Source: 9to5google.com
From writing and collaborating in Docs to using Search for research and Calendar to track due dates, Google products are extensively used by today’s students. With Socratic by Google, the company is trying to play a more active role in helping older students study.
Google wants to tackle how “students often get ‘stuck’ while studying” outside the classroom:
When they have questions in the classroom, a teacher can quickly clarify—but it’s frustrating for students who spend hours trying to find answers while studying on their own.
Searching on Google.com is one way to find answers, but the company now offers a more dedicated lookup experience catered towards learning. Last year, Google acquired mobile learning app Socratic and is today relaunching it with “Google AI.”
It starts by taking a picture of the problem or asking a question via voice search. Socratic works to identify and find resources — like explainers or YouTube videos — about the “core underlying concepts that will lead [students] to answers to their questions.”
If they’re struggling to understand textbook content or handouts, they can take a picture of the page and check out alternative explanations of the same concepts.
Google AI is being leveraged with dedicated algorithms that break down Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, and Literature problems, with Socratic also having the ability to simplify concepts into smaller, easier-to-understand lessons.
Socratic by Google also offers subject guides for over 1,000 high school and college-level topics that are ideal for both learning and studying. Featuring visual explanations, teachers and experts helped create the in-app resources.
The Socratic iOS app is relaunching today as a Google product, with Android following this fall.
