There’s a push among AI developers to create an AI tutor, and some see that as a key use case for tools like ChatGPT. But one longtime edtech expert sees an even better fit for new AI chatbots in education: helping educators design course materials for their students.

So all year Michael Feldstein has been leading a project to build an AI assistant that’s focused on learning design.

After all, these days colleges and other education institutions are hiring a growing number of human instructional designers to help create or improve teaching materials — especially as colleges have developed more online classes and programs. And people in those roles follow a playbook for helping subject-matter experts (the teachers they work with) organize their material into a series of compelling learning activities that will get students the required knowledge and skills on a given subject. Feldstein thinks new AI chatbots might be uniquely suited to guiding instructors through the early stages of that learning-design process.

Introducing ALDA: AI Learning Design Assistant

Feldstein’s innovative system, the AI Learning Design Assistant, or ALDA, is poised to revolutionize instructional design. Throughout the year, he has conducted numerous workshops engaging over 70 educators to test and refine the tool. Incorporating their feedback, he has iterated a new version of the system approximately every month for the last five months. Feldstein proposes that an AI-driven approach can significantly reduce the time required to develop educational courses.

Can AI Enhance Instructional Design?

Feldstein remains cautiously optimistic about the potential of AI in this domain. He has invited both skeptics and supporters to test ALDA, striving for a balanced perspective. “The question is, can AI do that?” he muses. “Can we create an AI learning design assistant that interviews the human educator, asks the questions, and gathers the information that the educator has in their heads about the important elements of the teaching interaction, and then generates a first draft?”

Ongoing Development and Community Insights

EdSurge has closely followed Feldstein’s journey, capturing both the successes and challenges faced during the development of ALDA. Insights gained from this process indicate that even if AI isn’t perfectly suited for course construction, it has substantial potential to assist educators in other facets of their workflow.

To delve deeper into Michael Feldstein’s pioneering efforts, listen to the detailed conversations on the EdSurge Podcast available on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Watch the podcast below for more insights.