The UK government has announced the launch of a new programme to encourage the development of new generative AI tools to help teachers plan lessons or correct homework.
This includes setting up a “data repository” for education data, including the national curriculum, teacher guidelines, lesson plans and more. The £3 million ($3.96 million) data repository will help technology companies develop AI tools that teachers can trust as they make this data machine-readable.
In addition to the data repository, the announcement includes the creation of a £1 million ($1.32 million) catalyst fund to get companies to quickly use this data to develop tools that can help teachers. The money will be awarded to those who submit the best ideas on how to put the data into practice to reduce teachers’ workloads. Each winner will develop an AI tool specifically to help teachers with feedback and grading by March 2025. Applications open from September 9. The Department for Education has also committed to publishing a safety framework for AI in education later this year.
Science Minister Peter Kyle says: “This is the first of many projects that will transform the way we look at and use public sector data. We will take the information we have and use it in a safe and responsible way to shorten waiting lists, reduce backlogs and improve outcomes for citizens across the country.”
Tests published today by the Department of Education show that the accuracy of generative AI models can be increased to 92 percent using such data. By contrast, when providing 67 percent for a large language model without targeted data, the accuracy is 92 percent.
Chris Goodall, teacher and head of digital education at the Bourne Education Trust, says:
For me and my colleagues at the Bourne Education Trust, AI is an enormously powerful tool. It allows us to create engaging, personalised learning experiences for our students while significantly reducing the time it takes to create them. I have personally used AI to quickly create supported 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 individual feedback and support.
The Content Store takes this to the next level by providing easy access to high-quality, evidence-based and compliant teaching materials. It was developed with input from educators and supports effective teaching practices, collaboration and innovation.
The department also released new research on student and parent attitudes toward the use of AI in education, which found that parents want teachers to use generative AI so they have more time to help children in the classroom with face-to-face instruction.
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