Anushah's Reflections

By Anushah Hoque

The digital world currently takes productivity not merely as just an important word, but as a key way of staying ahead and organized. Over the past few weeks, I have created blog posts regarding how AI tools are used for productivity and how it would apply in academia or day-to-day life. I tested and reviewed three major AI tools: ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Notion AI. This blog post will summarize my learning journey for this topic, with examples, assessments and reflections to show how using AI in a meaningful way is a good way to work smarter, not harder.

The three tools I used:

ChatGPT

• Purpose of use: Explanations, study support and brainstorming
• Example: I used ChatGPT when it came to solving difficult math/science related questions. Since it explains and solves in simple steps, it made it much easier and less stressful for me to learn such concepts.
• Pros: Very easy to use, fast, detailed and conversational
• Cons: Some inaccuracies so it is important to cross-check the information given.
• Final Thoughts: ChatGPT is my go-to when it comes to academic related questions I struggle with and also the most versatile.

When in use: ^

Grammarly

• Purpose of use: Grammar correction and tone enhancement
• Example: When writing essays it helps to rephrase awkward sentences and enhances the flow and tone of my writing, ultimately making it sound more professional.
• Pros: Detects tone and provides grammar suggests as you write.
• Cons: The premium version offers better quality features.
• Final Thoughts: Grammarly helped improve my confidence and clarity when it came to writing.

When in use: ^

Notion

• Purpose of use: Writing notes, organization and task management.
• Example: I used Notion AI to create to-do lists and organize important deadlines with my academics. I specifically used it to organize my tasks by urgency which helped me feel less stressed.
• Pros: Amazing for organizing tasks and helping me stay on track with my schedule.
• Cons: Can create vague summaries of notes and needs manual editing sometimes.
• Final Thoughts: Helpful for staying organized with deadlines.

When in use: ^

Through my research regarding AI and its use throughout the world I found a website that goes into depth about its impact.

These tools are used very often (AI tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Notion AI) and it reflects a broader trend in the globally. According to recent statistics, the global AI market is valued at over $390 billion and is expected to reach $1.81 trillion by 2030, growing at an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37.3% between 2022 and 2030.

AI’s market global revenue from 2018-2025. https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ai-statistics?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Through this article I was able to dive deeper as to how integration of AI across various industries it has enhanced productivity and efficiency. For example, 83% of companies consider AI a top priority in their business plans, using it for tasks ranging anywhere from data analysis to customer service. In the healthcare section, 38% of medical providers use AI-powered tools as part of their diagnostic processes, which illustrates how versatile AI is in improving outcomes across different fields and jobs. ​I found it fascinating how much of an impact it has created in careers.

Aside from the three main tools I reviewed, I have discovered many more simply through researching. One main website that stood out to me was https://www.synthesia.io/post/ai-tools . As it explains many websites and apps that are similar to Notion, Grammarly and ChatGPT. Some of which even offer more benefits, that these three tools lack.

Final Thoughts

I believe if AI can help to assist and improve our skills and not replace them entirely. Ranging from editing a rough draft to clarifying difficult topics or planning your week, AI is very helpful at being a productivity partner. It is very important to correctly apply our own thinking and creativity within these tools. Through this journey of testing these three different apps and exploring what they have to offer, I realize that AI is not a shortcut but rather a support system that can help you in stressful situations or just to learn and stay organized. For me specifically it makes my work feel more enjoyable and to enhance my skills makes me feel proud. I’m very grateful that we live in a time with such impactful tools like these apps and through my learning, I have been able to apply AI both responsibly and effectively as I know how common it is for people to abuse and take advantage of it. As AI continues to evolve, I am happy to see how it will shape the way I work and study. After taking this class I feel as though I learned so much about AI tools, but this specific project has allowed me to explore and learn about tools beyond just ChatGPT which is knowledge I will continue to apply beyond this course.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been exploring artificial intelligence tools for productivity improvements. Since so many apps and platforms promise to save time and work smarter, I wanted to find out which ones really live up to that promise. I will discuss the comparison of three popular AI tools: ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Notion AI. From my own experience, I have had the chance to use these three tools for when it comes to academics and other daily tasks. I will rate them based on usability, accuracy, and efficiency and discuss my main takeaways from each one.

🔧The tools I tested

ChatGPT: I use this as a brainstorming assistant, study aid, and sometimes even a writing partner when it comes to correcting grammar. It answers my questions especially with math/science based courses and gives me ideas whenever I am stuck.

Grammarly: This was important in writing by checking for grammatical errors, improving tone and getting rid of unnecessary wording within my writing. It is most used when composing essays, emails, and assignments.

Notion AI: This is integrated right into the Notion workspace. It helps summarize lecture notes, set up to-do lists, and creates drafts for paragraphs. I used it for organizing my project ideas and keeping track of assignments, exams and overall due dates. The only issue was understanding how to use it at first, so I had to watch a few videos on how to navigate though this app.

