When Singaporean students view AI as their "teacher"

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Students in Singapore are viewing AI as a learning companion, ready to provide support around the clock.

Imagine having a lecturer always ready to guide you, a research assistant quietly working behind the scenes, or a debate partner available whenever you need them. This is no longer a distant dream but a reality at universities in Singapore.

When AI spreads to educational institutions

As the AI ​​craze spreads to educational institutions, it is rapidly becoming a part of student life. Students are actively experimenting with the technology to hone their skills, receive instant feedback, and personalize their learning process.

Speaking to The Straits Times, the students said that while AI makes learning easier, they still need to double-check their answers and make sure they are actually "thinking it through."

"AI might make learners lazier, but if used correctly, we can learn much faster," commented Serene Cheong, a law student at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

International students in Singapore (Photo: The Straits Times).

At NUS, law students are using an automated chat software (chatbot) to practice questioning in a course related to courtroom litigation skills.

Piloted since March, the chatbot simulates various scenarios: from confused or evasive witnesses to strict judges demanding accuracy, helping students practice questioning and courtroom etiquette.

After reading the case files, students, playing the role of defense lawyers, ask questions to the chatbot-generated character, while virtual judges and prosecutors respond immediately.

Two law students, Emmanuel Wong (23 years old) and Cheong (21 years old), said the chatbot helped them stay on track during their practice. Wong shared that the virtual "judge" would refute their mistakes and correct them immediately when they asked thought-provoking questions.

Additionally, the chatbot helps him learn how to deal with uncooperative witnesses or unfounded objections from opponents.

For her part, Cheong commented that the chatbot helped reduce "psychological stress" because she could practice at her own pace and easily regain her composure.

Kiruthika Ramanathan, a senior lecturer in Information Systems at Singapore Management University (SMU), said the bot's goal is to help computer science students think outside the box and design humanistic solutions.

The dedicated "teacher" of the students.

At the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), many students have taken their learning experience to the next level by building chatbots tailored to their learning style.

One day before his final math exam, Anieyrudh R., a product development engineering student, created “GPTBernie”—an AI teaching assistant that mimics the teaching style of Professor Bernard Ee.

The 22-year-old student shared, "In just a few minutes, I felt like I was in the professor's office." He said that the number of emails he sent to the professor decreased by 70%.

The technology helped him solve basic questions on his own, allowing for more in-person discussions with professors. Additionally, it frequently posed challenging questions to assess his understanding of the material. GPTBernie was then tested on a group of students starting in April.

He is also leading several student groups in developing similar chatbots for shared use. From there, GPTBernie has expanded into a “GPTProfs library,” supporting everything from procedural processing and project design to teaching.

Students in Singapore are choosing AI as a field of study (Image: Illustration).

At the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the Anatbuddy chatbot – an AI tool for anatomy – is assisting first and second-year students in applying their medical knowledge to specific clinical situations.

Dr. Ranganath, who helped develop the tool, said that learning anatomy in the traditional way is often monotonous. Anatbuddy, launched in November 2024, is making a significant difference by encouraging students to think more deeply.

Instead of simply naming the body parts, the chatbot prompts hypothetical questions: “The students are starting to ask questions like: Where is it located? What is its function? What happens if it is injured?” Dr. Ranganath believes this is a sign of proactiveness and a deeper understanding of the lesson.

At the University of Social Sciences Singapore (SUSS), students have an AI learning assistant called iSmartGuide, which provides concise lessons, flashcards, and quizzes. Since its launch in June, the platform has served over 22,000 students.

For the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), the AI ​​initiative called CommunicAId acts as a personal communication coach, helping students practice professional scenarios, handle complex conversations, or receive instant feedback on assignments.

AI: A powerful research assistant

Besides personalizing each individual's learning experience, AI is also proving its capabilities in the field of research. Since January, medical students at NTU have been using Rileybot – an AI assistant that helps retrieve information from databases.

Rebecca David, the school's senior medical librarian, said that many students are often confused or hesitant to access traditional databases because each platform has a different interface.

She stated that Rileybot guides students through the steps of searching for documents accurately and yields more precise results than many common chatbots like ChatGPT, emphasizing that mastering error-free searching is an essential skill for in-depth research. To date, more than 500 students have used Rileybot and Anatbuddy.

Discussing the effectiveness of these tools, Dr. Ranganath said: “Technology is one part, the other part lies in the students’ professional background, such as anatomy or research. When these two elements are integrated into the daily learning process, students become more confident and feel that learning is their own responsibility.”

Trinh Hang

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/khi-sinh-vien-singapore-coi-ai-la-nguoi-thay-20251212123623556.htm