There is an urgent need to properly implement AI into education

We need an all-island approach to integrate artificial intelligence and digital learning models into our education system, writes Jennifer Horgan

In 2021, Ireland released its National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nearing the second half of 2024, how are we doing? And more specifically, how are we doing in the field of AI, technology, and education? Picture: iStock

In 2021, Ireland released its National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The strategy set out "how Ireland can be an international leader in using AI to benefit our economy and society, through a people-centred, ethical approach to its development, adoption, and use".

Nearing the second half of 2024, how are we doing? And more specifically, how are we doing in the field of AI, technology, and education?

The department

The topic of AI and technology in education has been under-discussed for some time. The Department of Education’s baseline report, preceding the Digital Learning Framework 2020, was clear in its recommendations and concerns. 

It sought more training, better infrastructure, and more technical, on-the-ground supports for schools. The ‘Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027’, released in 2022, reiterated these objectives, with Norma Foley, the education minister, providing the payment of €50m in grant funding for digital technology infrastructure for all recognised primary and post-primary schools.

Again, in April 2024, Minister Foley announced €79m in funding to support digital learning in schools and minor building works; €50m in grant funding for information and communications technology (ICT) was also issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. 

Ms Foley said at the time: “It is vital that our school system uses digital technology effectively, so that our students learn the skills they need for the modern world. This strategy I am publishing today will help our school communities to further embed digital technology across teaching and learning and will provide ongoing investment to build technology in schools.”

In April, Ms Foley announced that her department is working on establishing comprehensive guidelines for teachers and educators on the use of AI in the Irish education system.

The department is actively monitoring developments in AI and the impact it may have in education and assessment settings, including through discussions at EU level and with other member states regarding their experience and expertise. But it is yet to reach any conclusions.

On the ground

One thing is certain from speaking to educators: in the absence of specific guidelines, there is considerable disparity emerging among schools in their use of technology, their digital pedagogy, and their incorporation of AI. It is an exciting, innovative, unpredictable, unregulated, and predominantly male-led space.

Ben Cochain is a digital learning coordinator working in a post-primary school in Cork. Having read the updated digital learning strategy 2027, he is concerned that there is, in fact, no specific national strategy on AI or technology.

“It is down to the skills and competencies of individual members in schools. Schools have no guaranteed technical support. Money is not enough,” Mr Cochain said. 

I’m worried that, with AI, it is the same thing. Without a proper strategy, there is going to be huge inequality between schools and therefore between students.

“The recommendations in the initial baseline report, published in 2019, still haven’t happened. The idea of embedding technology in teaching and learning can mean a thousand different things. We need national continuous professional development (CPD), that is not optional. 

"Some teachers are not interested in technology, but it is the future. Plenty of teachers won’t sign up. That was flagged five years ago and, unless I missed something, I don’t think it has changed.”

This has profound consequences for students too, he said: “A lot will depend on how willing schools are to embrace change. We teach Digital Literacy as a short course in our school. We designed the course ourselves as it combines both computational thinking and digital media literacy. There is nothing like this available as a course in Ireland,” Mr Cochain said. 

“There are two short courses: one is coding, and the other is digital media literacy, but they only focus on their respective specific areas. They are usually run as options in schools, and hence not followed by all students. 

"We decided as a school that our course would be mandatory because knowing computational thinking, knowing the basics, alongside digital media literacy, is a key component of education today. We are outliers in this."

Wriggle, one of Ireland’s main providers of technology in education, reports wide variations across schools. They estimate that 25% of post-primary schools have a 1-1 system, whereby a student brings their own device to school. Other schools will opt for class sets, while there are still some schools where technology use is limited, and where classrooms still lack basic projectors and screens to facilitate even teacher-led technology.

Founded in 2012, an expert team leads Wriggle to cater to technology needs, providing devices and training for schools, alongside ongoing support. They are the only Irish technology provider to work across Google, Microsoft, and Apple.

