https://doi.org/10.1145/3636555.3636896

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