What’s going on?
“They made ‘explain it to me in Fortnite terms’ a real thing.”
Learn Your Way is one of Google’s more recent experiments, released in September – basically, it uses generative AI to turn static textbooks into personalized lessons. This means that examples are tailored to each student’s interests (yes, including Fortnite).
And it seems to work: as per early results, students retained 11% more information than those with traditional learning materials.
What’s driving it?
Across the world, education systems are overstretched: too many students, not enough teachers, and growing pressure to modernize curricula while funding and staff shrink. The cracks in the system have created perfect conditions for tech firms to step in.
And while the original teachers were tutors for the elite who could customize knowledge, the democratization of teaching also led to bigger classrooms – and less personalization.
There’s also a cute human insight in the heart of it: committed fans see the world through the lens of their fandom, so they’ll want knowledge to come in the same way – which some of the more engaged teachers already tap into.
What does it mean?
Google’s Learn Your Way shows us what the future of education could look like: tailored and efficient. So if learning is about knowledge retention or generation, then AI can readily explain, quiz, and write the essay. But if it’s about learning how to think, especially critically – and how to be socialized – then optimization is besides the point. That’s also where teachers remain irreplaceable.
Final takeaway
AI projects may make learning more engaging, but education should ultimately be about building curiosity. And algorithms can’t replace the spark of the best teachers, who know that it’s not just about transmitting knowledge but about helping students understand why it matters.