How adult learners can enhance their education with AI

You may be tired of hearing about the transformational nature of AI in all aspects of our lives, but let’s talk about how it can positively impact your education. 

As an adult learner, you juggle multiple responsibilities—work, family and other commitments—making efficiency and personalization key to your success. AI can be a valuable tool to help streamline your learning process, develop new skills and even advance your career.

Artificial intelligence (AI) enables machines to perform complex tasks that typically require human intelligence. While AI cannot replace human experience, it can serve as a powerful assistant in your educational journey. However, it’s crucial to critically evaluate AI-generated information by cross-checking sources and ensuring accuracy.

Here are just a few ways to get started using AI as an adult student:

AI as a personalized learning coach. AI-powered platforms such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and others can act as tutors in almost any subject. You can provide an AI system with your syllabus, lesson plan or goals, and it can generate structured study plans tailored to your needs and timeline. AI can also summarize lengthy articles, generate key takeaways from lectures and assist with research. Just be sure to fact-check with reliable sources and cite AI in assignments.

Skill building made easier. Need to sharpen your skills for coursework or professional growth? AI can assist with learning a variety of subjects, from coding and data analysis to language learning and public speaking. AI-driven simulations allow you to practice real-world skills in a risk-free environment, and you can even generate custom quizzes or practice problems in almost any subject. Whether you’re preparing for an exam or refining a presentation, AI can help you get there faster.

Using AI for career growth. Once you’ve mastered your studies, AI can also be a valuable resource for career development. AI-powered resume tools, such as those on LinkedIn, offer personalized suggestions to refine your resume, highlighting relevant skills and achievements. AI can also help you stay updated on industry trends by summarizing reports and articles. When it comes to networking, AI can assist with drafting professional emails or messages, helping you make meaningful connections.

To fully leverage AI’s potential, practice is essential. Experiment with different AI platforms and refine your prompting techniques to get the best results. The more you interact with AI, the better it can understand your goals, field of expertise and learning preferences.

For example, try asking, “How can AI help me study as an adult student in [your subject area]?” or request, “Create a customized learning plan for me in [subject].” Once you get your answer, continue to prompt the system with specific ideas or angles until you get a result that suits your needs.

While AI can offer benefits, it is important to use it as a supplement, not a replacement, for critical thinking and deep learning. AI can assist with knowledge acquisition, but human insight, creativity and intuition remain irreplaceable.

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