Artificial intelligence is increasingly being adopted in Australian schools, but we still need to understand if there are adequate policies guiding its use.
A new research project led by Professor Kalervo Gulson from the University of Sydney is working to ensure that the integration of AI into education is fair, ethical and informed by those who use it every day.
Understanding how AI is used in schools
One part of research, funded by the Australian Research Council, Artificial Intelligence in Education: Democratising Policy, investigates how AI tools are being used in New South Wales public schools.
This is an innovative case of AI in education, where the NSW Department of Education have developed EduChat — an AI-powered chatbot.
“EduChat is one of the first examples of AI tools being used at scale in Australian schools,” said Professor Gulson, from the Sydney School of Education and Social Work.
“But the policies around these tools are often top-down and with a gap between those who develop policies and those who use technologies guided by those policies”
The project is exploring how teachers, school leaders and administrative staff are using EduChat in their daily work. It also seeks to understand how they interpret existing policy and what kinds of support or expertise they believe are needed to use AI tools safely and effectively.
The policies around these tools are often top-down and with a gap between those who develop policies and those who use technologies guided by those policies.
Professor Kalervo Gulson
Democratising policy through collaboration
One of the key aims of the project is to develop more participatory approaches to policymaking. Schools involved in the study will have the opportunity to take part in workshops where they can co-develop resources and tools to help guide the ethical and equitable use of AI.
“These workshops give educators the chance to contribute directly to how policy on AI is shaped,” Professor Gulson said.
“It’s about shifting from policy that is done to schools, to policy that is done with them.”
By combining social science and data science approaches, the research is identifying both the opportunities and challenges that AI presents in education, from supporting decision-making to raising concerns about equity and workload.
A cross-disciplinary, national collaboration
The project brings together researchers from education, law, and technology, including Associate Professor Greg Thompson (QUT), Dr Jóse-Miguel Bello y Villarino (Sydney Law School), Professor Kirsty Kitto and Associate Professor Simon Knight (UTS), Professor Sam Sellar (University of South Australia), and Professor Marcia McKenzie (University of Melbourne).
Together, the team is building tools to monitor education policy and developing collaborative methods for policymaking that can be used in Australia and internationally.
An example is the Education and AI policy commons that includes a searchable database and in-depth analysis of policies related to AI and education, with insight into key themes and trends emerging globally.
“As AI continues to evolve, it’s essential that our education systems are prepared — not just technologically, but socially and ethically,” Professor Gulson said.
“This project is about making sure the people who are most affected by these changes have access to policy knowledge and are part of policy conversations.”
Header image credit: Kathryn Conrad
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