Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Cengage Launches Gen AI Student Assistant in Beta

Education technology company Cengage has announced Student Assistant, a generative AI tool designed to guide students through the learning process with personalized resources and feedback, now available in beta. The feature will be tested by more than 5,000 higher education students this fall.

In the beta test, the Student Assistant will be embedded in Cengage's MindTap online learning platform for four courses: Principles of Management, Organizational Behavior, Lifespan Psychology, and Principles of Economics. For each course, the AI is trained to prioritize pedagogy and have advanced expertise in a respective discipline, Cengage explained in a news announcement, but is confined to the knowledge in that given course area. The company emphasized that the tool "does not provide answers," but rather "helps students understand concepts, apply learnings and arrive at the correct answers."

"I always have a number of students each semester that ask for tutor services, but as a community college, we don't have tutor services available for economics. The Student Assistant offers an opportunity for every single one of my students to have a private tutor. This not only provides support to them at times when I can't — like the 3 A.M. study push — but also helps narrow down the gaps in their understanding," said Noreen Templin, department chair and professor of economics at Butler Community College. "Often students will come to me because they are confused, but they don't necessarily know what they are confused about. I have been incredibly impressed with the Student Assistant's ability to help guide students to better understand where they are struggling. This will not only benefit the student but has the potential to help me be a better teacher, enable more critical thinking and foster more engaging classroom discussion." 

"We have spent a considerable amount of time talking to students, faculty and other industry stakeholders to ensure we introduce a solution that addresses the challenges facing students and educators in the classroom today and upholds the highest standards of academic integrity," commented Michael E. Hansen, CEO of Cengage Group. "I am thrilled to bring this gen AI-powered tool to market and get it into the hands of students. We know that everyone learns at a different pace and in different ways; the Student Assistant empowers all learners to better personalize their experience, increasing engagement, deepening understanding, improving outcomes, and ultimately, setting them up for greater success."

Cengage said it plans to expand availability for the Student Assistant in Spring 2025. Visit the Cengage site for more information.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.