Campfire Session — Research and Library

Ideas and discussion around using Flint to help students research and better leverage the school library.

Lulu Gao, Head of Teacher Experience at Flint | LinkedIn

School librarians and research teachers are often tasked with helping students develop fundamental skills such as critical thinking and information literacy. AI presents both an exciting opportunity to individualize student research projects and tutoring, while also posing a whole new challenge involving resource citation, verification, and evaluation.

This session included a demo of Flint's features that support research and teachers' shareout about their own experiences. Topics covered included:

1. Flint features for research
2. Research chats in Flint
3. Research activities in Flint
4. Teacher shareouts

Slides from the presentation can be found here.

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Introduction • 00:00

• Lulu Gao introduces the session and agenda.

Ice breaking news • 01:20

• AI is being embraced by publishers as a research tool. This shift aims to enhance research quality and speed up production.

Flint features for research • 02:43

• Flint offers features for research including content upload. Educators are encouraged to provide specific resources for better AI guidance.
• Flint is also able to search the web for up-to-date sources covering topics using various perspectives.
• Flint will also cite when it references a source using in-line citations that students can check the reliability and validity of.
• Flint provides built-in citation formats for students. Schools are creating guidelines for citing AI-generated content.
• Concerns about copyright issues are raised. Flint does not train its own models nor does it share any data with other parties who do, so copyrighted material can be safely uploaded into Flint without concern about adding it to AI model training data against the author's wishes.

Research chats in Flint • 06:37

• Examples of Flint's chat and activity features are shared. The platform's capability to tailor interactions for students is highlighted.
• A demonstration of creating lesson plans using Flint is provided. The tool's ability to adjust reading levels for different grades is showcased.
• A demonstration of Flint's citation capabilities is provided. Students can cite sources directly from the platform.
• Questions about citation methods and tools are raised. The use of NoodleTools in conjunction with Flint is confirmed.
• A question regarding the ability to access peer-reviewed articles is posed. The potential for Flint to assist in database searches is discussed.
• Discussion on using Flint as a teaching tool. The potential for critical thinking skills evaluation was highlighted.
• John Rovell shares successful keyword strategies. The approach aids students in refining their search processes.

Research activities in Flint • 23:48

• Lulu Gao introduces custom activity creation in Flint. Examples of teaching tools for student engagement are provided.
• A document is uploaded into Flint as a resource. This resource outlines research questions and student expectations.
• Concerns are raised about the AI changing previously created activities. The need for version control and stability in activity creation is emphasized.

Tips for activity creation and templates • 32:08

• Tips for using Flint effectively are shared. Suggestions include adjusting reading levels and ensuring concise AI responses.
• A discussion about the types of content formats for Flint is held. PDFs and Word documents are recommended for optimal processing.
• Questions about uploading videos to Flint are addressed. YouTube's recent terms of service changes are mentioned as a current limitation.
• The importance of students creating activities is emphasized. This approach encourages students to engage thoughtfully with AI in their research.

Teacher shareout • 37:48

• Teachers shared experiences using Flint in classrooms. Positive student engagement and brainstorming sessions were emphasized.
• Jane shared a set of slides on her learnings and use of Flint. For years 4-6, she emphasized the importance of an initial class discussion about how to use AI tools responsibly and be a critical thinker.
• Jane also shared the suggestion of having some brainstorming sessions in the class first before giving them access to Flint chatbots, so they are ready to ask questions.
• A detailed example from Christopher of a health class debate was presented. Students compared AI research and traditional search engine results.
• Flint's effectiveness in enhancing student engagement was highlighted. The importance of verified sources and critical thinking was discussed.
• Sarah shares how Flint is utilized for library and for various educational activities. Teachers are integrating Flint into research projects and classroom lessons.
• Teachers are using Flint to guide students through research processes. Structured activities are being developed to enhance student engagement.
• Flint is being used in science classes for interactive learning. The platform facilitates peer feedback and teacher-student interactions.
• A book matching bot was discussed. Students could search for books using Flint.
• A template for activities was mentioned. Guidance for customizing activities was provided.
• Chris Rice shared success with a kiosk setup. Increased book borrowings were reported due to engaging students.
• A question about prompt behavior within Flint is raised. Templates for refining prompt behavior are requested.
• A successful activity for citation formatting is shared. The importance of critical thinking in research questions is emphasized.

Conclusion • 59:52

• Lulu wraps up the session by sharing the next campfire session topic: using Flint as a curriculum coordinator.
• Lulu also shares QR codes for the Campfire Calendar and Facebook Group.