Khan Academy, the popular online learning nonprofit, has developed a new experimental A.I.-assisted tutoring bot for schools called Khanmigo. In addition to offering math quizzes and test preparation quizzes on various subjects, Khanmigo has more playful features that keep students engaged. For example, students can chat with simulated historical figures like Lady Macbeth and Plato, co-write stories with the software, or debate Khanmigo on various topics such as the use of calculators in math class. Khan Academy is currently pilot-testing Khanmigo with various school districts.
During a recent trial, we tested out Khanmigo with several family members, including an elementary school student. Below are some edited highlights of our experience with the tutorbot:
Chatting With ‘Benjamin Franklin’
One of Khanmigo’s features allows students to chat with simulated historical figures. We chose Benjamin Franklin and started with a personal question: What is your favorite food?
We were pleased when the Franklin simulation mentioned scrapple, a fried pork dish that early German settlers introduced in America. However, the real Franklin periodically adhered to a vegetarian diet throughout his life.
When we asked “Franklin” about his famous kite experiment, the chatbot asked us about our scientific interests. When we inquired about quasi-stars, Khanmigo could only provide information up to September 2021, which meant some of the details on black holes seemed outdated.
Co-Writing an Adventure Story With the Tutorbot
Another feature invites students to co-write a story with Khanmigo on different genres like science fiction, romance, and mystery. Students can also suggest their own ideas. During our trial, we jointly created an adventure story featuring Stickman, an imaginary stick-figure character. When nudged by the tutoring bot’s recommendations on potential plot developments, we introduced the arrival of a second character, Lila the ladybug.
Debating Khanmigo on Big Tech
With debate topics for elementary, middle, and high school students, Khanmigo also allows users to practice their debating skills. One of the topics we chose was “Should large tech companies be broken up?” When asked to tone down its metaphors, Khanmigo responded by saying it was only trying to make the debate more engaging and fun.
