Project overview
Data and digital technologies have been integral to UK education for many years. Information on students’ learning and achievement is used to monitor progress and inform school performance rankings and policymaking. The use of digital technologies in schools, especially for teaching and learning, increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in education are diverse.
‘Narrow’ AI—task-specific systems trained with curated datasets—is used for administrative tasks such as analytics, safeguarding, classroom management, SEND education, and some personalised learning. Teachers’ use of general-purpose AI or generative AI (like ChatGPT, Microsoft Co-Pilot, or Google Gemini) for lesson planning and supporting marking and assessment is mostly informal, despite the hype and investment.
The impact of these technologies on outcomes, particularly their accuracy, is still under scrutiny. The development of AI technologies for education is in its early stages, with few products available, and these have yet to be evaluated for accuracy, efficacy, and efficiency in the classroom. While AI technologies have the potential to assist teachers with planning, teaching, administration, and time management, their benefits for students are not yet clearly demonstrated.
Moreover, the risks and potential harms from their use are not fully understood. Previous issues, such as the failure of the A-level grading algorithm in 2020 and data protection risks with platforms like Google Classroom and ClassDojo, highlight the need for safeguards to ensure benefits without negative impacts on students and staff.
As data-driven and AI technologies evolve and their use in education increases, more research is needed to assess their impact on teaching practices, administration, and student development and attainment.
Project overview
The Ada Lovelace Institute and the Nuffield Foundation are researching the role of AI and data-driven technologies in education.
In 2023, we responded to the Department for Education’s call for evidence on generative AI in education.
A landscape review of AI in education in UK state-funded primary and secondary schools will be published in early 2025. A landscape review of AI in education in UK state-funded primary and secondary schools will be published in early 2025. This will launch the next phase of this work, aiming to evidence the opportunities, benefits, and risks of AI in education, including teaching and learning, marking and assessment, and careers guidance.
We will also explore the evaluation of AI technologies used in schools to ensure they are pedagogically and technically fit for purpose and that their outcomes are beneficial and demonstrable.
