Create Experiences
Teaching Conversational Spanish with AI
In 2024, Teaching with AI Fellow and Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences student Flor Barceló created ProfesorX, an AI tool that supports student language learning.
The AI bot prompts students to participate in a low-stakes chat dialogue and practice the types of responses they might give in a conversational setting. The tool can help them identify errors but does not correct them, leaving space for the student or a partner to do this work in order to foster deeper language learning. Instructors can also direct the tool to focus on specific vocabulary or materials for more targeted exchanges with students.
Today, ProfesorX is available to faculty as a customizable Gemini Gem. Learn how you can adapt Flor’s prompt for your class below.
Create Experiences
Discover possible AI applications through these pedagogical experiments from the CTL and the Columbia community.
Note: This is a link to a Gemini Gem created with the ProfesorX prompt. You will need to be logged into a Google account to access the Gem.
Read the prompt on the back end of ProfesorX and learn how to modify this tool for your class.
If uploading a document into the back or front end of a Gem, be sure to review its copyright. Documents that are often okay to use with AI, given an appropriate citation, include:
- Public Domain works
- Some Creative Commons licenses
- Openly-licensed works
- Fair use works
- Your original work, where you own the copyright
Commonly Asked Questions
What is Gemini?
Gemini is Google’s family of AI models that powers conversational AI experiences across Google products and services. It’s designed to be multimodal, capable of understanding and generating text, images, code, audio, and video.
What are Gemini Gems?
Gems are customized versions of Gemini that help you tackle repetitive tasks or get deep expertise in new areas. When you chat with a Gem, Gemini will tailor responses to save time on repeat goals and guidelines in your Gemini web app and Gemini mobile app prompts.
How do you create Gemini Gems?
Can I access Gemini through Columbia University?
Google Gemini is now available to the Columbia University community. This service provides access to Google’s most advanced AI models in a secure, education-focused environment. Gemini supports multimodal capabilities—working with text, images, and code—so you can handle diverse academic and research tasks in one place.
How do I add Gemini to my Lionmail account?
Our team has created the below document to help you access Gemini as a Columbia University community member.
Have additional questions? Email our team at columbiactl@columbia.edu.
Are you creating classroom experiences with AI?
We want to learn from you! If you’re already using AI to design innovative learning experiences in your classroom, we’d love to hear about your approach. Additionally, if you have educational materials, tools, or resources that would benefit the broader Columbia teaching community, please consider sharing with our team at the CTL.