On July 3, 2019, the Baidu AI Developer Conference was held at the National Convention Center in Beijing. Jiang Zhenqin, the general manager of Xueersi Light Class under TAL Education Group, attended the conference and shared insights on how to optimize learning methods, improve teaching efficiency, and promote educational equity using AI, as well as the expansion of AI in education product scenarios.

Jiang Zhenqin, head of Xueersi Light Class, sharing at the Baidu AI Developer Conference

AI Technology Activates Screens of All Sizes, Driving Customized Teaching on a Large Scale

Jiang Zhenqin shared Xueersi Light Class's exploration and plan for AI-empowered teaching at the conference. Xueersi Light Class deeply integrates artificial intelligence technology with education, expanding its educational services to include multiple scenes such as the app (small screen), smart hardware (medium screen), IPTV, and OTT (large screen).

Xueersi Light Class's app features "exploratory and inspiring teaching," using AI image recognition technology to enable functions such as textbook scanning and course searching. The AI-powered speech assessment and real-time feedback on the app provide personalized big data learning reports and analysis, accurately recording students' learning behavior and personalizing teaching based on their capabilities and weaknesses. This paves the way for large-scale customized teaching. Using data to drive personalized education, and improving the accuracy, scientific nature, and practicality of learning assessment, represents the future direction of education.

Jiang Zhenqin sharing the exploration and plan of AI-empowered teaching at Xueersi Light Class

In addition to its app form, Xueersi Light Class innovatively deploys AI products through channels such as OTT, IPTV, and more in third- and fourth-tier cities, and even small counties. Compared to phones and iPads, TV screens are more widespread devices. Children can directly use the Xueersi Light Class section on smart TVs for learning, turning their living rooms into internet classrooms through AI, big data, and cloud computing technologies. This strategy aims to provide high-quality, affordable, and large-scale educational services, benefiting more children. In addition to small and big screens, Xueersi Light Class collaborates with smart hardware such as "Xiaodu At Home" to tap into the medium screen market, making learning more convenient and accessible anytime and anywhere.

Strengthening Curriculum Development, Emphasizing Subject Literacy and Quality Education

As an inclusive interactive learning platform under TAL Education Group, Xueersi Light Class focuses on elementary school subjects and literacy training for children aged 3-12, aiming to provide inclusive, interesting, and effective AI-assisted teaching and learning. The "three lights" of the platform refers to light difficulty, light payment, and light service.

In terms of teaching, Xueersi Light Class primarily uses animated and interesting teaching methods that are closer to the students' cognition. Each knowledge point only takes less than 5 minutes to learn. After class, children can play games and answer questions to earn "rewards." Throughout this process, a cartoon elf accompanies the learning, making it fun and not boring. Children can use the rewards to build their own "homes" online, enhancing their sense of learning achievement.

In terms of curriculum content, Xueersi Light Class focuses on synchronizing school-based knowledge while supplementing with literacy content. The curriculum includes Chinese, English, mathematics, and general education courses. The general education courses cover various aspects such as traditional culture, logical thinking, natural geography, and scientific experiments, fully developing individuality and enhancing overall quality, helping children become well-rounded individuals with moral, intellectual, physical, artistic, and labor development.

Xueersi Light Class app has launched rich literacy courses such as general education and extensive Chinese

Although Xueersi Light Class takes a light approach, its course quality is not compromised. Its content production relies on decades of accumulated results in teaching, research, and educational technology within TAL Education Group, with hundreds of people on the product research team. Additionally, strategic cooperation and joint research with mainstream authoritative publishing institutions such as People's Education Press have been established, leveraging unique advantages in content, technology, and platforms to continuously provide high-quality and convenient digital teaching services for parents and students.

Convenient and high-quality online light learning courses, promoting inclusive education

In recent years, the unequal development of education in China has become increasingly prominent. Through free courses and light courses, TAL Education Group aims to provide more Chinese children with high-quality education resources at a relatively low cost. As one of the representative products embodying this commitment, Xueersi Light Class uses the mobile internet to relieve the financial burden on parents and reduce students' learning time and costs.

For example, in the first semester of the first grade mathematics course, parents can purchase an animated learning package for their children for just over 200 yuan, equivalent to the price of a piece of clothing. In addition, there are various free courses and high-quality low-cost courses priced at around ten yuan, which are available for children to choose independently.

In response to the call for "targeted poverty alleviation" in China, Xueersi Light Class provides elementary math foundational skills and AI English interactive courses for free to educational poverty alleviation projects in places such as Foping in Shaanxi, Jimuna in Xinjiang, and Huai'an in Hebei. Through the China Poverty Alleviation Foundation's "Love Package" project and the TAL Education Group's Xueersi Hope Online platform, Xueersi Light Class provides courses and educational services to tens of thousands of impoverished students and donates hundreds of love packages, helping improve the educational and living conditions of children in poor areas.

In the New Sunshine Ward project, Xueersi Light Class donated 3,000 course accounts to students in 30 wards in 16 cities, allowing these children in the wards to receive the same high-quality education as other children without being restricted by time or location or being exposed to complicated environments that could worsen their health conditions.

TAL Education Group continues to adhere to the original intention of allowing every child to have "fair and quality education," striving to serve a wider range of social groups with high-quality, low-cost courses and content services. In the future, Xueersi Light Class will continue to integrate high-quality educational resources to reduce the gap between urban and rural education and contribute to inclusive education.