Chief learning officer Sean Glynn worked as a teacher for 15 years before joining the Wriggle team. He referred to the educational sector in Ireland as a ‘varying landscape’ when it comes to technology.

“We put the pedagogy first. We need critical learners using technology because it is a tool,” Mr Glynn said. “To get there, you need a vigorous training programme. Now Oide (the newly formed teacher training body) does a good job, but honestly it is just a drop in the ocean. They need about 10 times the number of digital advisors than what they currently employ.”

Mr Glynn feels that this may be the time for more collaboration between the private sector and public sector in this area.

“Historically, it hasn’t been on the cards. But Oide is a new organisation and so there may be a new interest in collaboration and cooperation. There may be an openness to more of that because it’s vitally important that schools aren’t working in isolation or without adequate supports. Multidisciplinary teams working together across the country simply make more sense.”

This work must also happen in the classroom because students, as well as teachers, need guidance now, he said.

It is true that many teenagers are tech savvy, but they are good at consuming content. They have deficits around important digital skills. It is great to see this recognised in the primary curriculum because we need to start embedding these skills earlier and earlier.

Wriggle’s chief revenue officer, Simon Close, warns against the kind of panic we saw during covid.

“For obvious and understandable reasons schools were looking to get their hands on any piece of technology they could,” Mr Close said. 

“Not all technology was suitable for use. Our advice to schools is always to take their time and to think carefully about the needs of their learners. It is a mistake to jump into buying class sets of devices if the infrastructure is not there to support it for instance. Schools need clear and consistent guidance. That consultative process, which we offer, is key.”

Mr Close said consistency is lacking.

 “In Ireland, every school is an island. It doesn’t work like it does elsewhere, like in America say, where you might have a whole district using a particular approach. In other districts, you would have schools with onsite technology supports. Ireland doesn’t have that, so we work to support and advise schools, taking the pain out of it. We get calls from schools all the time who are having difficulty with technology they have bought. I would recommend that schools refer to Oide and make sure they are making the right decision.”

Mr Glynn added: “In the last few months we have a substantial number of schools reaching out, looking to incorporate technology at transition year or for classroom-based assessments. The pressure is coming from schools now. It is certainly the direction in which we’re all going.”

Fresh ideas: Using technology to change the tone 

Other entrepreneurs are providing what the department is not, not just in terms of underlying technology, but also in relation to innovative digital content.

Colm Roche is an Irish entrepreneur and founder of Rewrite, an online educational programme that reframes how we think about sustainability and climate change. His business roots are in London, where he lived for more than 20 years, but he’s recently returned to his native Cork.

He has experienced firsthand the variety that is characteristic of technology in Irish classrooms. There are approximately 10,000 Irish students currently taking the Rewrite course.

Half the schools have amazing resources. Half the schools have devices, and some schools simply don’t have the infrastructure to run it. We have had to adapt the course for students as they need to access it on their phones.

Rewrite was initially offered to transition year students, but schools are now using it across year groups. Indeed, companies have also asked for adult versions of the course, attracted by its refreshing tone.

“The course is a climate education course that tells kids about what is happening around climate change but identifies the opportunities rather than threats,” Mr Roche said.

“What we identified early on was the weight of climate anxiety in teenage kids. They are told that the world is burning and so they are concluding that there is no future for them. We want them to know that there are huge investments being made in sustainability. Governments and business alike are all taking action to do something on this. It is happening.

“If you are a 16-year-old and you’re thinking about what to do with your life, it’s important that they realise how they can contribute to this global challenge.”

Initial education is important for the Rewrite founder.

“They must understand what is happening. There are so many people out there who don’t understand what is happening or what carbon is. So young people need to know the basics so they can focus their attention on a specific problem.

Colm Roche has experienced firsthand the variety that is characteristic of technology in Irish classrooms.

The course is ‘entertaining’ according to Mr Roche, comprising short videos and interactive quizzes. The tone of the content is different to what students are usually seeing.

