Despite the recent emergence of GenAI and large language models (LLMs), numerous educational tools utilizing these technologies have already been developed, with their numbers expected to increase rapidly. Users of such tools are also growing exponentially. AIbased educational tools, leveraging the capabilities of large language models, usher in a new era of education with personalized tutoring, easy content creation, and automatic grading. As the array of available tools expands, educators must acquire digital competencies to select and evaluate the most suitable options. However, the swift growth in GenAI capabilities raises concerns about their impact on students (e.g., misinformation, increased cheating, ethical and privacy issues) and teachers (reduced social interaction, job displacement, and loss).
The GenAI4ED project aims to address these challenges by developing a digital platform to consider popular AI-based educational software, evaluate various aspects of each tool, and offer the most suitable option for individual teachers and/or students. Notably, the platform will be employed in pilot experiments in selected schools, whereby students and educators will be asked to evaluate the available tools. Assessment will be based on a predefined set of carefully designed criteria, exploring how such tools affect the student’s experience and how they complement the teachers’ skills and improve their working conditions. Importantly, through an interdisciplinary approach involving experts in AI, psychology, and ethical concerns as well as teachers and parents, GenAI4ED will utilize the results of the pilot experiments to develop policy recommendations on how to harness the benefits of GenAI tools best to enhance the teaching experience for both students and educators, while protecting the teachers’ jobs, improving their working conditions and creating opportunities for new teaching roles.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101178648
