Alcoa students unveil AI homework‑help app; University of Tennessee mentors praise program

Students from an Alcoa homework‑help group presented a prototype AI app they said will analyze students’ assignments, adapt to individual levels, ask guiding questions rather than provide answers, and offer a scheduling tool to allocate time by due dates.

"Our solution to this was to build an AI app that can be used for any type of homework. And it doesn't just give you the answer. It breaks it down," a student presenter said during the meeting.

Dr. Emily Holtz of the University of Tennessee Knoxville and a representative from AI Tennessee commended the students and noted university interns have served in local schools. "We are so proud that this school here and all these students behind me as well as their peers in the AI club have been pioneers truly not just for the school district here but across the state and in the country," Dr. Holtz said. She presented a plaque bearing students’ names and teams and said some students were leaving to present at a commission meeting that night; presenters said they will receive regional results on Thursday.

Presenters described internal data visualizations linking increased homework time to falling academic performance, rising stress and reduced sleep. They said the app’s second function would let students input due dates and receive an AI‑generated plan for completing assignments by a target time.

University staff and board members praised teachers and mentors involved in the initiative. Board members thanked teachers and coaches for the students’ work and wished them luck at upcoming regional competition.

The presentation was an informational item; no formal board action was required on the project during the meeting.