“Google Chrome and Classroom Launch New Features for Educators and Students, Including Reading Mode and AI-Powered Hand Raise Detection

Google has recently announced new features for educators and students that will be added to Chrome and Classroom. Among these features is the new “reading mode” for Chrome, which is an AI-powered feature that helps students with dyslexia and ADHD. The reading mode reduces distracting elements on the screen to help users focus on a page’s primary content. Users can customize settings like the typeface, font size, spacing, text, and background color to their preferences. This new feature will be available in Chrome browser in ChromeOS in M114.

Another new feature is the AI-powered Hand Raise Gesture Detection, which will be available for all Google Workspace for Education users. This feature will make meetings more natural by automatically raising the Hand Raise icon when someone physically raises their hand, and they will be moved to the main grid. This feature will be available in the coming months.

Google is also launching a “co-presenting” feature that enables two or more teachers to manage slides together, making it easier for them to collaborate. In addition, educators can now add interactive questions to YouTube videos and assign them to students. This allows students to answer questions in real-time and receive feedback on their responses. The beta version of this feature will be available in several languages, including English, Japanese, Malay, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Google is also introducing a new “practice sets” feature that uses AI to help educators turn their existing teaching content into interactive assignments. Through this feature, teachers can quickly identify gaps in understanding and tailor their approach to students. Practice sets will be available globally in English in the coming weeks, with plans for additional languages in the future.

Google is also expanding support for its Screencast tool, which allows educators to record and share lessons. The company is adding recording and transcription support for a dozen new languages, including Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and Swedish. A web player will also be available, allowing students and teachers to watch screencasts in any browser on any device. Additionally, demo tools will be introduced to animate clicks and taps and highlight any keyboard shortcuts used on the screen.

Google initially launched these features during the pandemic when schools closed, but has continued to introduce new online-based education features for both teachers and students. With these new updates, Google aims to make online education more accessible and interactive for everyone.