Experimentally Testing AI-Powered Content Transformations on Student Learning

Generative AI, which is capable of transforming static content into dynamic learning experiences, holds the potential to revolutionize student engagement in educational contexts. However, questions still remain around whether or not these tools are effective at facilitating student learning. In this research, we test the effectiveness of content transformations through Learn Your Way, an experimental research platform that transforms textbook chapters into dynamic visual and audio representations. Through a between-subjects, mixed methods experiment with 60 US-based students, we demonstrate that students who used Learn Your Way had a more positive learning experience and had better learning outcomes compared to students learning the same content via a digital reader. These findings indicate that AI-driven tools, capable of providing multiple, interactive representations of content, constitute an effective and promising method for enhancing student learning.