AI in education: what you need to know

The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) can be traced back centuries. But the actual term “artificial intelligence” is thought to have originated at the Dartmouth Workshop in 1956 – a summer research project that brought together leading researchers to explore the possibility of human intelligence within machines.

More recently, AI has been a buzzword for a little while, but over recent years has become something that is playing a role in our daily private and professional lives.

Now, the UK government has been looking at how AI can be used to improve the education sector and has released some guidance on AI and education. Here's a breakdown of what it actually means for settings, teachers, and learners.

Can teachers use AI in the classroom?

Yes, they absolutely can. AI can be a helpful assistant for tasks like planning lessons, making teaching materials, marking student work, providing feedback, and handling admin.

But it’s not a free pass. Teachers still need to apply their professional judgement to anything AI generates. They’re responsible for making sure it’s accurate, appropriate, and aligns with school standards.

Speaking of which, each setting or Trust can create its own rules for how AI is used, as long as those rules stick to the law – especially when it comes to things like data protection, safeguarding, and intellectual property.

How can AI help teachers?

There are many benefits of AI in education.

It can be a game changer for time management. From sketching out curriculum ideas to generating classroom resources, it can help teachers reclaim hours previously lost to repetitive admin.

The government is also funding the development of brand-new AI tools for the education sector, including the ability to read students’ handwritten work, give feedback, or spot errors in a range of different subjects.

Less time spent on marking and paperwork means more time for face-to-face teaching – and that’s where real learning happens.

With AI supporting marking and assessment, there is the potential for teachers to gain more insight into what each student needs and provide more personalised teaching – which ultimately benefits students, too.

Is AI going to replace teachers?

AI isn’t here to take over from teachers, it’s here to help. Teachers bring a level of care, expertise, and human connection that no machine can replicate.

The government’s goal is to use AI to take the pressure off teachers where it makes sense: repetitive, time-consuming tasks that don’t require human judgement.

Doing that will give teachers more time to focus on inspiring, supporting, and mentoring their students.

In the long run, smart use of AI for education could also make teaching a more attractive career by easing workload pressures and improving job satisfaction, as has been found by Mary McCarthy, a teacher in Texas, who told The Independent:

“AI has transformed how I teach. It’s also transformed my weekends and given me a better work-life balance.”

Can students use AI too?

This will depend on each setting or Trust, and the rules they choose to adapt for the use of AI. If they do allow students to use it, it needs to be done safely – with strong filters, close supervision, and clear age-appropriate rules. Many AI tools are designed for users aged 18 or over, so this issue needs to be approached with caution. Issues to consider include:

• How does AI fit into the setting or Trust’s broader learning strategy?

• Can students use AI to help with homework, and how will it be detected if it is prohibited?

• Should the use of AI be restricted to certain subjects or age groups?

They’ll also need to think about how AI fits into their broader learning strategy. For example, should homework policies be updated if students are using AI at home?

Will teachers be trained on the use of AI?

The government recently released support tools alongside their updated guidance for the use of AI in education.

At flick learning, we’re currently working on a brand new e-learning course, AI in Education. It's specifically designed to help schools, Trusts, and all other education settings train their staff on all of the latest guidance in this area in our usual, award-winning way: a fantastic learning experience that is easy on the eye, memorable, and to-the-point.

This new course will be added to our ever-growing library of over 140 e-learning courses, which you can have annual unlimited access to for as little as the price of breakfast per learner, or license to host on your own platform.

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