ETS Awarded $4M Grant for AI in Higher Education
The ETS Research Institute, in collaboration with two universities, has been awarded a four-year, $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The funding will be used to advance AI-enhanced learning tools and methodologies for postsecondary education.
- This grant is part of a larger initiative by the U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), which awarded $169 million in grants to strengthen postsecondary education. - The project will focus on creating and studying scenario-based learning and assessments (SBLAs). These tools will use generative AI to foster deep learning, critical thinking skills, and AI literacy in higher education. - A key goal is to develop instructional and assessment models that encourage reflection, reasoning, ethical decision-making, and the responsible use of AI. - The AI-powered learning scenarios will be designed to place students in realistic, discipline-specific problem-solving situations that require guided decisions and application of feedback. - The development process will be collaborative, with the tools being co-designed and tested in various postsecondary environments, including two public universities and a community college. - This initiative addresses concerns that unstructured use of generative AI tools among college students can hinder learning, engagement, and the long-term retention of knowledge. - The project is led by Kadriye Ercikan, Senior Vice President of Global Research at ETS, who emphasizes the responsibility to set a standard for how AI can deepen learning and empower both students and educators.
