AI in education is happening right now, shaping how teachers plan lessons, assess students, and create resources. But with the excitement comes uncertainty. Is AI a friend or a foe? How can teachers make the most of it while avoiding the pitfalls?
If you’re an educator wondering where to start, here are five things you need to know about AI today – and how to use it to your advantage.
A massive thanks to Jen Deakin for writing this blog for us!
1. AI can lighten your workload (but won’t replace you!)
Between lesson planning, grading, and giving feedback, teachers are stretched thin. AI tools can take some of the pressure off by automating repetitive tasks, leaving you more time to focus on what really matters—teaching.
Example uses for AI in the classroom:
- Lesson ideas and planning: Platforms like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot can generate ideas for activities, discussion questions, and even full lesson plans.
- Instant resource creation: Canva’s Magic Design and Quizizz help teachers produce engaging worksheets, quizzes, and presentations in minutes.
- Fast feedback: AI-driven assessment tools like Google Classroom’s Smart Compose provide immediate, constructive feedback to students.
There is currently a big debate in the AI-Education circles on if AI can currently accurately and reliably grade work. There is some indication that it is getting there for certain types of questions. So even if it isn’t totally there yet, it wouldn’t surprise us if, in the near future, it can.
Tip: AI is a powerful assistant, but don’t rely on it blindly. Always check AI-generated content for accuracy and adjust it to fit your students’ needs.
2. Data privacy and ethics matter
AI can be incredibly useful, but it also raises concerns about student data and privacy. Are you confident that the AI tools you’re using comply with data protection laws?
Key considerations:
- Ensure that any AI tool you use follows UK general data protection regulations.
- Be upfront about how AI is being used in the classroom and encourage ethical engagement.
- AI isn’t perfect—many tools carry biases from their training data. Always double-check AI-generated responses to avoid reinforcing stereotypes.
- Teach students how AI collects and processes data so they can make informed choices about using technology.
Tip: Before using a new AI tool, ask: Does it store student data? Who has access to this information? How secure is it? If you’re unsure, consult your IT department.
3. Students need AI literacy, now more than ever
AI isn’t just a tool for teachers—it’s shaping the future job market. Today’s students need to understand AI to navigate the world of work.
How to teach AI literacy:
- Encourage critical thinking: Challenge students to question AI-generated content. Can they spot inaccuracies or bias? We think the best way to do this is to ensure students have good domain-specific knowledge. It is very hard to think critically about something you do not know anything about. Critical thinking isn’t a generic skill that can easily be transferred to any domain… so equipping students with real deep knowledge still remains our best bet for this.
- Explore ethical dilemmas: Discuss AI ethics—how should we regulate AI in job hiring? Is AI-generated art truly creative?
- Use AI creatively: Let students co-create stories, artwork, or projects with AI to see its potential as a collaborative tool.
- Introduce coding & AI basics: Platforms like Scratch and Google Teachable Machine make AI programming accessible to beginners.
Tip: Explore incorporating AI literacy into existing or standalone lessons.
4. Teachers need hands-on AI CPD
Knowing AI exists is one thing; knowing how to use it effectively is another. Many teachers feel overwhelmed by AI because they haven’t had the chance to experiment with it in a supportive environment.
How to build AI confidence:
- Short, on-demand CPD modules on AI can fit into busy schedules.
- Institutions should offer hands-on AI training where teachers can test out tools in real scenarios.
- Join AI-focused teacher networks to share best practices and success stories.
- Less confident teachers can be paired with AI-savvy colleagues to explore new tech together.
Tip: Start small. Try using AI to summarise an article, generate quiz questions, or brainstorm lesson ideas. The more you experiment, the more comfortable you’ll become. InnerDrive’s 8 principles for effective use of AI is a great place to start!
5. Assessment needs to evolve
One of the biggest concerns with AI is its impact on assessment. We cannot rely on AI detection tools. How do we ensure students aren’t just using chatbots to write their essays? The solution isn’t banning AI, as students will use it anyway, and we can’t police this.
AI-resistant assessment strategies
Any assessment should try to remove biases and the benefits of privilege. This is why hand written exams are valuable; they are externally set, anonymously answered and externally marked. We saw what happened recently when the world tried the alternative during COVID with teacher-assessed marks (spoiler: it disproportionately benefitted the privileged).
Unsupervised written work (i.e., coursework) sadly has less value now as a means of assessment then it did pre-AI. One often muted suggestion is to consider live debates, oral exams and vivas. The problem with this is that they are often very time-consuming and notoriously involve a large degree of subjectiveness (which leads to less validity and reliability).
The truth is, there are no easy answers. To help with this, we should consider requiring transparency on AI use. For example, ask students to document how they used AI in their work and reflect on its impact. It wouldn’t surprise us to see some schools and colleges requiring students to submit their AI prompt history as part of this. Students will greatly benefit from you having clear guidelines on AI use in assignments, ensuring fairness and accountability.
Tip: Rather than fighting AI, embrace it as a teaching tool. Have students fact-check AI-generated answers or debate whether AI-written work is truly ‘original.’
Final thoughts – AI is here, so let’s use it wisely!
AI isn’t replacing teachers, but it has shifted the landscape. And there is no going back. Pandora’s box has been opened. Our best is ensuring we are educated as we can be on it to best guide our students. This means knowing when and how to use it. By embracing AI thoughtfully, teachers can reduce workload, hopefully improve student learning, and prepare students for a tech-driven world.
This blog was co-written by Jen Deakin and Bradley Busch (though Jen did most of the heavy lifting on it!)