Tool	Usability	Accuracy	Efficiency
ChatGPT	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Grammarly	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Notion AI	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐

The AI that most impressed me as the most versatile would be ChatGPT. I have used it in many areas such as brainstorming ideas, using it as a study tool for upcoming exams and getting feedback on my writing. ChatGPT is very conversational and this is why it is my favorite tool. Using it feels very natural and easy as I could ask for follow-ups, rephrase sentences, or ask for examples and explanations when I am confused. At times I did notice that sometimes it misses the mark with generic answers, or it would give me answers that were not fully accurate. However, I always know how important it is to cross-reference any important facts that I find using ChatGPT, so this isn’t an issue for me.

I also enjoyed Grammarly, which helps me refine my writing. It pretty much works in the background as I type and gave me real-time suggestions were provided for grammar, clarity, and tone. This made a real difference to ensure the best writing and almost feels like it saves more time because it works as I work. It gives me feedback relative to the goals I was trying to reach. For example, formal suggestions when it came to school work versus suggestions for friendly tones when it came to emails. I didn’t feel as if my voice was changed too much which made me feel like I always had someone by my side, helping me edit instead of a tool that completely takes over my writing.

Notion AI was very good in putting things into perspective and shaping them. Most of the time, I would turn to it for summarizing notes and making outlines for my classes. It helped me reword things and create clear, aesthetic to-do lists that were easy to follow. Nevertheless, it did have a few limits. It usually gave me vague suggestions did not add any value. But even with this issue, I perceive this built-in AI assistant is just a huge convenience, so I am grateful.

When comparing all three AI tools, ChatGPT would be my #1 as it is the most versatile and easiest to use.

My final thoughts

AI is not here to do everything for us because it’s only here to make what we are already doing easy, quick, and more enjoyable. Cutting down proofreading, assisting in brainstorming sessions, or organizing the week is something that helps me feel productive and motivated. It is important to not view it in a way where it “does everything for you” but rather as an assistant; someone who is there to assist you and your tasks.

For my research on AI tools that can increase the productivity of work life, I chose three applications: ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Notion AI. The aim was to investigate the features, advantages, and limitations of the application and how they could be integrated into academic and personal workflows. Below are some examples where I capture my earliest experiences using these tools by example.

1. ChatGPT: Artificial Intelligence Help

Initial Impressions:

ChatGPT is an AI language model designed for question-answering, content generation, and brainstorming. I had tested it on a math problem to see if it could work as a study aid.

Example Use:

I had a probability question in my finite math class that I was struggling with, so I asked ChatGPT to help me through the steps of solving the problem. Not only did it find the answer, but it also broke down each step in terms I found easy to understand. For example, it clarified when combinations should be used versus permutations, which had previously confused me. This way, I felt that it reinforced my understanding and added my confidence in solving similar problems on my own.

Pros:

• Detailed and fast delivery in answering the queries.

• Enlightening in brainstorming and summarizing contents.

• Helpful in writing, solving problems along with coding.

Cons:

• May need multiple refinements for accuracy.

• No real time access to the internet for updated information.

2. Grammarly: AI-Powered Writing Assistant

First Impressions:

Grammarly is an AI-supported assistant that helps enhance grammar, spelling, and clarity in writing. I tested it by refining a scholarship application essay with it.

Example Usage:

Grammarly noted poorly constructed sentences for conciseness and engagement when checking my essay. One sentence read, “I have always been interested in volunteering because it helps those in need and still allows me to develop newly acquired skills.” Grammarly suggested, “My excitement for volunteering is based on its effect for those in need and myself to develop skills,” making it more straightforward. This helps my essay read in a more professional and persuasive manner.

Pros:

• Detects grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors efficiently.

• Gives advice on style and tone.

• Enhances clarity and conciseness of writing.

Cons:

• The free version has limited features.

• Contextual recommendations may not get aligned with intent.

• Subscription is required for premium offerings.

3. Notion AI: AI-Integrated Productivity Tool

First Impressions:

Notes and Organization infused with AI-powered assistance. I could actually test a to-do for organizing my course work.

Example Usage:

With multiple deadlines for several courses that I have, I wanted a precise plan. So I asked Notion AI to develop a task list for my assignments, exams, and projects. It prioritized these tasks and assigned deadlines based on urgency. This way I could visualize the workload and make time accordingly. However, I noticed it created some redundant tasks, which made me fine-tune it on my own.

Pros:

• Helps in structuring and organizing the tasks well.

• Task management is thus enhanced by AI-generated to-do lists.

• Enhances collaborative workflow and organization.

Cons:

• Can generate duplicate or unnecessary tasks from time to time.

