Mohamed
Hassan

Mohamed Hassan has been fascinated by computers for as long as he can remember. Thanks to his father’s job in Information Technology, Hassan’s long had an inside look at the tech increasingly shaping our world. His passion for electronics has only deepened over the years, leading him most recently to the University of Virginia’s Computer Science program. A current freshman student, Hassan views his undergraduate degree as a stepping stone to further education and a role in an in-demand field. “My goal is to go to grad school and complete a cybersecurity degree where I can put these skills to use in the workforce,” he says.

Hassan considers himself a critical and conscious consumer of the latest technology. This rings especially true at a time when Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT and DALL-E are ubiquitous. Given his deep familiarity with technology and data, Hassan raises a careful eyebrow at the quality of the content that AI platforms are able to offer. “Quite often, ChatGPT throws false information at you or lists inaccurate citations for a paper. You can’t really rely on ChatGPT alone to pull accurate information from the web,” he reflects.

Technology aside, many students struggle to make connections between individual topics learned within foundational courses. This was the position that Hassan found himself in upon enrolling in Introduction to Chemistry in fall 2023 and coming across abstract ideas such as data structures. But when Ace, Top Hat’s new AI-powered assistant became available in his course, Hassan quickly realized that this wasn’t like other AI platforms he’d encountered before. Unlike study tools that offer generic, and sometimes inaccurate, feedback, Ace provided a layer of course-specific context—in addition to a humanizing touch—that helped bridge the gap between foundational topics.

Hassan knows it’s not always possible to receive immediate guidance in a 400-person course. But that’s not the case when using Ace. Hassan and his peers can enjoy instant and personalized study support when recapping material outside of class. With Ace, he’s able to ask questions about challenging Chemistry topics when stumbling. In return, he receives relevant, accurate responses steeped in the context of his course material. “Ace doesn’t spit out false information. When reading my textbook, I can ask Ace to break down concepts and show me how this connects to other material. It’s really rocketed my experience in this course,” Hassan shares.

With Top Hat, Hassan enjoys a holistic learning experience in and out of the classroom, where AI provides thoughtful, tailored guidance as required. Before lectures, he completes assigned chapter readings with embedded questions. These bite-sized pulse checks let Hassan gauge his understanding of newly introduced topics. During class, Hassan’s instructor reviews the material students read about in their textbook and builds upon these ideas. Ace offers tailored support when Hassan needs it. “I write down all the questions I have during lectures and then ask Ace about anything I’m unclear of. Thanks to Ace, I’m able to make easier connections between two concepts,” he says. After class, Hassan refers to his professor’s lecture notes and uses Ace to brush up on specific concepts—ranging from chemical solutions to molecules and reactions—before completing another set of practice problems found in his text.

For an aspiring cybersecurity professional, Hassan values authenticity in his educational experience. As someone who has healthy skepticism of Generative AI platforms, Ace has completely changed his outlook on the power of AI in education. “Ace gave me the extra hand that I needed. It was really helpful,” he says.