Google on Tuesday said it is introducing Guided Learning to Google Classroom and beginning a pilot of the feature in Google Search for student accounts. Chris Phillips, vice president and general manager of Education, announced the updates in a company post.
The company said Guided Learning is designed to support active problem solving by coaching students through complex topics with step-by-step prompts rather than direct answers. Google said the approach aims to help students think critically and build productive study habits.
Guided Learning is available globally in Google Classroom starting today, according to the post. Google described Classroom as a hub where teachers and students organize schoolwork, share assignments and stay connected. The company said that when a teacher assigns a Guided Learning activity, it acts like a one-on-one study tool anchored in class material and gives teachers real-time insights on where a class may need extra support. Google said it worked closely with schools and educators to test the feature and integrate their feedback before launch.
For Google Search, the company said it is building Guided Learning capabilities for student accounts to help them work through homework without skipping straight to final answers. When Google systems detect a request for certain types of homework help, Search will prompt students through the topic step by step. Google gave examples such as pasting a complex physics problem or asking for help writing a book report. The company said it will start a pilot in select U.S. schools later this month to gather and incorporate educator feedback before expanding to other school districts in the coming months.
Google also said it is updating school controls for AI products including Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search. Access to these products will be entirely off for K-12 student accounts until school administrators explicitly turn them on, the post said. Google said it will share more specifics with schools in the coming months ahead of the changes rolling out to allow time to prepare and support a smooth transition. The company said the updates to controls followed listening to schools, teachers, leading researchers, and policymakers, and it will continue to evolve its approach in partnership with schools, teachers, pedagogical experts, and parents.