OpenAI introduced ‘study mode’ in ChatGPT on Tuesday, a new feature designed to help students work through questions step by step instead of just getting direct answers. This feature has been rolled out to logged-in users across Free, Plus, Pro, and Team plans, with ChatGPT Edu availability coming soon. Study mode offers personalised feedback to track progress and supports knowledge retention.
In this mode, ChatGPT will ask users questions to see how well they understand the material. Sometimes, it won't give direct answers unless students are actively involved in discussing the topic.
"When students engage with study mode, they're met with guiding questions that calibrate responses to their objective and skill level to help them build deeper understanding. Study mode is designed to be engaging and interactive, and to help students learn something—not just finish something," OpenAI said in a statement.
ChatGPT becoming learning tool
The company noted that ChatGPT is becoming one of the most widely used learning tools globally, with students using it for challenging homework problems, exam preparation, and exploring new concepts.
"But its use in education has also raised an important question: how do we ensure it is used to support real learning, and doesn't just offer solutions without helping students make sense of them? We've built study mode to help answer this question," it added.
Not a tool for parental control
OpenAI's Vice President of Education, Leah Belsky, told TechCrunch that the company doesn’t currently provide any tools for parents or school administrators to restrict students to Study Mode. However, she mentioned that OpenAI might consider adding features for adults to help manage this in the future. This means that students will need to be motivated and truly interested in learning on their own, instead of just trying to rush through their homework.
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