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Bay Area students to learn about A.I. from virtual dogs

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Published  August 20, 2024 6:50pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

Introducing kids to new AI teaching tool

Two Bay Area schools are testing a dog avatar to teach children about A.I. Lloyd Sowers reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - What if a scary technology like artificial intelligence was disguised as two loveable Bernedoodles named Baxter and Bruce? Two virtual pups are being tested to teach Bay Area students about A.I. 

"We wanted to take away the scariness of A.I., so we thought using the dogs as the avatar," explained Marlee Strawn, a former teacher and co-founder of Scholar Education, a local Ed Tech start-up. 

The avatars look like Baxter and Bruce, and they know everything about what the teacher is teaching because the lesson plan and background are part of the computer program. 

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"Basically, the student can ask any question based on the content for that day," Strawn said. 

Plus, the doggie avatar goes home with them on their laptop to help with homework. Scholar Education began testing it last year at Dayspring Academy in Pasco County. Now, the newest version is being tested in Pepin Academies in Tampa in the third through twelfth grades. 

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Pepin Academy math teacher David Bern is excited to use technology with his students. 

"In the real world they're going to have access to cell phones and A.I. now," Bern stated. "We have to teach them the right time and wrong time to use it and how to use it correctly."

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If the kids’ minds wander, and they ask the avatar something off-topic, the Baxter Bot gently nudges them back to the subject. 

"They love how he's very animated. He has his dog personality, but he always keeps them on track," Strawn said.

The virtual dog even speaks to kids who may be just learning English. 

"We have 174 different languages that Baxter Bot can speak to students in," Strawn explained.

A.I. is so smart. It's also so loveable when Baxter and Bruce introduce A.I. to education. 

"I think it's the best way it can come into my field, with two dogs," Bern said with a smile. 

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