Cengage Student Assistant Powers Personalized Learning with AI

Cengage, the higher education business of global edtech company Cengage Group, is expanding the availability of its generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tool, Student Assistant, giving more than one million students access to Student Assistant.

Embedded into Cengage’s online learning platform, MindTap, Student Assistant guides students through the learning process, providing access to relevant resources right when they need them with tailored, just-in-time feedback, and the ability to connect with key concepts in new ways.

The Student Assistant does not provide answers, rather, it supports students in understanding concepts and applying learnings to confidently reach the correct answer on their own.

Following the fall 2024 beta launch, Cengage partnered with students and faculty to understand the value of Student Assistant and continually adapt new capabilities, including:

• Expanded and Enhanced Placement in the Learning Process: Student Assistant is now seamlessly integrated throughout the learning experience and supports more complex question formats. This ensures students receive comprehensive, personalized support across various learning activities. Additionally, enhanced contextual linking capabilities allow Student Assistant to directly link responses to relevant chapters, images, videos and other resources, providing students with immediate access to supplementary materials that help improve their understanding.
• Broader Course Offerings: With coverage of over 100 products, Student Assistant is now accessible to more than one million students, providing tailored assistance to meet diverse educational needs.
• Instructor Insights and Analytics: Educators now have access to valuable insights into student performance, usage statistics and logs for review, providing instructors with a better understanding of student needs to address learning challenges and enhance the learning experience.

“At Cengage Group, we are laser-focused on introducing innovation that addresses the challenges facing educators and students today,” said Darren Person, chief digital officer, Cengage Group. “We have taken a unique approach to developing the Student Assistant, working side-by-side with learner and faculty customers to evolve our AI technology to best support engagement and outcomes while focusing on data security and privacy as core tenants. We’ve received encouraging feedback and support for this tool and look forward to getting this technology into the hands of more learners across a wide range of courses.”

Cengage’s patented GenAI approach leverages intelligent language models, alongside Cengage content, to tailor the Student Assistant to a specific product within the Cengage portfolio.

Student Assistant prioritizes pedagogy and has advanced expertise but is confined to the knowledge of that associated product. Additionally, within each product, instructors and students train the Assistant to ensure accuracy and academic integrity. This proprietary training methodology helps focus the technology and creates a better learning experience for the student, according to the company.

Cengage Group is committed to advancing the way students learn including the use of AI as well as technologies like augmented and virtual reality.

The company is actively exploring applications for Student Assistant across its portfolio, including beta tests in its K12 and workforce skills businesses.

For more information about this news, visit www.cengage.com.