Alpha Schools

[sippo]

Only just come across this https://www.forbes.com/sites/rayravaglia/2025/02/10/alpha-school-using-ai-to-unleash-students-and-transform-teaching/ 

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/alpha-schools-ai-teaching-model-is-expanding-does-it-work/

 

Interesting read. What are peoples thoughts? 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 10:19 by sippo

[Rob_D]

Interesting idea. I can see it working in public or selective admission schools. But I see any attempt at a wider rollout into state/comprehensive schools collapsing under the weight of teenage apathy.

Also, the "2 hours or longer if they don't hit their benchmarks" they talk about in the second article is worrisome. Does that mean that slower students will be missing out on the "extracurricular activities"?

[TechMonkey]

We were discussing a study that showed excessive use of AI leads to shallower understanding so doing less well in exams and tests.

This is taken from a longer presentation, where the graphs were shown individually and explained better, but gives the idea.  Although pupils get better scores on homework, less time is taken and exam scores are worse.

Would that be the same in this schools case?  No idea, but I fear that the surface level knowledge would be concentrated on, rather than indepth knowledge.

 

Though I still want my Diamond Age illustrated Primer.

[jthompson]

2 hours ago, Rob_D said:

...collapsing under the weight of teenage apathy.

 

I love this phrasing.

 

RE: the article. The name "Alpha School" conjures up in my mind a certain type of outlook: that of people who think the peak of human experience is to be a workaholic, entrepreneurial business person. Or any number of The Apprentice candidates. It also conjures up in my mind a vision of very unstable, pre-release software that is definitely not ready for public consumption.