A.I. is Your Next Tutor...or Is It?

Raise your hand if A.I. is impacting the industry where you work?

Yup, everyone should have a hand up.

Many in the test prep and tutoring industry are seeing customers turn to A.I. for tutoring services. No surprise. Platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude offer simple interfaces with endless answers across all academic disciplines.

Yet, as we learn about both the possibilities and the limits of A.I., there are clear opportunities where A.I. can replace a tutor and some very significant moments where A.I. cannot get the job done.

Sure, you can pop a simple question into an AI platform and, usually, get the correct answer along with a logical explanation. In this scenario, A.I. may very well be faster, more knowledgeable and more economical than a tutor.

However, there are two glaring drawbacks to using using A.I. as a tutor:

#1) A.I. Can Erode Critical Thinking Skills: If you believe a study from MIT, ChatGPT users had lower brain engagement and a greater erosion of critically thinking abilities compared to those who did not use ChatGPT. Further, ChatGPT users became measurably lazier in their thinking. Tutors, on the other hand, can help engage learner's brains in a deeper manner and help maintain the motivation it takes to build resilient learners.

#2) A.I. Lacks Emotional Intelligence: Since A.I. cannot presently read non-verbal clues, it cannot detect frustration or confusion. Thus, its potential to help a student is limited. Conversely, a tutor can sense a moment of pause or misunderstanding from a student by reading body language. These crucial moments allow a tutor—not A.I.—to address the situation with a redirect, repeat or another effective teaching tactic only the tutor would know to use based on experience and interaction with the student.

There is no question A.I. is reshaping the test prep industry. But face-to-face instruction with the guidance of a seasoned educator, so far, is not possible with A.I.

We here at CROSSWALK have been in business too long to jump to any conclusions about technological advances in the tutoring industry. In business since 2003, we have experienced the birth of YouTube ("Oh no, videos will replace teachers!"), a recession ("My goodness, families don't have money for tutors!"), a global pandemic ("Ring the alarm bells because standardized tests are optional!") and now Artificial Intelligence.

We are smart enough to understand the landscape is shifting, but we are also wise enough to know that experienced teachers who deliver robust programs that produce measurable results will always be in demand.

This is why we are excited to offer a great SAT and ACT prep program this summer. In person or online, students will learn key test content, test-taking strategies and score-boosting study tips to improve their college admission chances and scholarship opportunities. A.I. may serve as one of the tools we deploy, but the instruction will be centered on the student needs and goals.

After all—and maybe this would a good follow up blog post—the more A.I. out there every day, the less likely SAT and ACTs may remain optional. So now is the time to sign up for a summer program designed to increase brain engagement and student motivation.

Go ahead and use AI for the occasional question or interaction. I sure do. But for meaningful tutoring centered on student learning, CROSSWALK is your next step. Contact us here.

P.S.: A.I. did not write this post...a human did!