Unit 3 Reflection

    For my Unit 3 project, the genre and medium that I picked was a short documentary style video that incorporates visuals, voiceover, and short clips. I wanted to challenge myself creatively and felt that this format would allow me to present the key arguments of my Unit 2 research in a much more digestible and visually engaging way. I’ve always been drawn to short form videos on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, especially those that manage to simplify complex topics without oversimplifying them. I chose a documentary format because I thought it would resonate with my target audience: high school and college students who regularly interact with both human and AI tutors, and who consume information quickly, often visually.

    This medium also allowed me to bring out the storytelling aspect of my argument, rather than just listing pros and cons. By layering direct quotes, data points, and examples from my sources with visuals and narration, I could shape a narrative that shows how AI tutoring and human tutoring each have their strengths, and how a hybrid model might actually be the most effective learning solution. I submitted this project as a video embedded in my blog, which was also shared as a public YouTube link to ensure accessibility without requiring a login. I included a short introduction on the blog to explain the context of the video, the motivation behind the project, and how it connects back to Units 1 and 2.

    The pitch I created for my audience framed the topic like this: “If you’re a student who’s ever been stuck at 2AM without a tutor or felt frustrated that AI tools just don’t get you, then this video’s for you.” While I didn’t hear back directly from viewers, I designed the project with the hope that students watching would feel seen, especially those juggling school, jobs, and responsibilities, and who have to rely on both kinds of tutoring systems to succeed. Ideally, I’d love for students to use this video as a way to reflect on their own learning preferences and think critically about how they can advocate for support systems that combine both efficiency and empathy.

    Looking back at Unit 1, I can see how much my research shaped this final product. The three sources I chose for my Curated Source Collection were strong in terms of credibility, relevance, and specificity. The three scholarly articles that I picked were “The Relative Effectiveness of Human Tutoring, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, and Other Tutoring Systems,” “Improving Student Learning with Hybrid Human-AI Tutoring: A Three-Study Quasi-Experimental Investigation”, and “Effective Tutoring Techniques: A Comparison of Human Tutors and Intelligent Tutoring Systems.” I selected them based on their direct engagement with tutoring practices, AI systems, and hybrid educational approaches. For example, in “The Relative Effectiveness of Human Tutoring, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, and Other Tutoring Systems,” I highlighted the line that “the effect size of intelligent tutoring systems was 0.76, so they are nearly as effective as human tutoring.” At the time, I noted how surprising that was, it challenged the assumption that human tutors are far more effective than AI. That became a core piece of evidence that carried over into both my Unit 2 argument and this final video.

    Technology also played a central role in shaping this project. Not just in terms of the topic, AI tutoring, but in how I produced the video itself. I used digital tools to aid in writing the script and generate visuals. This gave me the chance to think critically about the strengths and limits of digital platforms, just like I was doing in the content of the argument itself. I also used research databases, such as google scholar, and took all my notes on Docs throughout all the unit to keep track of citations, quotes, and annotations. I think my project reflects how integrated technology is, not just in the learning process, but in the ways we now present and argue ideas.

    Reflecting on the broader academic conversation, I now see that there are still some holes in the research on hybrid tutoring, especially when it comes to emotional and psychological outcomes. While my sources offered great data on effectiveness, cost, and engagement, I think there’s room for more work on long term impact and how students emotionally respond to hybrid systems over time. I think that AI can present emotion to a human if they tailor it to. AI has the capability to act like it has emotions, even if the computer doesn’t really understand what it means. That’s a place where I could see myself conducting future research or diving deeper in another class, even as a computer science major.

    A major influence on this project came from a comment one of my classmates posted during peer review in Unit 2. They said, “I really liked the images that you applied to your writing. That is something that I should have done more of as it really makes your piece look professional and neat. I also like how you applied primary sources as it makes the writing a lot more reliable. I liked how you got more than 1 response and used those to your application and reflections. Overall I learned a lot about your particular thoughts on AI and have learned so much!” That really stuck with me because it reminded me that my audience isn’t just professors or researchers, it’s other students like me. So when I planned out the Unit 3 video, I made sure to feature direct quotes from actual students throughout the script. Their voices added emotion, variety, and authenticity to the argument. It also helped me reflect on my own experiences and include a personal story in the video about how AI tutoring helped me study late at night when office hours weren’t an option. I also added more academic articles to help make a more compelling argument.

    The biggest challenge in Unit 3 was making the video because I love film and editing, but I have not had a lot of practice in it. Also, I am unfamiliar with stitching videos and photos in the proper and most cohesive format for an argument or even portraying the point. In addition, I am unfamiliar with voiceovers and speaking in a film setting.

    One of the most meaningful parts of this process was seeing how my ideas became more layered over time. In Unit 2, I was mostly focused on the binary: AI vs. human tutors. But in Unit 3, especially with the help of sources like Improving Student Learning with Hybrid Human AI Tutoring, I came to see the power in the middle. That source in particular, with its real world data from low income schools, made me realize that hybrid tutoring isn’t just a theoretical solution, it’s already helping students in real educational settings, particularly those who are underserved. That shifted my framing from “which is better?” to “how can we integrate both more effectively?”

    I also found the abstract from Effective Tutoring Techniques helpful for showing that even though human tutors are more nuanced, intelligent tutoring systems are not as far behind as people think. That insight helped me avoid over romanticizing human tutors and instead take a more balanced, evidence based stance. It also aligned well with the data showing that effect sizes for AI and human tutors are nearly identical, which became one of the most surprising and persuasive claims in my final script.

    In conclusion, this Unit 3 project helped me bring everything full circle, from research and analysis to creativity and visual argument. I challenged myself to move beyond traditional writing and create something that lives in the digital space, where my audience already is. I used technology both as a topic and a tool, and I walked away with a deeper understanding of how students can benefit from both AI and human support in education. I’m proud of how far my blog has come since the start of the semester, and I hope the final product gives my peers a fresh perspective on how to think about tutoring in their own learning journeys.