School systems need to act on student AI use, report argues.
About half of New South Wales secondary teachers report that students use AI for schoolwork, and about half are worried that they do not know how to prevent AI-related student plagiarism or cheating, a new report by education consultancy Learning First has found.
AI use in schools: Taking action now draws on a survey of more than 4000 NSW teachers and school leaders across government, Catholic and independent schools to reveal widespread concern among educators about the routine use of AI by students and its impact on learning.
The report finds that:
- 80 per cent of primary and secondary teachers and school leaders whose students use AI for schoolwork are worried about AI's future impact on education.
- Of secondary teachers who say their students use AI for schoolwork, about three-quarters say students do so to complete assessments, even though more than 80 per cent say students face restrictions on using AI for this purpose.
- Three-quarters of teachers and school leaders have used AI for work, and about three-quarters of these teachers have used AI to develop curriculum resources.
Learning First CEO and report co-author Dr Ben Jensen said that while debate about AI use in schools often presented the technology as a future challenge, "AI is in schools now, so the time for action is now. Schools need to maintain effective learning and the integrity of assessment – which means taking AI out of student work."
The report calls for coordinated leadership at every level of the education system to consider the following options, among others, to address both the dangers and potential benefits of AI.
