Monday, December 16, 2024

Querium Corp. announced today that UBC Extended Learning will begin using Smarter for its UBC Micro-certificate in Artificial Intelligence Cloud Solutions Strategy. UBC Extended Learning offers an evolving lineup of online course offerings from subject matter experts and esteemed UBC professors and instructors.

Tuesday, September 2, 2024

Smarter is LLM vendor agnostic and provides enterprise-class features for audit, logging, data privacy, cost controls and internal billing. It works with most popular LLM’s and can be integrated into workflows. It is the simplest, fastest way to create sophisticated text completion solutions that leverage LLMs from multiple vendors.

Lawrence McDaniel, lead product engineer for Smarter says, “We borrowed heavily from Kubernetes’ use of yaml-based manifests as a simple and powerful strategy for managing the complete life cycle of complex AI resources.”

Smarter’s innovative plugin technology yields prompt results that are objectively superior to common extension strategies like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), Fine Tuning and Embeddings while also not only being more secure but also orders of magnitude more cost effective.

Smarter Plugins are built on a Large Language Model (LLM) API edge feature generally referred to as, “Function Calling“, that a growing population of LLM’s include in their APIs. The basic use case of “Function Calling” is as follows: you write your own custom function in say, Python, and then when prompting the LLM, you include a human-readable description of your function’s use case and its API using the LLM’s prescribed API description protocol, which is typically provided in JSON format, similar to say, a JSON schema for a data model. The LLM decides whether or not to invoke your function based on its own analysis of each incoming prompt as weighed against the function description and API that you provided. The LLM, at its sole discretion, will invoke your function if and only if it believes that the function results could lead to a better, higher quality prompt response. Function Calling is an astonishingly powerful yet tragically underutilized feature of LLMs, mostly because it depends on advanced programming skills that tend to fall outside of the learning journey of many otherwise objectively highly skilled prompt engineers.

Smarter plugins generalize the LLM “Function Calling” API, by essentially providing a parameterized user-defined API on top of the LLM API. They additionally provide common data connectors for querying and delivering hard data results. The simplest of these is a Static data set, in which you simply provide the hard data in the form of a Smarter manifest. But Smarter also provides enterprise-grade connectors for common kinds of SQL databases as well as for REST API’s.

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Preparing for the SAT isn’t always a matter of retaining what you’ve learned in your high school classes. For many students, it takes weeks to months of study to understand the concepts you’ll face on exam day. To help make the studying process easier, we’re sharing some powerful and practical tips to make preparation stress free and even enjoyable.

First, let’s unpack the test’s structure and what you can expect on test day so you have everything you need to get into the SAT mindset.

Breaking Down the SAT

The math portion of the SAT can be broken down into four sections:

• Algebra
• Data Analysis
• Pre-Calculus
• Miscellaneous Topics

Although you may encounter some problems that seem unfamiliar, rest assured that all of the materials are taken from topics covered in your typical high school Pre-algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus classes.

The topics covered haven’t changed, but 2024 has ushered in a number of changes to the SAT.

Instead of the 3-hour-long pen and paper test of years past, the SAT has officially moved to a digital landscape and will only take two hours. It will be section-adaptive, meaning your performance in the first half of the math portion will inform the difficulty of questions you receive in the second half. Reading sections will also be shorter, with just one question per reading section. Your score for the entire SAT will still be calculated using the 1600 scale.

Another change to the SAT this year is that calculators will be allowed throughout the entire math portion of the exam, instead of just a few sections. This is something you’ll want to take full advantage of as you prep for the exam and develop strategies for test day.

We’ll cover how to use a calculator to your advantage in more detail at the end of this mini course.

For now, let’s break down what problems you may encounter in each section.

Algebra

• Translate a word problem into an expression, equation, or inequality.
• Solve a linear equation or inequality with one variable (including absolute values).
• Solve a system of linear equations or inequalities with two variables.
• Interpret a linear equation, expression, or inequality in context.
• Understand how a linear graph relates to an equation or system of equations or inequalities.

Data Analysis

• Use ratios, rates, and proportions to solve a problem.
• Use percentages to solve a problem.
• Perform unit conversions.
• Predict a line or curve of best fit for a scatterplot.
• Understand the difference between linear and exponential growth.
• Calculate probabilities from data.
• Calculate mean, median, mode, and range of data, and understand how these, along with standard deviation, affect the shape, center, and spread of data.
• Make and justify statistical inferences from data (little to no statistical calculation required)

Pre-Calculus

• Use a quadratic or exponential function to model a real-life context.
• Simplify an expression with exponents.
• Manipulate and interpret a nonlinear expression in its context.
• Isolate a variable in a nonlinear equation.
• Solve a quadratic equation (via factoring, completing the square, and quadratic formula).
• Perform operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) with polynomial expressions.
• Solve an equation containing variables in the denominator.
• Solve a system of equations consisting of a quadratic and linear equation.
• Know how the zeros and factors of a polynomial relate to one another and to the polynomial’s graph.
• Know how a nonlinear graph relates to an equation or system of nonlinear equations.
• Understand function notation and how transformations/compositions are performed in this notation.

Miscellaneous Topics

• Use volume and area formulas (provided on test).
• Solve for missing information when parallel lines are cut by a transversal or when similar/congruent triangles are provided.
• Solve a right triangle using the Pythagorean theorem or trigonometric ratios (sine, cosine, tangent).
• Use the relationship between similar triangles, trigonometric ratios, and right triangles.
• Calculate missing values in a circle (arc lengths, angle measures, chord lengths, sector areas).
• Convert between degree and radian measures.
• Find and interpret the standard form for the equation of a circle in the coordinate plane.
• Perform operations between complex numbers.

