AI-powered hand raise gesture detection is coming soon to Google Meet

Besides Chrome updates at BETT 2023, Google shared upcoming Workspace features for education customers across Docs, Slides, and Classroom, while Meet is getting AI-powered hand raise detection.

In Google Docs, teachers on the Education Plus tier can use custom building blocks (accessed via the @-menu) to create and save templates for lesson plans and curriculum guides. This is rolling out over the coming months. 

@voting chips will let teachers and students provide instant feedback in the coming months, while @stopwatch and @timer are rolling out now.

In Google Slides and Meet (Teaching and Learning Upgrade or Education Plus), speaker notes will now appear when presenting a deck during video calls. You’ll also be able to co-present (2+ people) in Slides with all parties being able to advance and start video in the coming months. Lastly, Meet recordings are getting support for adding closed captions in English, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish later this year. 

All Google Workspace for Education users will benefit from AI-powered hand raise gesture detection in the coming months. Google Meet will automatically turn on the Raised Hand icon when you physically raise your hand.

Lastly, Coming to Google Classroom users on the Teaching and Learning Upgrade and Education Plus tier:

• Teachers can add questions (beta availability) to YouTube videos in Classroom: “As the video plays, students can answer the questions, get real-time feedback on their responses and rewatch the video as needed.” 
• Ability to sort grades and assignments by quarters/semesters/terms (available in coming weeks)
• Practice sets (coming weeks in English): “As teachers add questions to their practice set, they’ll see suggestions for skills to focus on — like solving equations with decimals or writing thesis statements. Based on the skills selected, students will receive helpful hints if they get stuck.”