Iris, the AI-powered virtual tutor integrated into Artemis, was recently featured in a report on heute journal, the renowned news program on ZDF. The report highlights how Iris is transforming university education by offering AI-driven tutoring to students at the Technical University of Munich.
AI Tutoring at TUM: How Iris Supports Students
The report showcases how students use Iris as a virtual tutor to assist with programming assignments. Unlike traditional tutors, Iris is available 24/7, providing guidance through counter-questions and structured hints rather than directly delivering solutions. This method helps students enhance their problem-solving skills while maintaining active engagement in the learning process.
Read our paper for more information on Iris:
Iris: An AI-Driven Virtual Tutor for Computer Science Education.
Patrick Bassner,
Eduard Frankford, and
Stephan Krusche.
29th Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education
(ITiCSE
)
.
Milan, Italy,
July
2024.
The Role of AI in Higher Education
TUM has developed a structured AI strategy to integrate tools like Iris into education responsibly. The university also collaborates with other institutions to share best practices for AI-assisted learning.
“We are trying to accompany AI very positively here at TUM. Students must be able to critically assess and evaluate it. If they have learned that, then AI becomes an enormously helpful tool” said Dr. Alexander Braun, Senior Vice President Digitalization and IT Systems and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at TUM, in the report.
The report also explores the broader impact of AI in academia. Many students utilize AI tools like ChatGPT for assignments, and universities are adapting their assessment formats to maintain academic integrity and emphasize essential skills such as critical thinking and knowledge creation. According to the report, around two-thirds of students have already used ChatGPT, and 22% can envision integrating it into their academic work.
The report concludes with the statement that universities are discussing how to balance its advantages with the foundational principles of higher education.