• AI-generated content may still require manual editing.

• Some features are available for premium payments only.

Final Thoughts:

The abilities of each AI tool show unique strengths and challenges. ChatGPT was such a handy tool for simplifying complex subject matter, Grammarly was great for checking grammar to fine tune my writing, and Notion AI was a time-saver for organizing. These “tests” concluded that Grammarly was particularly useful for improving clarity in writing, with good help from ChatGPT in giving easy-to-understand explanations on academic concepts.

Jessica Mussell’s Talk on Zotero for Curation and Citation

In today’s technology driven world, it is important to efficiently handle research sources to be successful in your academics. Jessica Mussell’s talk on Zotero provided insightful guidance on using this powerful tool for curation and citation. Zotero is an open source application that is very user-friendly tool for collecting, organizing, citing, and sharing research material.

Understanding Zotero:

Zotero is free reference management software that was developed to help students, researchers, and academics that help organize their sources. The software accommodates all types of citation styles meaning any kind of word-processing program to aid in the smooth organization of references. Jessica Mussell emphasized how they got to train students in the use of Zotero to be less of an obstacle for research work and to make more accurate citations. 

Features of Zotero:

Easy Collection of Source Materials

• The browser extension for Zotero allows a single click to save articles, books, and web pages.

• Extracts metadata automatically so that references can be more easily organized. 

• Notes, tags, and attachments are able to be made by users to saved materials.

Organizing Researches 

• Zotero allows users to create collections and subcollections so that sources can be categorized.

• There is a tagging system that allows quick searches and filtering of references. 

• Advanced search options enable users to immediately retrieve certain citations. 

Generating Citations and Bibliographies

• Zotero integrates with Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice for automatic citation insertion. 

• Users can choose amongst many citation styles; APA, MLA, and Chicago. 

• Bibliographies can be created fast, helping to save time and ensure accuracy. 

Collaboration and Sharing

• Users can share references with other individuals or research teams in real-time.

• All research material is synced in the cloud to allow access from many devices you may have. 

Storage and Backup

• Zotero cloud storage for reference data is free including options for extra cloud storage.

• It allows backing up of libraries in case research data is lost.

• Integration with Dropbox and Google Drive is available. 

Why Zotero Helps to Ease Academic Research

Jessica Mussell gives several reasons why Zotero is essential for students and researchers: 

Efficiency: Automation of citation and bibliography generation reduces manual work. 

Accuracy: There will be a reduction in the amount of error in citations and consistency.

Time-Saving: Information on materials is organized so you will feel less stressed which, in the long run, will help you save time and energy.

Accessibility: Reference materials are accessible anytime and anywhere when syncing across devices. 

Collaboration: Allows the access to be shared when it comes to research material and team working.

Conclusion 

Jessica Mussell’s talk on the importance of empty spaces showed how powerful Zotero could be as a curation and citation tool. It will help students and researchers a lot in managing their sources in an efficient, convenient, and accurate manner within their work. Regardless whether it is a research paper, thesis, or collaborative project; it offers many convenient tools for organizing references and citations, helping users stay organized and stress-free.

Introduction: Young Empowerment and their Next Generation

Nodin Cutfeet is an interaction designer who founded the Waniskâw Foundation to give Indigenous youth tools to engage with digital creativity and technology skills. Waniskâw aims to close the gaps created by the digital divide in Indigenous communities by providing a platform for them to play and create digital art, code and stories.

The Mission of Waniskâw Foundation

The Waniskâw Foundation believes that they stimulate creativity and self expression in young people as they can use a platform to access resources which enable them to develop digital works like designing applications or producing artworks within the context of their own heritage. The foundation builds bridges between schools of traditional knowledge and schools of modern technology to give a chance to train in the new media skills without cutting the lines back to home.

Technology Meets Tradition

What is unique and distinctive about Waniskâw is that it adopts technology without leaving behind the core beliefs of traditional Indigenous values. Connecting digital literacy with cultural preservation gives youth an opportunity to express their identity in different ways. The skills learned by the students from Waniskâw include coding, graphic design, and digital storytelling. These are valuable tools that contribute towards both personal and professional growth. They allow engagement and interaction in the digital landscape while enhancing one’s creativity simultaneously.

Creating a Community

It is more than simply a digital platform to Waniskâw: it is a collaborative and supportive environment where young Indigenous people share their work, learn from others, and build relationships. This creates a sense of community that becomes central to building overall confidence and creating a sense of belonging in an often fragmented digital world.

The Movement of Digital Sovereignty

The Waniskâw Foundation stands for the Indigenous digital sovereignty. This states that Indigenous peoples should be in control of their digital identity, as well as the ways in which they negotiate online. Through developing programs that honor Indigenous knowledge systems, Waniskâw empowers youth to become producers instead of simply being consumers of digital content.

