More than just a buzzword or a passing fad, AI is rapidly influencing all areas of our lives, including how we work. With current and emerging digital solutions featuring AI-driven data handling and adaptive assessment, the burden of paperwork and manual entry for educators is slowly – but surely – being reduced.
The reduction of administrative tasks will bring significant improvements for educators and the sector as a whole. As it stands, excessive workload is the main reason exceptionally high numbers of teachers and support staff have left the profession in recent years and why so many plan to leave in the near future (1 in 6 school and FE educators say they plan to quit within the next 2 years, according to a recent NEU survey).
Clearly, then, the quicker unmanageable workloads for teachers can be reduced, the better. Of course, tightly squeezed budgets mean that any new digital solution must bring cost savings as well as greater efficiencies for teaching staff. Below, we’ve outlined a few cost-effective, AI-enhanced solutions from Advanced designed to minimise the burden of administration.
Assessment and Learning
Used widely in the FE and ITP sectors, Assessment and Leaning (known to many as bksb) is an engaging tool for learners of Functional Skills. The tool provides an initial skills assessment from pre-entry to level 2.9, gathering a high level of accurate and meaningful data. Scoring is produced on a granular level, allowing the teacher to see exactly where a leaner sits within each module.
The platform then takes the learner to a diagnostic stage, where adaptive AI creates questions based on previous answers. This means that each new question is entirely appropriate to the learner’s understanding of any given topic, and the learner is given material that will stretch and challenge in specific areas.
Progress checks give the learner an accurate understanding of areas of strength and weakness, and this data can be presented by the teacher as evidence of progression for inspection bodies. This progression data can also be exported to Leaner Management Systems and ePortfolios, eliminating the need for manual and duplicate input.
Smart Coach
A module within our leading ePortfolio solution, Smart Coach harnesses Machine Learning and AI to identify risk analysis in apprenticeships. The software intelligently identifies the progress of learners, including those who may be at risk of leaving before the end of the course. This early intervention ensures that the right steps can be taken to reduce attrition and optimise learner outcomes.
Done manually, such a risk assessment would not only be difficult to achieve, but would mean countless hours of manual input and research for HR professionals and educators. Smart Coach shows risk rating overviews of the entire learner caseload, helping teachers and back-office staff quickly identify where students may be falling behind.
Along with detailed graphs showing learner progression over time, Smart Coach can recommend strategies for success, helping staff get their learners back on track, improving apprenticeship completion rates, and maintaining the reputation of the organisation.
Performance and Talent
Replacing the outdated ‘annual review’ model, Performance and Talent is a centralised digital platform for continual feedback. Rather than having teachers complete lengthy self-assessment forms and other box-ticking exercises, Performance and Talent encourages meaningful, adult conversations throughout the academic year.
The platform is designed to be used throughout the entire organisation, including facilities and catering staff, support staff, teachers, and senior management. For staff members who may not feel confident in giving feedback, Performance and Talent’s built in AI assistant helps craft professional-sounding sentences.
With Performance and Talent, feedback happens in real time, giving an instant boost to morale, and ensuring good work goes recognised. The always-on Suggestion Box gives staff members the chance to voice their opinions and highlight their concerns, reducing the need to write time-consuming emails or arrange in-person meetings.