With these details in mind, you’ll be well on your way to a perfect 800 on the math portion of your SAT. 

Studying for the SAT

Now that you have a deeper understanding of the types of problems you’ll face on test day, it’s time to create a study plan based on what SAT math topics you excel at and which you can improve upon. It’s often the most stressful part of studying for the SAT: figuring out where to begin! But it really doesn’t have to be. Read on to start studying for success.

Gauging Your Math Proficiencies

The SAT is a timed exam, and with the new shift to a digital testing format, you’ll have even less time to complete it than before (2 hours instead of 3). That being said, the first step to determining your mathematical strengths and weaknesses is to create a spreadsheet (Google Sheets works well) and take two practice exams: one timed and one untimed. Once you’ve finished, grade yourself and answer the following question honestly:

Is your biggest issue accuracy or time?

If you’re scoring well but running out of time, follow these steps to get started:

• Identify which questions consumed the most amount of time. Add them to the first column in your spreadsheet.
• Categorize each question based on the four SAT math topics (Algebra, Data Analysis, Pre-Calculus, or Miscellaneous Topics).
• Note the specific subtopics covered by each question (refer to our last email for subtopics).

If you finish your timed practice exam ahead of the clock but find your accuracy needs some improvement, follow the same steps as above for each question you marked incorrectly, then complete these steps.

• Add questions you got wrong to your spreadsheet
• Specify the subtopics related to these questions

Now, take a close look at the subtopics you’ve added. This compilation is your master study list as you prepare for the SAT. It will guide your SAT Math practice as you work in StepWiseMath, emphasizing the areas that need the most attention. Don’t forget to also include the subtopics you haven’t added to ensure a comprehensive preparation.

Final Countdown Checklist

As you gear up for the big day, it’s also crucial to have a checklist to ensure nothing is overlooked. Here’s a quick rundown of the steps:

1. Review Your Master Study List:
   • Go through the subtopics on your master study list.
   • Focus on reinforcing your understanding of the key areas you’ve identified.
2. Mock Test Simulation:
   • Conduct a full-length mock test to simulate the actual test day experience.
   • Practice time management and ensure you’re comfortable with the pacing.
3. Strategic Time Allocation:
   • Plan how much time you’ll allocate to each section.
   • Identify a strategy for tackling challenging questions efficiently.
4. Healthy Habits:
   • Ensure you get a good night’s sleep before the test.
   • Eat a nutritious breakfast to fuel your mind and body.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re ready for test day!

Test Day Strategies

On the day of the SAT, implement these strategies to enhance your performance:

1. Mindful Breathing:
   • Practice deep breathing to stay calm and focused.
   • Manage stress with mindfulness techniques.
2. Pacing Techniques:
   • If a question is taking too long, use your best judgment for the correct answer, mark it, and move on.
   • Allocate time wisely to ensure you can address all questions. Blank answers are penalized more than incorrect ones, so be sure to mark a response for each question.
3. Double-Check Answers:
   • If time permits, review your answers.
   • Double-check for any potential errors.
4. Stay Positive:
   • Maintain a positive mindset, even if faced with challenging questions.
   • Focus on the questions you can answer confidently.

Remember, our goal is to make preparing for the SAT efficient and tailored to your needs. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further guidance, and be sure to sign up for StepWise Math for SAT Math practice that helps you prepare for the test 24/7. Good luck!

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

The Center for Data Innovation spoke with Kent Fuka, president and CEO of Querium, an Austin-based startup that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to power its StepWise STEM education intelligent tutor. Fuka spoke about the benefits of personalized learning and AI-based tutors.

Read More

References

datainnovation.org

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

“Throughout history, education has been a teacher/student interaction in which knowledge flows from one person to another. This is still the status quo. But a number of technologies being rolled out could challenge this model. Arguably the most significant of these is artificial intelligence, along with related technologies such as neural networks and machine learning.” Querium is pleased to be featured in the use of AI in education.

References

www.entrepreneur.com

Friday, February 19, 2021

The Rover online math homework product that Querium created with OpenStax in 2018 is now part of XanEdu’s new FlexEd product. Querium is excited to have our patented StepWise Virtual Tutor AI technology as a key component of XanEdu’s Rover math homework system. Rover will now be able to help millions of students master critical STEM skills for success in their careers. We’re thrilled to be working with XanEdu to help students succeed and to lower the cost of online education solutions. Under this agreement, XanEdu will be responsible for marketing, sales, and support of Rover. Querium continues to develop StepWise Virtual Tutor.

Thursday, May 7, 2020

ACUE (Association of College and University Educators) did a story on Cal State LA’s move to all online course delivery due to Covid-19. CSULA uses OpenStax OER textbooks paired with Querium’s Rover online math homework system to teach Precalculus.  In Spring 2020, Querium released support for online timed exams to help CSULA deal with Covid-19. The article quotes three instructors who teach with Rover.  CSULA has been using Rover since the summer of 2019.

References

www.acue.org

Monday, October 1, 2018

Querium is proud to announce that we were selected by Education Technology Insights for the cover feature article of its October 2018 Artificial Intelligence issue, as well as inclusion in their Top 10 Artificial Intelligence Solution Providers. A leading publication covering the realm of technology in education, Education Technology Insights is presenting to the professionals in the education industry a robust and innovative outlook of how technology adoption can make a difference. We are thrilled to be included in this list of companies revolutionizing how students learn.

Monday, August 13, 2018

Friday, June 8, 2018

References

www.insightssuccess.com