A former government adviser and the chief of a leading educational research charity are among 17 advisers for the Department for Education’s edtech evidence board project, Tes can reveal.
The education secretary announced last month that the Chartered College of Teaching will deliver a pilot scheme of the board, which will look at how the sector can build evidence of which artificial intelligence products work.
Tes can now reveal the full list of advisers, who will review the criteria that will be used to assess edtech products, evaluate evidence and appoint members.
“The criteria will be informed by research evidence and developed in consultation with subject matter experts, suppliers, schools and colleges,” the college said.
The board will develop criteria this spring and invite edtech suppliers to submit their work to a pilot phase of the board later this year.
The college is also developing training and guidance for teachers and leaders on how to use AI safely and confidently to spend less time on admin. These training materials are due to be published in spring.
It comes after research revealed that three-quarters of leaders feel there is insufficient expertise in AI in their schools or trusts.
The impact of government quango Oak National Academy on edtech providers was also outlined in the British Educational Suppliers Association’s (BESA) submission to the Oak market review. BESA is a member of the advisory board.
Tes understands that the Chartered College of Teaching chose not to appoint any edtech companies directly to the advisory group to avoid concerns around conflict of interest.
Edtech companies are represented through BESA, the trade association for the UK’s educational suppliers sector, and EdTech Impact, a marketplace for edtech products.
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