Reimagining education: How AI is changing the way we teach, learn, and collaborate in schools

Technology has long been used by educators to support teaching and operations, facilitating staff with a wide range of platforms and resources. A particular tool that has sparked both controversy and curiosity is the inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI).

A study by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, found that most teachers are reluctant to use AI for pupil learning with 84% of educators not changing the way they assess their students’ work.

This comes after Ofsted recently launched an independent review on the use of AI in schools and how to develop the understanding of policymakers and education providers’ on its potential uses.

“Due to the prolific growth of digital tools over the last decade, educational institutions are managing a complex set of applications,” said Brian Sibley, Virtual CTO at Espria. “Add these to a growing list of communications channels, it’s no surprise that having a consistent and personalised strategy is a challenge. The impact AI can have on education is multifaceted and will depend on the approach and desired outcomes.

“While some view it sceptically, suggesting that AI can hinder learning, the ability of AI tools to enhance productivity proves to be a far bigger benefit to educators. From creating customised learning experiences to automating administrative tasks, AI tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot can enhance experiences for both academic and operational staff as well as students.

“Academic teams often juggle heavy workloads, balancing administrative tasks between grading assignments, managing schedules, and communicating with students and parents. AI can simplify these tasks by managing student records and timetabling across the institute for easier, real-time collaboration between different teams. By automating routine tasks, educators are free to dedicate their valuable time on student engagement and support.

Sibley continued, “beyond automation, cross-team communication is incredibly important in all educational environments to reduce delays in content distribution or IT updates and ensure continuous operations. AI tools with scheduling features, such as Copilot, can optimise schedules, prescribe schedule recommendations to avoid any disruptions, and provide regular project status updates to relevant parties, keeping everyone informed of progress and changes.

“Its potential to support diverse learning needs and styles cannot be understated either. It can be difficult to cater to the diverse needs of individual learners; however, AI can analyse each student’s progress, learning style, and areas of difficulty to offer customised resources and recommendations tailored to each individual’s needs.

Sophos’ The State of Ransomware in Education 2024 highlighted that cyberattack rates in the UK education sector remained higher than global cross-sector averages (66% versus 59%). 95% of educational organisations hit by ransomware also said that the cybercriminals attempted to compromise their backups, highlighting the need for robust data privacy measures and employing the right AI product for enhanced security and user data protection.

“With collaboration tools, there is always a perceived compromise between productivity and security. As useful as AI-powered chatbots can be, there’s a heightened risk of sensitive data being accessed and shared unintentionally.

“One of the most significant advantages of Microsoft Copilot is its ability to provide enterprise data protection, which means student data isn’t at risk. This differs from other AI tools which may not be protecting your data as they operate outside your IT infrastructure. Copilot is not only capable of handling significant amounts of data but with its strict access controls and management measures in place, schools can maintain optimal data security and limit exposure.”

Despite the clear benefits of AI, Sibley believes these technologies must serve as a tool to enhance rather than detract from the human element of education.

“While AI excels in delivering feedback and data-driven insights, it lacks the nuanced understanding that human educators bring to the classroom, such as critical thinking and ethical reasoning. AI can enhance learning, supplementing many aspects of teaching but true success lies in establishing AI to support – not replace – teachers.

“For simple tasks such as enquiry via an online teaching platform or website; an integrated AI system has the relevant data on hand to quickly pull information and provide automated answers but must be able to redirect to appropriate teams, teaching or administrative staff, to find the best resolution. This can create a powerful synergy between the social emotional learning skills of teachers and the efficiencies of AI that enhances the overall educational experience for students and academic staff.”

Sibley concluded, “as the integration of AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot becomes more widespread, AI’s ability to revolutionise and transform educational institutes is undeniable.
“By streamlining administrative tasks, enabling personalised learning experiences, and enhancing collaboration across the organisation, AI has the potential to ease workloads and reshape how academic teams communicate with each other. Educational institutes should embrace AI for a smarter, more efficient educational environment.”