The Department for Education (DfE) has published the results of research confirming the potential of generative AI in the sector, while indicating that more work is needed to develop tools that could be widely used.
It has produced technical and user research reports on its Use Cases for Generative AI in Education project, on which it collaborated with the National Institute of Teaching, the ImpactEd Group and Faculty AI between September 2023 and March 2024.
The reports have been published on the day the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) announced plans for a £4 million investment to support the development of AI tools for education, including the creation of a data store for innovators.
The project involved a series of hackathons, which led to the design of a list of use cases for GenAI, and the development of a proof of concept tool to mark students’ work and provide personalised feedback and revision activity.
Among the learnings outlined in the technical report are that educators should be involved throughout the development cycle of new products, there should be scope for customisation of tools, and it is crucial to highlight what a student has demonstrated, not just their mistakes.
In addition, GenAI is more efficient and accurate when given highly structured requirements, large language models (LLMs) are inherently good at providing feedback, and it is crucial to take in perspectives from schools and parents on how pupils’ work is processed and used.
Detecting errors and generating feedback
The user research report says the proof of concept tool was developed to the point where a user can upload a piece of student work, have any errors automatically detected and linked to the national curriculum, generate feedback for the student and teacher, and generate a series of revision activities.
The perspectives of teachers involved in the research varied. Many were generally positive about GenAI, seeing the potential for saving time; but this was tempered with concern about risks. Some teachers said they would not trust the tool to provide feedback and there were concerns about some teachers over-relying on the tool.
The hackathons led to the design of use cases for purposes such as helping users to draft content for school websites and create lesson materials.
The report also notes that the technology is developing rapidly and that there is a need for research to stay up-to-date with teachers’ perspectives to the fore.
“For example,” it says, “in the time since the hackathons, new edtech tools have come to market that address (or partly address) some of the use cases explored, and a key part of the challenge for schools and educators in the adoption of GenAI is navigating this changing landscape.”