Conclusion: A Path to Brighter Education

The vision that Nodin Cutfeet has with the Waniskâw Foundation helps Indigenous youth into the digital world while keeping them rooted in their cultural heritage. This initiative provides them with skills, confidence, and community support needed to do well in this new technology driven world. Check out Waniskâw Foundation to view how the foundation is making an impact: https://www.waniskawfoundation.ca/

A short podcast:

Introduction:

David Wiley is a professor and leader in open education as he advocates to make learning affordable and accessible. He has helped to alter education by promoting free available materials and open pedagogy. One of his well known contributions would be his collaboration with the Open Content initiative and active participation in establishing Lumen Learning to promote the worldwide open educational movement.

Wiley is a scholar and educator who introduced the “5 Rs” which stands for Retain, Reuse, Revise, Remix, and Redistribute. This creates good flexibility in educational content and brings confidence to students and educators who want to uniquely customize their educational content, be able to share with others and adapt it to their own needs and what works best for them. This enables inclusivity and collaboration within the educational environment where there are no barriers financially, to access learning.

Wiley has also been a strong advocate regarding how education must be treated as a public good rather than a commodity. This idea places the traditional educational model in opposition, one where highly valuable resources are restricted from being accessed through paywalls. It pushes the message that knowledge should be made available to everyone no matter what.

When I think about my own experience of learning, I see how fortunate I am to have all sorts of information and resource access. I feel very appreciative in regards to how David Wiley has been an advocate for all kinds of OER because through textbooks, courses, open resources, I understand how important it is to have educational materials ready to be accessed whenever needed.

Productivity is a crucial part of success especially in the present fast-paced world. It has impacted the way we work by enhancing decision making and automating tasks which can help to improve overall efficiency. When used in moderation, it can help a person to accomplish more in less time.

Reducing repetitive tasks:

• You are able to maintain and manage emails by generating quick replies and sorting messages.
• You can automate data entry which can help to reduce errors and will save you time.
• Through ChatGPT or Google Assistant, you can schedule meetings and reminders.

Enhance your writing and communication:

• You can improve your writing quality using grammarly, a writing assistant.
• There are AI-powered translators which can help you communicate and break those language barriers.
• You can get instant support through AI tools.

Improving learning and research:

• AI powered tutoring tools help to guide in subjects like science and math .
• AI Helps to summarize complex or long articles allowing you to understand the key points.
• AI search engines can help to give you more relevant search results.

In our fast-paced world AI tools help productivity and numerous ways enabling tasks to become easier, faster and way more efficient. This can allow businesses and individuals to focus on higher value work as it will help to optimize their time. Such advanced technology will continue to grow as time goes on while allowing productivity to grow along with it.

https://www.usemotion.com/blog/ai-productivity-tools

This article gives an introduction to a few AI tools that can help with your productivity. They explain their likes and dislikes that can help you get a better understanding and insight on a few of these tools. My personal favorites are Claude and Notion.

Introduction:

A big factor that affects the accessibility of Education to everyone is the high cost of learning materials which creates a heavy barrier for many people. Open Educational Resources (OER) aims to remove these obstacles by providing free and adaptable educational content. Dr. Cable Green is a leader in open education and the director of open education at Creative Commons. His goal is to make learning accessible as this will shape the future of education.

Benefits of OER

Through some research, multiple benefits are identified. A very significant advantage of OER is the overall ability to reduce financial burdens for many students. A main factor that limits access to necessary learning materials would be textbooks as they are very expensive. OER is freely available and openly licensed which allows educators and students to access high quality resources without having to worry financially. In addition, this allows flexibility for educators who are able to adapt and adjust their materials so that it can better suit a student’s needs and overall curriculum. This positively affects learning experiences as it becomes more personalized to the user. OER is known for its collaborations among institutions which creates a culture of shared knowledge; a positive impact to all learners.

Many students have positively been impacted by the implementation of open educational resources. Students who come from low-income families who previously struggled to afford textbooks now have free access to high quality learning materials. In addition, there are even students in remote areas of the world who have gained educational resources that used to be unavailable to them. Through this link https://ocw.mit.edu/stories/, I was able to grasp a deeper understanding as to how much of an impact this creates to students worldwide, as it provides stories of actual people who have been benefited from this.

As a student, I completely understand the financial stress when it comes to purchasing textbooks; a necessity for school. Tuition is already very expensive and on top of that school necessities are too, causing an extra burden. I would love it if more courses adopted OER, as it would significantly ease this stress and make learning materials more accessible. I think a big advantage to this would also be the ability to customize learning materials to fit different learning styles. This can boost student comprehension and engagement in learning. As I watched his discussion and did some research I really love how he’s committed to making education more accessible and inclusive. I hope that universities can take steps to integrate this into our education system as it would create an amazing impact in every student’s life.