Google Research introduced an experimental generative AI tool that lets educators build custom, interactive STEM simulations tailored to their curriculum. Publicly available libraries and school pilot programs are currently rolling out, though formal classroom impact studies on student learning gains remain ahead.
Generative AI Customizes STEM Simulations for Teachers
Google Research is testing a new experimental capability called Learning Interactives, designed to let teachers generate custom, curriculum-aligned STEM simulations on demand. Built around generative user interface technology, or GenUI, the system constructs multi-level digital activities complete with challenges, hints, feedback, worked solutions, and subject-specific tools rather than relying on static text or images.
The public library already houses more than 30 AI-generated interactives spanning biology, chemistry, computer science, earth science, mathematics, and physics, geared primarily toward middle and high school students. Marta McAlister, Director of Gemini for Education, highlighted the philosophy behind the project on LinkedIn, noting that Learning is not a spectator sport
and that the research allows educators to turn static concepts into dynamic, scaffolded learning experiences.
How Educators Build and Verify Classroom Activities
The creation process starts with the teacher, who specifies a topic. The system then proposes a set of learning objectives that the educator must review, edit, and approve before the software builds the simulation. This workflow ensures that instructors maintain direct control over what concepts students explore.
Once generated, activities go through a series of automated self-correcting evaluation loops. These checks assess whether the activity levels match the approved objectives, increase appropriately in difficulty, and function without mechanical glitches. Google notes that some evaluations are agentic, such as a solvability test where an automated routine opens Chrome and interacts with the simulation as a user would, testing extreme inputs.
Every interactive available in the public library has also passed manual vetting by teachers. Educators participating in the Google for Education Pilot Program can request custom simulations for specific concepts, which are then returned for teacher review before public inclusion.
Teacher Evaluations and Early Pilot Feedback
While the tool has drawn strong initial praise from educators, experts point out a crucial distinction between interface usability and learning efficacy. A collection of 40 STEM interactives assessed by teachers in the UK earned high marks, with independent teacher raters reporting an 86 percent acceptance rate and ratings of good or excellent. In a separate US pilot involving 12 teachers who requested 36 custom interactives, participants gave the resulting activities an average quality score of 8 out of 10.
If I was teaching and I could type this in [for any curriculum topic] and then a simulation would [be generated], that would be amazing… I’ve never been able to differentiate any of the simulations because it’s just, you get what you get.
High school science teacher
Despite these encouraging usability scores, analysts note that high ratings measure how polished and usable a tool appears to an adult rather than whether children actually acquire new skills from using it. Google Research acknowledges that formal studies measuring student learning outcomes against a comparison group have not yet been completed.
Next Steps for Classroom Field Research
Moving beyond teacher quality judgments represents the next operational phase for the project. Google Research plans to conduct user experience research and classroom field studies specifically designed to measure student engagement and actual learning gains.
Schools utilizing Google Workspace for Education can currently request access to the Pilot Program to build custom simulations. As these field studies roll out, researchers aim to determine whether the high praise from adult reviewers translates directly into measurable educational value for students.