Using the Socrates Learning Tool to Promote Interactive Learning in a Large Class
Presented by Nick McKay, School of Earth and Sustainability
This project integrated Socrates, an AI-powered teaching tool, into ENV 115 (Climate Change), a large-enrollment course serving 130-200 students. Socrates uses Socratic questioning to recreate small-class learning experiences at scale, guiding students through personalized inquiry-based discussions. The tool enhances critical thinking while automating quiz generation and identifying student misconceptions. Building on successful pilots at Cornell in similar courses, this implementation demonstrates how AI can effectively scale personalized learning in large lectures while optimizing faculty effort and improving accessibility.
