Education

AI tools to sweep through UCLA STEM departments, expanding education through AIMS

Published

9 hours ago

September 13, 2025

AI learning tools will be introduced to undergraduate physics and math courses this fall.

The Artificial Intelligence and Math Skills program, a two-year project aiming to decrease learning disparities in introductory STEM courses, will be implemented across physical and life science courses to improve student learning experiences, according to the UCLA Center for Education Innovation & Learning in the Sciences website. The program will use supplemental math materials and AI hinting tools to support students who need more support with mathematical skills, according to the website.

The initiative stems from a joint study conducted by UCLA and UCSD faculty members, which found that incentivized supplemental math assignments are associated with improved exam performance.

Alexander Kusenko, a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA who serves as the primary investigator for the AIMS project, said levels of performance in calculus and physics courses vary for students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The results of the study showed that supplemental learning methods and Kudu – an AI learning platform that provides restricted AI-generated hints to students needing support – were associated with higher exam scores for students, he added.

This learning model can be applied in many undergraduate STEM courses, said Shanna Shaked, senior associate director of CEILS who serves as a collaborator on the AIMS initiative. She added that she believes one of the most exciting aspects of this model is how it incentivizes supplemental math activities, as the students who score lowest on exams will earn the most points for completing the supplemental resources.

“That makes me very excited, because we have discovered something useful. And it’s working for all the students, but particularly for the students who need most help,” Kusenko said.

Shaked said the AIMS initiative is funded by the Teaching and Learning Center Tier 4 Grant – which supports larger-scale educational innovations that promote student exploration, creativity, engagement, discovery and success, according to the TLC website. The program was awarded a Track 2 Implementation Grant, which can provide up to $100,000 to teams of faculty and students seeking to tackle student needs and challenges through pedagogical transformation, the website said.

K. Supriya, associate director of CEILS who co-authored the study and serves on the AIMS program, said federal funding cuts affected research for this initiative, as researchers submitted an NSF proposal a few days before UCLA’s funding was paused, and have yet to receive feedback.

Shaked added that the TLC grant was critical to the implementation of the AIMS project because it is not associated with national funding allocations, allowing research to continue.

“Thanks to that grant, we’re able to keep doing some of the work,” Shaked said. “Not nearly in as much depth or with as much evaluation and research as we would like, but certainly able to continue broadening the use of these promising interventions.”

The TLC funds will be used to support graduate students who help develop materials for the program, as well as the instructors and investigators who implement the program, Shaked said. She added that the grant allows researchers to continue working on the AIMS project, but many participating faculty members are also being impacted by the research funding freeze, which makes adequate compensation for their work and time more challenging.

As the program grows, Supriya said the project will expand its implementation of AI learning tools to introductory chemistry courses, such as general chemistry, with the hope of reaching life sciences courses.

If evidence shows that incentivized supplemental assignments are effective in different contexts and settings, these tools could be useful for instructors at all levels and for all kinds of courses, Supriya added.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into higher educational institutions, Supriya said researchers should explore how initiatives like AIMS can maintain or increase student learning by offering tailored support.

“It’s a helpful tool,” Supriya said. “I only see the use of such things growing over the next five years.”

Contributing reports by Shaun Thomas, science and health editor.

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Education

Ram Chella – Colleges Of The Future: AI Transforming Education And Employability

Published

5 hours ago

September 13, 2025

Aditi Chakraborty

Q. How do you see the shift in approach in higher education with AI becoming an integral part of the workspace and learning?

Education in India is standing at an inflection point. For decades, colleges have measured success by degrees awarded, not by the employability of their graduates. But in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), that equation is being rewritten.

The next generation of top 100 colleges to watch will not be the ones that fear AI. They will be the ones that integrate AI elegantly into their workflow—enhancing learning, improving knowledge retention, and producing students with ‘Proof of Readiness’ rather than just certificates.

Traditional classrooms focus on theory. Employers, however, demand proof. The new model of education flips the script: students are trained and assessed in AI-powered practice environments that validate not just what they know, but how ready they are to perform.

From ‘Degrees to Data-Backed Readiness,’ this shift has far-reaching impact. For students it means higher retention, greater confidence, and stronger employability; for colleges it is a decisive move from degree-centric to outcome-centric reputations; for India it is the ability to uplift 100 million learners at scale, fueling national competitiveness.

Q. Could you share a few examples as ‘a case in point’ that are becoming ‘Colleges of the Future’?

Across India, pioneering initiatives are breaking away from the monotone of certificates and resumes. They are proving that employability in the AI era means readiness, not paperwork:

AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) is redefining how education meets industry. Instead of only accrediting degrees, AICTE is actively integrating AI to match students with industry needs—focusing on skills, outcomes, and readiness rather than just certificates.
SWAYAM Plus is shifting from being a digital catalogue of courses to becoming an AI-enabled readiness platform, where learners don’t just “complete” modules but demonstrate skills mapped to real employer demand.
Apna Jobs has already powered 7 lakh+ interviews through AI-driven skill-matching, eliminating the inefficiency of resumes. By using AI to perform the “non-scalable” tasks—connecting people with the right opportunities at scale—Apna is showing how technology can redefine placements.

These aren’t just incremental improvements. They represent a systemic break from the past—moving India’s education ecosystem from certificates and resumes to data-backed readiness and employability.

Q. Given the urgency of ‘now,’ why does AI-integrated learning matter beyond campuses?

The push for transformation is not just coming from students or regulators. It is being demanded by employers who are struggling to find talent that is not only qualified on paper but genuinely ready to perform on ‘Day One.’ Hiring managers across IT, BFSI, and manufacturing echo the same frustration: traditional degrees tell them what a student has studied, but not whether that student can actually deliver results.

AI-powered readiness models solve this gap. By validating practice, fluency, and applied skills, they give companies the confidence to hire faster and at scale. It isn’t just good for employers—it’s essential for India’s competitiveness.

Consider the numbers: India produces nearly 1 crore graduates every year, yet industry studies show that less than 30% are considered employable. Closing this gap is not an academic issue; it is an economic emergency. If even 10% more graduates enter the workforce job-ready, the productivity impact could add billions to India’s GDP annually.

This is why the ‘Colleges of the Future’ are not waiting. They are breaking free from the monotone of certificates and resumes, proving that readiness is the new currency of employability.

Q. What is the big picture in your opinion?

The overarching scenario is that it is not about survival. This is about transformation at scale. The future of India’s workforce depends on how boldly higher education institutions embrace AI—not as a threat, but as a partner. In fact, the foundation should start at the school level.

And as we celebrate these Colleges of the Future, we set the stage for a new era where education does not end with a certificate. It ends with readiness for the world of work.

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