Technology & Innovation - Issue 11

How can AI help teachers today? Professor Geoff Baker and Craig Lomas explain how artificial intelligence can be used to alleviate teachers’ workload and support them in their professional development F orget robot teachers, adaptive intelligent tutors and smart essay marking software. These aren’t ‘the future’ of artificial intelligence in education, but merely a step along the way. ” –Rose Luckin, UCL professor and co-founder of the Institute for Ethical AI in Education You don’t have to search far before stumbling across a blog or article offering tips and advice for overworked teachers lacking even the time to finish the now cold beverages they thought would get them through the morning. The emergence of artificial intelligence in recent years, however, has introduced a new element to these discussions; one that might finally make good on that well-worn expression, ‘ Work smarter, not harder ’, and finally offer a way out of the time dilemma. Changing the discussion Research indicates that many professional development programmes are actually ineffective in supporting changes in teachers’ practices and student learning. Multiple reviews conducted by the DfE (most recently in 2023 – see bit.ly/ts133-AI1) have found that one of the biggest barriers to professional progression cited by teachers continues to be their workload, with teachers simply lacking the time needed to invest and properly engage in professional development. It might not be the only such barrier, but it remains the key reason as to why many teachers fail to invest in their practice in any meaningful way. Yet AI may be about to change the direction of this discussion for good. The hype around AI, and its transformative potential within education is still hotly debated, but it’s now become clear that existing AI technology canmake a dramatic difference to teachers’ working lives. Take ChatGPT – a large language model that can perform an inordinate number of tasks in a matter of minutes, when given appropriate prompts. The use of ChatGPT for educational purposes, and the ethical considerations that entails, is perhaps a topic for another discussion – but one thing we can say for certain is that it can complete all manner of tasks that might otherwise take away teachers’ precious time – from the creation of schemes of work and teaching resources, to essential data analysis, marking and feedback. The potential applications of this software are almost endless. With suitable training on how to interact with it, and provide adequate detail in the prompts, ChatGPT can free up teacher time to be spent in ways that have far more impact. So, if AI can give the gift of time, what else can it do? Direct CPD AI software can also be used to supplement and enhance professional development programmes in a more direct way. Besides workload, other professional development restrictions can include the often generic nature of the content used within CPD sessions, as well the traditional ‘training model’ approach to whole school delivery identified in 2005 by Aileen Kennedy of the University of Glasgow’s School of Education (see bit. ly/ts133-AI2). This typically sees all staff congregate in their school’s main hall or theatre, before proceeding to be talked at for the next 60 minutes by an outside ‘expert’. While some schools have evolved their practice in this regard, other haven’t, or perhaps don’t even view such approaches as problematic. Through AI software, again utilising ChatGPT, the first of these issues can be addressed. Generic content in professional development sessions, whilst unavoidable in some cases, is usually equivalent to delivering the same content in the same manner to all the students you teach, with little to no “ByutilisingChatGPT,we can create bespoke learning pathways in real time” 60 teachwire.net