Trialling EP’s New AI Features at Christ Church Grammar School
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Introduction
Christ Church Grammar School, a forward-thinking pre-kindergarten to Year 12 school for boys in Perth, Western Australia is known for embracing technological advancements. They recently embarked on a pioneering project to trial Education Perfect’s (EP) new AI feedback tool. These features, powered by cutting-edge new technology, aim to enhance personalised learning experiences and provide data-driven insights to educators.
Objective of the Trial
The primary objective of the trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of the new AI features in improving student engagement, learning outcomes, and teacher efficiency. Led by Lia de Sousa, Head of Learning Resources, the trial lasted five weeks during June and July of 2024. Staff were asked to evaluate the new feature that provides students with immediate information on what they have done well, what they need to work on, and offers personalised next steps.
Implementation Process
Preparation and Training
Before the trial commenced, Lia ensured that teachers were adequately prepared. She familiarised some staff and students with the new Trialling EP’s new AI Features at Christ Church Grammar School Feedback from teachers on pioneering new AI tools AI features and they discussed best practices for integration into their daily teaching routines. Lia recalls, “We were all immediately impressed by the real-time feedback and the way it was presented to the students. The potential impact for students working on extended writing tasks was superexciting. We straight away felt that it would support our commitment to giving timely feedback.”
Integration into the Curriculum
Already proficient users of EP, the AI feature was integrated into the existing curriculum across English Years 8 and 11, Humanities Year 7 to 10, and Science Year 7 and 8. Teachers were encouraged to use the platform for assignments and to take advantage of the AI Feedback tool’s ability to analyse student response and provide tailored recommendations
Impact and Outcomes of EP’s AI Feedback tool
Scaffolded learning
The teachers and students appreciated the structured format of the real-time feedback, which references both the student’s response and the model answer to make the feedback more actionable.
“We found that the AI tool provided scaffolding for students. For example, our Year 8 students were working on introductions to persuasive essays. The AI tool identified inappropriate language and referred the students who needed help to the pertinent sections of our model texts. It enabled students to understand their mistakes, learn from them immediately, and supported them to complete the task.”
The teachers and students also liked that the learning loop gave students three tries and then provided recommendations on practice activities, “You don’t want students to become disheartened when they can’t get something right which often happens with online tools. The AI feedback tool’s suggestions avoided demotivating them.”
Increased student engagement
Alongside the annotations and comments, the AI tool gives students star ratings out of five and provides guidance on what a student can do to improve their rating. We call this the ‘learning loop’ – an iterative process that allows students to receive feedback, apply it to improve their work, and then receive further feedback on their improvements. The Humanities Department were pleasantly surprised to see the motivating impact this had on extension students,
“The students would go back again and again to improve their answers, absolutely determined to achieve five stars. They were asking each other ‘what did you get’ and ‘how did you get that?’ It was very powerful.”
Teacher effectiveness increased
Most teachers noted that the AI tool allowed them to spend more time supporting students individually, “In English for example, we still ask students to complete a handwritten task. Teachers were able to provide one-on-one assistance with the handwriting activity, while the AI tool handled other aspects of the writing assignment. That is where AI will come into its own, freeing teachers up to support students who need extra help.”
Future Prospects
When it comes to the future there is much to be excited about. Technology is going to be a powerful enabler of progress when put into the hands of educators. That’s why EP are consulting carefully with teachers and students to help shape the effective and engaging tools that teachers will use in the months, years and decades to come.
“I was truly impressed by EP’s willingness to engage with us directly. Their interest down to the nitty gritty is rare in educational online tools. To see the changes happening as a result of our feedback was hugely reassuring, for example they straight away understood our comments around less is more when providing feedback for students.”
The successful integration of AI into Christ Church Grammar School sets an exciting precedent for the future of education. By leveraging AI, schools can offer more personalised and effective learning experiences, ultimately preparing students for the demands of the modern world. Lia is excited,
“AI is a tipping point for education. Once it works flawlessly and teachers and students can be entirely confident that we are receiving pertinent feedback within seconds, teaching and learning is going to change irrevocably. I think of our dedicated Year 11 and 12 students who stay up until the early hours writing assignments and want us to look over them as soon as we can. By the time we get them back to them a week later, the horse has bolted. With AI they will get immediate feedback and recommendations on where to go next, and we will be able to devote our energies to supporting them where they require assistance. It is going to be a game changer.”
Conclusion
The trial of EP’s AI Powered Feedback Tool at Christ Church Grammar School demonstrates the potential of artificial intelligence to shape the future of education. With enhanced student engagement, a demonstrated deeper understanding of content, and greater teacher efficiency, the trial underscores the value of EP embracing innovative technologies and harnessing the power of AI for the benefit of the students and educators.
