Google introduces new AI-powered features tailored for educational purposes

Google has unveiled a slew of new features aimed at making classroom management, accessibility, and lesson planning easier for educators. These announcements were made as part of the Bett ed-tech event in the UK.

For starters, Google is enhancing its AI-powered features. Teachers can already add questions to YouTube videos within Classroom assignments. Soon, AI will suggest questions at different timestamps, simplifying the process for educators. This feature was first announced in June 2023 and is now expanding.

Another AI-driven tool called Practice sets, which creates answers and general hints, is now available in over 50 languages. Additionally, educators can now turn a Google Form into a practice set. Furthermore, a new Resources tab will help manage practice sets and interactive questions asked during videos.

Google's generative AI tool for Google Workspace, Duet AI, will assist teachers in crafting comprehensive lesson plans.

In terms of class management, teachers will soon be able to create different groups within Classroom and assign specific tasks to each group. The speaker spotlight feature in Slides allows for narration alongside slide presentations.

For administrative tasks, educators can now collect signatures for approvals or contracts through eSignatures within Google Workspace. Classroom analytics are also getting an update, providing insights into assignment completion rates and grade trends.

In terms of accessibility, Google is improving text accessibility on ChromeOS, enabling screen readers to extract text from PDFs. The Chrome browser will allow users to highlight and have text read aloud.

Google Meet is also getting accessibility enhancements, including closed captions in 30 languages and the ability to pin multiple hosts.

On the hardware front, Google is showcasing 15 new Chromebooks at Bett, set to launch this year. Soon, Chromebooks will display upcoming assignments directly from the home screen, providing students with easy access to their tasks.