The CRITICS project uses AI-powered machine translation to break down language barriers in science education and then leverages these translations to develop tools for promoting critical thinking.

In plain terms

The CRITICS project aims to make science education more accessible and improve students' critical thinking skills. It addresses the problem that much scientific knowledge is only available in high-resource languages, creating a barrier for many students. To overcome this, the project uses advanced Machine Translation (MT), an artificial intelligence (AI) technology that translates text, specifically powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), which are advanced AI models capable of understanding and generating human-like language. They are fine-tuning these AI translation systems for scientific content to provide accurate and culturally relevant materials in students' native languages. On top of these translations, CRITICS designs and evaluates new teaching approaches focused on developing scientific argumentation and critical thinking practices. This includes using AI to generate textual feedback for students, aligned with specific learning objectives, ultimately working to democratize scientific knowledge and foster deeper thinking in science education.