“We worry that the information students receive isn’t in any way inspirational, so we want to change that. The tone is in line with what we think a 16-year-old might like.”

It’s also based on sound pedagogical advice. Rewrite employed experienced educators in the design of their product.

“We didn’t know how to teach, so this comes from people who do,” Mr Roche said. “Most importantly we did not launch this business to make money. We launched it because we found that the way this topic is being taught may not motivate people to act. Young people are taught the same thing over and over; they are saturated by content that has no meaning because they can’t connect with it.”

Mr Roche would be hugely interested in working with governments to roll this course out to students in Ireland and abroad.

“If governments said we would like to take this and use it in every school in the country that would be success for us. Our ambition is simply for more people to do the course. We have had companies sponsoring schools in their area. We have found that paying a fee towards it can increase student appreciation and engagement. However, if it came from the government that would be a different thing.”

'We are in limbo'

Patrick Hickey, known as the @aiteachingguru on social media, has provided CPD to thousands of teachers who are interested in knowing what AI is, and are looking to use it as a classroom assistant, a helping hand in planning lessons, and differentiating content.

“I think it’s fair to say that we are in limbo. People are figuring it out for themselves. AI is the massive elephant in the room, and we need to acknowledge it.”

Mr Hickey highlighted the swift adoption of AI tools among students, such as when Snapchat introduced it’s ‘My AI’ last summer. He notes how instantly accessible these tools became for students, as both study aids and of course as a quick homework solution.

“It’s important that we don’t do with AI what we did with social media. We gave young people free reign, with adults left playing catch up,” he said.

Mr Hickey is cognisant of the negativity around AI and absolutely shares people’s concerns. “We feel threatened, and so people are highlighting the negatives. There are concerns, such as AI’s capacity to ‘hallucinate’ or generate misleading content that could deceive even experienced learners and experts. This challenge necessitates a vigilant approach from both educators and students.”

He is also concerned with how AI is used as a block to senior cycle reform.

Last year, Minister Foley shelved plans to introduce teacher-based assessment as part of a revised senior cycle programme, highlighting the advent of AI technology for the change of plan. Up until this point she had promised that 40% of grades would come from teacher-based assessment.

Commentators depicted her reversal as a concession to teacher unions. Whilst many subjects have a project element, core subjects like English and maths — matriculation subjects — are still 100% examination.

“There is this fear of plagiarism,” argued Mr Hickey. “The idea that kids will never do the work. People don’t realise that there is great skill in navigating AI correctly. You ask AI to draft an essay and it won’t be particularly good. I often discuss with my students how AI typically requires several attempts to generate output, which not only must be rigorously verified by the creator but can also vary significantly in quality.”

Mr Hickey believes we need to reimagine assessment to reflect our new reality.

Patrick Hickey at Boherbue Comprehensive School in Mallow, Co Cork, where uses ChatGPT and other forms of technology in the classroom. Picture: Dan Linehan

“The time has come for junior cycle key skills to carry through to senior cycle. Once a student enters senior cycle, it is all about summative exams. The important thing now is critical thinking. Assessments and marking schemes need to be adjusted. Our assessment methods, too focused on traditional exams, should expand to recognise project-based learning, which embodies critical and innovative uses of AI.”

Currently, in Leaving Cert history, which is Patrick’s main subject, a student only gets 10 marks out of 500 for their review of process.

“We need to increase those marks hugely so that a student can tell us about their process, and yes, about how they effectively used AI, if that is the case,” he said.

As for teachers, MrHickey views AI as having immense potential to be the best research assistant we could ever imagine, with the learner staying in control, developing skills all the time.

“It is concerning that this training is not already happening because we are talking about transformational technology here. It’s on every smartphone and in every student’s pocket. We are doing teachers and students a tremendous disservice in not training them in the ethical and effective use of AI,” Mr Hickey said. “We must sit teachers down and show them what it is good at and bad at, all the while emphasising the importance of critical thinking.”

