Some area college students can boost their studies with a Carnegie Mellon University initiative that uses artificial intelligence to improve learning in introductory courses.

The $55 million investment between CMU and the Gates Foundation will launch Learnvia, Inc., free AI-enabled courseware for students that combines lessons, homework and an AI tutor all in one. It’s designed to support in-person instruction and give faculty real-time student insights, according to CMU.

“For decades, Carnegie Mellon University has served as a global leader at the intersection of AI, research innovation and learning science,” said CMU President Farnam Jahanian. “With support from the Gates Foundation, Learnvia is using this expertise to develop cutting-edge, AI-enabled courseware that is designed to improve outcomes at scale and help students across the nation not just endure gateway college courses but thrive in them.”

Gateway courses are foundational, large introductory classes, such as algebra or English composition. The nonprofit Education Advisory Board found that gateway courses derail progress and degree completion for about 30% of college students in the United States.

One subject, introductory mathematics, is the greatest barrier, according to the Mathematical Association of America. CMU officials say Learnvia will start with Calculus 1 — a primary barrier to STEM degrees — and expand to other mathematics courses over the next three years.

That, in turn, will better prepare students for the workforce, according to CMU.

University officials say the technology will enable professors to quickly pinpoint where students are struggling in their coursework, make real-time adjustments and support students who might not otherwise succeed in college-level work.

Learnvia will not replace faculty instruction but, rather, complement it, according to CMU. Learnvia will bundle lessons, videos, homework, quizzes, exams and discussions in a single platform.

The coursework also is built to improve, continuously and in real-time, using feedback from Learnvia’s national network of users.

Thirty-eight institutions of higher education use Learnvia, according to CMU. The Community College of Allegheny County also is piloting the initiative.

“At the Community College of Allegheny County, we see every day how gateway courses, particularly introductory mathematics, can determine whether students succeed or fall behind,” said college President Quintin Bullock. “Learnvia brings together learning science, AI and evidence-based instruction in a way that can help more students overcome these barriers and stay on track to achieve their academic and career goals.”

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