At the Web Labs page for AI experiments, I have posted six simulations to date. I am now thinking that current AI agents might not be so helpful for individual students to create simulations during a study session. I have found that it can take quite a few prompts to get a reasonable simulation. So my current thinking is that agent-created simulations may be useful for students in other contexts.

One context might be for students or student groups working on week-long or term projects. Another might be an instructor-led development of a simulation with classroom participation by students.

In many cases, I think the most productive uses of AI agents will be by instructors developing finished simulations for use by their students and for use by the instructors in demonstrations.

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Artificial intelligence agents are getting more powerful by the day. For a couple months, I have been using GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code to help develop simulations and to learn about concepts in front-end web programming. In Copilot, you can select between a couple different AI agents. Recently, I subscribed to Anthropic’s Claude to use as a standalone app.

There has been concern expressed in media about students using AI to cheat on assignments and exams. I am not so concerned; “blue book” tests and personal interviews can let students show what they understand. Rather, I want to spend my time thinking how these tools can help people learn. Too many students, you say? Then you need to hire more human instructors, not fewer!

One practice I recommend to instructors is to model how you use AI to do your work and to learn new concepts and techniques. This can be done in live or recorded lessons.

I am thinking about how students themselves can use AI agents to help their studies. One idea is that a student could ask an AI agent to make a simulation that demonstrates a concept they are learning about.

That involves a couple different aspects. One learns how to clearly communicate concepts about a subject in the process of crafting a prompt that produces the desired result. And one learns from a well-crafted simulation.

See my experiments at Web Labs, AI experiments.

Please send us a message letting us know what you think at support@reactorlab.net