Anthropic launches Claude for Education, an AI to help students think critically

Anthropic / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

Instead of shying away from the use of AI in the classroom, many schools are learning just how useful it can be. That is why Anthropic just debuted a new AI chatbot designed to change how students learn.

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In a post this week, the company announced that it is launching Claude for Education, a specialized version of Claude specifically designed for teachers and students. The chatbot has similarities to the regular version of Claude, but it has a few major differences.

New learning mode

A new "learning mode" is the highlight and where Claude for Education is truly different. Rather than simply answering questions, the chatbot will ask questions to help students arrive at an answer on their own.

Anthropic says the education version of its chatbot will use guiding questions like "How would you approach this problem?" and "What evidence supports your conclusion?" It will emphasize core concepts and highlight fundamental principles behind problems throughout the conversation, making sure that a student understands what they are learning.

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Students can also do things like write literature reviews with citations, work through complex math problems with step-by-step guidance, and even get feedback on a thesis statement before submitting it, Anthropic added.

The tool is also intended to make life easier for teachers and school leaders.

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Teachers can create rubrics that align with specific outcomes, Anthropic says, handling tasks like writing individualized feedback on student essays and generating chemistry equations with varying difficulty levels.

Administrators can do things like analyze enrollment trends, automate repetitive email responses, and convert policy documents into accessible formats that are easier to digest.

Now available

Claude for Education is available through Projects, which are open to Pro customers who pay $18 a month and Team customers. 

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Anthropic says it is partnered with several higher learning institutions already, including Northeastern University and Champlain College.

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