Ofsted has on how it will inspect the impact that artificial intelligence has on schools.
While the watchdog emphasised that it will not evaluate how schools use AI specifically, it will consider AI usage and how it could have an impact on teaching and learning.
However, the inspectorate admits it does not yet have enough evidence to define good use of AI.
Here is what leaders and teachers need to know about Ofsted’s approach to AI:
1. Ofsted will not judge AI use directly
Ofsted will not look at AI as a standalone part of its inspections, and it will not directly evaluate the use of AI or any AI tool.
However, inspectors can consider the impact that the use of AI has on the outcomes and experiences of pupils.
That includes both how providers use AI and how they respond to the use of AI by others - for example, parents and children.
If inspectors find that a provider’s use of, and response to, AI has a significant impact on pupils, they will record it in the same way as any other evidence gathered during inspection.
2. Schools won’t be expected to use AI in a certain way
Ofsted says it will not expect or require providers to use AI in a certain way or to use it at all. It says it does not yet have enough evidence to define good use of AI.
However, the watchdog calls on providers to remain aware that some students and staff may be using it; for instance, pupils using it to complete homework or staff using it to take notes.
Inspectors may ask leaders how they make sure that any use of AI supports the best interests of children.
For example, if a school uses AI to identify causes of absence, inspectors may consider how this forms a part of the approach to tackling absence
3. AI use should be in pupils’ best interests
Where relevant, inspectors will explore how leaders ensure that, when AI is being used by pupils at their setting or in their home, this is in their best interests.
Inspectors may look at the school’s policy on pupils’ use of AI in lessons or at home, to complete homework and for coursework assignments.
4. AI risks will be considered in 51
While Ofsted will not separately evaluate the risks associated with AI in its inspections, these will be addressed when there are implications for areas that are already being considered.
Many applications of AI use large amounts of data, which can include personal data. Inspectors may ask questions similar to those they ask about any other instances of the collection, storage and processing of personal data.
Ofsted warns that AI could pose new and unique 51 risks. Inspectors will consider this as part of their evaluation of a school’s 51 culture.
AI can also risk perpetuating bias and discrimination that is present in the data that it processes or has been trained on, Ofsted says.
The risk of bias and discrimination, and the measures taken by a provider to mitigate this, are already part of what inspectors consider when collecting evidence, so AI will be considered as part of this, too.
Inspectors may ask what steps the provider has taken to make sure their use of AI properly considers these risks.
5. Evidence on AI use in education ‘is limited’
The government commissioned Ofsted to investigate how “early adopter” schools and further education colleges in England are using generative AI in teaching, learning and administration.
Ofsted interviewed 21 schools, further education colleges and multi-academy trust leaders who have been using AI for at least one year.
School and further education college leaders said their main reason for introducing AI was to reduce workload for both teaching and administrative staff, with common applications including lesson planning, resource creation and drafting communications to parents.
However, Ofsted found that more needs to be done to understand effective strategies for using AI in the classroom. Some leaders have not yet thought systematically about how, or where, AI could be integrated into teaching and learning and the curriculum.
Schools said the pace of change in AI was challenging, as was the fact that there are not many AI tools tailored to school contexts and the specific needs of pupils.
Ofsted’s report also said that robust and reliable evidence of AI’s impact on educational outcomes was limited, and that most was “explorative, short-term and in limited domains”.
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