As educators navigate a new paradigm in education – one that integrates classroom and online learning supported by technology – we couldn’t be more excited to contribute creative innovations in this space.
At Antares, we’ve spent years developing aleX (adaptive learning eXperience) as a practical tool that educators can use to:
- increase student engagement
- provide more meaningful learning experiences
- help students achieve better learning outcomes
The platform includes QBot: a digital learning assistant that works in Microsoft Teams. QBot is an AI-infused chatbot which answers student questions in real time, while building a body of knowledge they can tap into for 24/7 support.
We’ve had the privilege of working with leading education institutions around the world and received great feedback and insights on how aleX is being used in real world situations.
Educators have told us they want to do more with QBot. Specifically, they’ve said they also want to use QBot more proactively and as an integral part of planning their teaching programs.
Planning ahead to save time and improve learning outcomes
Educators do an exceptional amount of preparation to ensure their students get the most out of their learning experience.
From primary through to tertiary education, and full time on-campus to part time courses delivered online, forward planning is a consistent element for educators everywhere.
More and more, educators are turning to purpose-built digital tools to help them maximise their planning time. This not only drives consistency in course delivery but eliminates much of the time pressures that arise during the teaching term.
With increasing numbers of educators using Microsoft Teams to create online student communities and facilitate information sharing, educators told us they wish they could incorporate Teams content into their forward planning.
We investigated how to achieve this with QBot and are proud to announce a unique new feature that now makes this possible.
How QBot’s pre-scheduling feature works
Previously, educators could only use Teams to connect with students in real time. If they wanted to send a communication about a learning activity on a Monday morning, they would need to physically do it on Monday morning. If they wanted to remind students about an upcoming assessment on a Friday afternoon, they would need to input the message and send it out on the Friday afternoon.
Now, educators can use QBot to schedule communications within Teams before a term even begins. They can even schedule for multiple classes in advance, which is incredibly useful if they are delivering the same course to different groups at different times.
Using QBot, educators can now pre-schedule:
- Complementary information designed to spark discussion
- Individual or group activities
- Automated reminders about upcoming assessments
- Post-subject reflections
- Requests for feedback
- Plus, much more
To do this, the educator simply inputs and schedules the content to be released on specific dates and times. By building this into their regular planning, educators can ensure complementary discussions and activities are integrated into the subjects they teach to drive engagement and support learning. They can also plan for messages to be released on days or times when they know students are more likely to engage with them.
In addition to the benefits for students, this new feature gives educators time back to spend on more valuable tasks – such as engaging with their students, researching, facilitating extracurricular activities, and more.
This new feature is now available to all customers. It is just one of the many ways we are working to help solve challenges for educators and support them in making the most of digital tools to provide extraordinary learning experiences for their students.
To learn more about using QBot or aleX to help your students reach their full potential, contact us.
