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Boosting student learning outcomes with academics’ ‘AI doubles’

For undergraduate students, assessments often bring feelings of uncertainty and can potentially lead to stress. To ensure student success, it’s crucial to provide adequate support as students learn course concepts and prepare to submit their coursework, such as assessments. However, the reality is that educators cannot always be available 24/7 to meet the demands of their students—a challenge that would be much easier if they could clone themselves. 

Over the past 6 months, Sam Elliott, Damien Raidis and Madison Richter from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work at Flinders University have been working to create academic ‘doubles’ of Sam and Damien using Cogniti. These AI agents were designed to mirror their teaching styles and provide personalised, round-the-clock support to students. By involving students in the development process and using their feedback, they’ve shaped these agents to be both realistic and useful to engage with. This personalised interaction helps by offering support that aligns with each educator’s unique approach.

A peek into how Sam, Damien, and Madison built an AI double, by providing Cogniti with plain language instructions to adapt to each educator’s unique approach.

Feedback collected from 74 students was positive, with around 78% of students on average agreeing that these AI agents significantly contribute to their learning, engagement, and success in their course. They’ve found the agents easy to use and appreciate the 24/7 access to quality teaching. 

Here’s what some students had to say about their experience: 

  • “I found ‘AI Sam’ helpful when I had a question that I didn’t think warranted an email, but I still wanted some clarity. It made me feel more at ease with the assignment.”
  • “The specific and immediate answers reduced my anxiety about whether I was writing or structuring my assignment correctly. I felt more confident about my grade.”
  • “The layout of a text message chain made it usable and simple to understand—it felt like I was actually talking to a person.”
A sample part of a conversation between a student and an AI double of Sam and Damien. The AI agent draws on information provided to it and assists students without doing the work for them.

These positive responses highlight the potential for AI agents to play a larger role in higher education, providing continuous support throughout the semester. Importantly, it’s also hoped that this innovation will contribute to improved student well-being by reducing stress levels when learning course concepts or preparing assessments.

Another sample of a conversation between a student and an AI double, which supports them as Damien and Sam would.

To further explore these benefits, AI agents are being introduced in four new topics across disciplines like social work, psychology, and education at Flinders. The goal is to see how widespread use of these agents can enhance student learning and support across different fields.