Imagine if your old trig worksheets stepped in to help you out when you were stumped on a question. That\u2019s Practice Sets, the newest Google Classroom tool, in a nutshell. <\/p>\n

Google Classroom, for folks who went to school before the internet was everything, is a widely used gaggle of web tools that allows teachers to post assignments, students to submit them, and teachers to return them online. With Practice Sets, not only will teachers be able to send out problem sets, but they\u2019ll be able to make those problem sets interactive. <\/p>\n

An algorithm will provide hints to students who seem stumped. It will automatically grade the sets as well. Shantanu Sinha, head of product efforts for Google Education, says the algorithm will recognize when students write \u201cequivalent answers\u201d \u2014 so if a question needs an answer of \u201c.5,\u201d for example, a student who writes \u201c1\/2\u201d should still get credit.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re playing basketball and throwing the ball incorrectly for a day, it\u2019s clearly not as useful as the coach right then and there giving you input.\u201d Sinha tells The Verge. \u201c<\/em>I think the same thing is true when students are working through problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a teacher, you\u2019ll write each question out, and Google\u2019s AI will figure out the nature of your question (\u201calgebra,\u201d \u201cpolynomial equation,\u201d etc.) to attach appropriate hints and resources. (Don\u2019t worry, the hints can be turned off.) When it\u2019s finished, you can assign it straight from the Google Classroom interface. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a student, you\u2019ll write or type your answer to each question, press the \u201ccheck\u201d button, and get your grade right away. If you\u2019re wrong on the first try, you\u2019ll get a hint. If you\u2019re totally lost, a \u201cresources\u201d sidebar will display relevant videos and notecards that Google\u2019s algorithm thinks might be useful. <\/p>\n