The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has announced the creation of a data store to support technology companies to develop AI tools for schools.
It said the project will involve an investment of £4 million and the pooling of government documents including curriculum guidance, lesson plans and anonymised pupil assessments. These can be used by AI companies to train their tools to generate content such as lesson plans and workbooks.
They could also develop tools to help teachers mark pupils’ works and in routine administrative tasks.
The project involves a partnership with the Open University, which is sharing relevant learning resources.
In addition, the Department for Education has committed to publishing a safety framework for AI products in education later this year. Minister for Early Education Stephen Morgan will meet education technology companies before setting out the expectations.
Parent support
DSIT said the plan for a content store has come as research has shown that parents want teachers to use generative AI to give themselves more time helping children in the classroom with face-to-face teaching. In turn, this requires better data to ensure the technologies work properly.
An investment of £3 million will support the development of the content store, and an additional £1 million will be awarded to applicants who provide the best ideas to put the data into practice to reduce teacher workload.
Each winner will build an AI tool to help teachers specifically with feedback and marking by March 2025. DSIT will begin to take applications on 9 September.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle said: “We know teachers work tirelessly to go above and beyond for their students. By making AI work for them, this project aims to ease admin burdens and help them deliver creative and inspiring lessons every day, while reducing time pressures they face.
“This is the first of many projects that will transform how we see and use public sector data. We will put the information we hold to work, using it in a safe and responsible way to reduce waiting lists, cut backlogs and improve outcomes for citizens across the country.”
Big opportunity
Morgan commented: “Artificial intelligence, when made safe and reliable, represents an exciting opportunity to give our schools leaders and teachers a helping hand with classroom life.
“Today’s announcement marks a huge step forward for AI in the classroom. This investment will allow us to safely harness the power of tech to make it work for our hard-working teachers, easing the pressures and workload burdens we know are facing the profession and freeing up time, allowing them to focus on face-to-face teaching.”
He added that the project marks the first government approved store of high quality education material optimised for AI product development and will stimulate the production of safe, legally compliant, evidence based tools, relevant to teachers’ needs.
The department said that almost half of teachers are already using AI to help with their work, according to a survey from TeacherTapp, but current AI tools are not specifically trained on the documents setting out how teaching should work in England.
Bourne experience
It cited the experience of the Bourne Education Trust as an example of the benefits of using AI in schools.
It has used generative AI to evaluate curriculum materials, create case studies and other activities for engaging lessons. Teachers at Auriol Junior School illustrated a teacher written guide encouraging students to read more books with AI generated text, cartoon creatures and music.
The trust’s head of digital education, Chris Goodall, said: “AI has been a hugely powerful tool for me and my colleagues at the Bourne Education Trust. It allows us to create engaging, personalised learning experiences for our students while also significantly reducing the time taken to create them.
“Personally, I've used AI to quickly generate scaffolded activities, adapt materials for students with special educational needs, and create more engaging lessons that are accessible to all. The time saved allows school staff to focus on what matters most, interacting with students and providing individualised feedback and support.
“The content store will take this to the next level by offering easy access to high quality evidence based and legally compliant education materials. Developed with input from educators it supports effective teaching practices and fosters collaboration and innovation.”
