Customizable AI Avatars Provide Support Tailored to Faculty Inputs
According to Muhsinah Morris, Morehouse’s director of metaverse programs in the Office of Digital Instruction, the avatar AI teaching assistants are currently in the pilot phase. Morris, who is also professor of practice in the Division of Professional and Continuing Studies, says the avatars “are designed to provide on-demand, conversational support that reflects the unique voice, tone and instructional style of each faculty member.”
“The system is fully customizable,” Morris says. “Professors can model avatars after themselves or design them to reflect their pedagogical vision, allowing for more relatable, authentic engagement with students."
Because the AI teaching assistants are highly customized, they “are far more culturally responsive and contextually appropriate than most off-the-shelf AI systems,” Morris points out. And because the content is curated by faculty, complete with credible sources and references, it is reliable.
“Additionally, they are trained to steer students back to the lesson if conversations go off-topic, making them both intelligent and instructional,” she says.
Morehouse is working with VictoryXR, which has been an edtech partner of Morehouse Metaversity since 2020. Morehouse credits VictoryXR with strengthening its collaborations with tech leaders such as Meta, Unity Technologies and OpenAI. These efforts are aimed at enhancing “Morehouse’s strategic plan to create the campus of the future, a model of innovation, equity and academic excellence,” Morris says.