He feels that all stakeholders in education, including teachers, need clear guidance and direction to navigate this evolving landscape effectively.

“There must be more leadership from the State Examination Commission (SEC). In the project booklet for history, there are two mentions of AI. The first one states you can but cite it but doesn’t show you how to cite it. The second one says there will be consequences if you don’t use it appropriately.

“I don’t know what that means. No teacher or student knows what are the limits to which they can use AI. For example, could they use it to come up with ideas or proofread their work?”

Mr Hickey concludes our conversation by saying: “AI is lapping at our shore; but the tsunami is coming. Teachers and students need to prepare to ride this wave, harnessing all the benefits and opportunities it presents.”

AI and assessment and an international perspective

Like Mr Hickey, Terry Nealon sees this focus on the negatives of AI as short-sighted.

Irish-born, Mr Nealon has called Washington DC home for the last eight years. Having begun his work in education in Ireland, he now boasts vast experience and knowledge of the EdTech sector. In short, he understands how technology can transform learning.

Mr Nealon worked as a chief executive officer at Learning Without Tears and CEO/board chair and co-founder at Fishtree. He has travelled widely, observing and assessing innovations in the sector.

“I worked with Irish e-learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt up to 2012 and, while responsible for all international markets of 120 countries, I visited over 50 of those and had lots of opportunities to observe and evaluate all kinds of software and hardware with various education use cases. 

"I witnessed robots in kindergartens as far back as 2010. One of the main things you learn is that we must ensure efficacy and focus on implementation and support. We can’t employ technology if it doesn’t work or as tech innovators we will add to the problem. These solutions need to deliver in mission-critical settings.”

Mr Nealon contends that educators must trust the technology first, and that requires a great deal of support and training. He references the extensive research that points to the primary importance of the teacher at the top of the classroom or, more often in a modern context, walking around the room.

There is no better driver of learning outcomes than the educator. If they don’t buy into the technology, it is not going to work. These people are overworked and underpaid, in many cases undervalued.

"In America, the average tenure of a teacher is five years; for district leaders, it’s less than three years. The US probably has the most stressed teaching community in the history of their education system. The retention and recruitment crisis are not particular to Ireland. I would love to see leadership on technology innovation coming from the top down at a country, state and school level.”

Like Patrick Hickey, he sees exciting potential for AI to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of teachers’ work: “We need to see AI as a way of augmenting what it is that the teacher does. AI can take away the heavy lift for teachers. It can give them back time to address the individual needs of learners — our holy grail.”

His attitude towards exams is also similar: “I am not a fan of high-stakes exams. It is crazy that these exams are seen as the be all and end all after two whole years of effort. Formative assessments are much better ongoing indicators. Of course, there is going to be push-back from a system that is inhibited by its own mindset, but a balance of the two is more equitable.”

Mr Nealon believes AI can offer us more than assistance in project work. He believes that properly and consistently used, it can provide an innovative way to conduct formative assessments in real time, so long as they remain under the direct control of the educator. AI could provide full transparency — students could be assessed against specific learning outcomes and given tailored feedback all in real time. 

Having begun his work in education in Ireland, Terry Nealon now boasts vast experience and knowledge of the EdTech sector.

All stakeholders, such as teachers, teacher assistants, parents, occupational therapists, and administrators can be supported in a way not previous possible.

It is this individualised learning that Mr Nealon is most excited about.

“This is a generational opportunity. It is transformative. We know that there are innumerable factors playing into how children learn. AI can incorporate much of this. We need a degree of handholding first, through on-site support and training, but first we need the desire and determination to drive change. We have a tremendous opportunity to offer schools access to world-class education and world-class training here.”

He does not necessarily envisage all students having devices in future classrooms.

“I think it will be about having increased collaboration, facilitated by technology. Just imagine, we might have a classroom with students speaking a dozen different languages, all learning and enjoying the same story at their reading level, personalised formative assessments and recommendations, and engaging with their parents in their native tongue. The possibilities are endless if AI is used well.”

