PURPOSE
As educational environments continue to evolve, advances in artificial
intelligence (AI) provide the possibility of faculty being able to create a
tailored AI-powered bot to support student learning. This integration of
AI-driven tools creates new opportunities to expand academic support and
personalize learning at scale. However, the effectiveness of AI bots at
improving mastery of core concepts and increasing access to immediate,
individualized feedback remains unknown.
METHODS
The University of South Carolina entered into an agreement with OpenAI
prior to the start of the 2025-2026 academic year. This agreement provides
faculty and students with access to ChatGPT, but in a way that no
user-supplied information is used to train Open AI’s models. A
ChatGPT-powered AI bot was created for pre-clerkship genetics and
biochemistry content and made available to students. Training and usage tips
were provided to students, as well as suggestions on what to avoid when using
the AI bot. This ideally provided an environment where the AI bot provided
on-demand assistance (i.e. explanations) and problem-solving support via
dynamically generated practice questions Since the AI bot was intended to be
a supplemental resource, no changes were made to course materials that had
been previously used, and all AI bot usage was completely voluntary on the
student’s part.
RESULTS
As this is an ongoing project, student survey data, academic performance
comparison, and access statistics will be presented once the academic year
concludes. Guardrails for accuracy, academic integrity protections, and
alignment with course materials will also be provided.
CONCLUSION
It is anticipated this pilot implementation of AI tutoring technology into
the pre-clerkship curriculum will provide insights into student readiness to
engage in AI-based individualized academic support, any discernable academic
impacts, and practical and pedagogical implications of this approach.