OpenTA
Democratizing online courseware with generative AI-powered teaching assistance.
Created on 10th February 2024
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OpenTA
Democratizing online courseware with generative AI-powered teaching assistance.
The problem OpenTA solves
Welcome to OpenTA: The Future of Online Learning
Imagine a world where every online learner gets a personal, AI-powered teaching assistant as if they were attending university in-person. Welcome to OpenTA: the future of online courseware.
Currently, over 380 million students worldwide rely on online courses from massive open online courses (MOOCs) such as Coursera, Udemy, and Stanford Digital Education. However, these MOOCs and their courses suffer from lackluster course retention rates (<5%). This subpar performance is attributed to the impersonal nature of online learning, where students miss out on dynamic discussions, immediate feedback, and the enriching activities that spark curiosity and deepen understanding.
Introducing OpenTA
We designed OpenTA as a web app platform that bridges the gap between online learners and their courses. OpenTA leverages cutting-edge generative AI to offer a suite of solutions:
- Engaging Discussions
- Tailored Quizzes/Exams
- Concise Notes
- Insightful Summaries
- 24/7 Q&A
...all instantaneously customized for each course. Our platform features individual dashboard management across multiple organizations and for numerous courses. In each separate course, OpenTA is specially trained and knowledgeable in its respective subject, and because of its specialization, it is able to answer course-specific questions and curate active recall practice quizzes pertaining to lecture material.
Our Goal
The goal of OpenTA is to provide an engaging platform for online students to intimately connect with their course content and remain committed to their learning journey. OpenTA is here to redefine what it means to learn online, making education accessible, personal, and infinitely more engaging for everyone, everywhere.
Get ready to experience online learning like never before.
Challenges we ran into
Initial Ideation Process
The idea of OpenTA came to us during brainstorming. We all had had experiences with online courses through platforms such edX and MIT opencourseware. After reflecting on our past experiences with both opencourseware and pandemic-era online courses in the context of our current courses, we thought of OpenTA and its usefulness for as both in-person course supplements and as a potentially transformative tool for online courses. Envisioning ChatGPT's ability to grasp an entire course's breadth and perform various teaching roles seemed daunting. Yet, as students, we knew firsthand the unmatched value of being able to pose questions and engage with quizzes and exams anytime. This inspired us to create a dedicated 24/7 tool tailored for such interactions, and we're thrilled to bring OpenTA to life.
Data Collection
Creating OpenTA came with its share of hurdles, especially when it came to gathering course data. Our solution was to create scrapers to streamline the data collection process, making it smooth and efficient.
Overcoming Technical Challenges
We also hit a snag with token and rate limits on OpenAI’s API. Our workaround involved:
- Breaking down hefty datasets into smaller, manageable chunks that GPT could easily digest.
- Leveraging HuggingFace's summarization models to distill vast texts into neat, context-rich summaries, perfect for fine-tuning our prompts.
Design Philosophy
We wanted our platform to have a sleek and simple design while also being very intuitive and user-friendly. Inspired by the minimalistic designs of generative AI startups, we designed chat and dashboard interfaces that are not only simple but incredibly engaging, ensuring everyone can navigate OpenTA with ease. This included more rounded-friendly interactive elements, dark (easy-on-the-eyes) color-scheme, and a clean and consistent theme.
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