SAEDNEWS: Professors at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) use an artificial intelligence tool called Kudu to create textbooks, assignments, and more.
According to SAEDNEWS, there are moments in life with artificial intelligence when we feel we are crossing a threshold from which there is no return. The latest example of this is happening at UCLA, where a professor asks artificial intelligence to create course materials, assignments, and teaching assistant resources for her class on the study of medieval to 17th-century literature.
Professor Zrinka Stahuljak uses an AI tool called Kudu, developed by Alexander Kusenko, a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA, and a former doctoral student of the university named Warren Essey.
They see Kudu as a high-quality and cost-effective way for students to access all the information they need, while professors can focus on teaching.
Kudu extracts content from PowerPoint presentations, YouTube videos, lecture notes, and other materials provided by Professor Stahoiliak. According to UCLA, this task should not take more than 20 hours of the professor's time, and they can edit the materials afterward.
The resulting textbook is available digitally for $25 and can be printed or used in audio format. Kudu also utilizes the provided educational materials to answer students' questions. Additionally, it can determine whether more than half of a student's submitted content was generated by artificial intelligence.
Professor Stahoiliak says: "Usually, I would spend class time contextualizing the material and using visual aids to illustrate the content. But now, all of this is included in the textbook we’ve created, and I can actually work with students to read primary sources, explain their meanings, analyze them, and think critically."
He added: "This AI allows us to dedicate more time to teaching essential analytical skills, critical thinking, and reading skills in a consistent way — tasks that professors excel at. He plans to use Kudu for other courses in the future."
This AI-powered tool is currently being tested this semester in an introductory history class and will be available for Professor Stahoiliak's course in 2025. It remains to be seen how successful this initiative will be, and most importantly, whether AI will remain a tool for teachers and professors or become a cost-effective way to replace them.