Following the North?

On May 22, Ms Foley and Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Hildegarde Naughton TD welcomed the prospect of enhancing North/South engagement on education.

Ms Foley said: “Today we agreed to extend the programme of North/South cooperation to important new areas of work, including Digital and Artificial Intelligence and Early Years Education, which are essential to educational outcomes for children and young people.”

The mention of AI is particularly interesting given that the Education Authority of Northern Ireland recently chose to roll out one technology across all schools. Nurture is an assessment and feedback technology provider, and it will work across 1,100 schools, benefitting over 20,000 teachers and 345,000 students.

The procurement process, completed in December 2023, identified Nurture as a key component in transforming how teachers and students work together in the classroom — both in-person and digitally. With research collaborations with institutions like Trinity College Dublin and Stanford University, and integration with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Nurture helps to close the feedback loop between teachers and students with a pedagogy-led approach. It leverages the latest in generative AI functionality to save substantial time for teachers so they can personalise their interaction with their students.

Nurture CEO David Neville said they are “are excited to support the Education Authority in Northern Ireland with Nurture”.

This agreement is a significant step toward transforming the experience for teachers and students in Northern Ireland — putting research and pedagogy at the core of how technology and AI can enhance teaching and learning. With the rapid developments in generative AI, we are focusing on improving the lives of teachers — not to replace them, but to give them the time to do the work that only teachers can do through the human connection they build with their students.” 

Is the Republic of Ireland planning to follow by adopting a single cohesive approach? Is this suggested in Norma Foley’s recent announcement?

Nurture co-founder Padraic Hogan said it is a significant move by the government in the North. 

“This is educational technology driven at state level; it is a consolidated approach, across schools. They will all embed and benefit from the same infrastructure and technology. This consistency in process and approach is far more meaningful than when every school uses a different method.”

The rollout starts in April, 2025. Nurture has not been successful in the approaches they have made to the government here, up until now at least, but the work they do with schools in the Republic continues to play a huge role.

Norma Foley: Education minister welcomed the prospect of enhancing North/South engagement on education. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

“There is no way we would be where we are now but for progressive schools in the Republic. They took a risk at the start. But they see now how Nurture has a huge ability to reduce teacher workload, providing a very structured approach to feedback.”

Nurture is an offshoot of the pair’s original business, jumpAgrade, which they started in 2017 with an idea of an online tutoring service to narrow the gap between students with and without socio-economic advantages.

“People without the means to pay for grinds were looking for academic support in the run-up to exams. We got donations from multinationals to help. There is such a stark difference between results in Deis and non-Deis schools. A lot of students in non-Deis settings pay for extra support. We know the impact one teacher or mentor can have on a child. “e wanted to provide that to children who might not ordinarily access it.”

The technology, Nurture, is what sits between jumpAgrade students and their teachers. It is not only about the technology, but also about the relationship and rapport built between the teacher and the student. The entrepreneurs, based in Limerick, hope to get charity status and they also hope to work across all Deis post-primaries nationally.

They need mainstream funding, they say. “We are really seeing results. In 2022/23, we had 400 students working one-to-one with a teacher. We got some strong data with 95% of students going on to further and higher education; 96% of students reported improvement in their confidence levels and average grades went up by approximately 21%,” said Mr Hogan.

He added that they are interested in having more engagement with Ms Foley’s department.

“We need to address what’s happening here in the Republic of Ireland. It would be great to become a national service, working hand-in-hand with educational authorities. There are massive opportunities in how Nurture can be applied in the classroom to support teachers, giving teachers time back, so they can work more closely one-to-one with students. Teachers are spending substantial amounts of time on plans, corrections, and deciding on learning outcomes. AI like Nurture can do a lot of the mundane tasks that teachers do.”

But first, Mr Hogan said, the department needs to be clear; it must decide upon its overall framework and policy in technology, AI, and education.