AI in Education: Evidence, Trends, and Market Insights

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The global education landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). These technological innovations hold the potential to address some of the most pressing challenges in education in low- and middle-income countries where educational disparities are most pronounced. Despite progress in increasing access to education, millions of students in these countries struggle to achieve meaningful learning outcomes. Concurrently, low-fee private schools, which serve as crucial alternatives to public education in underserved communities, face financial barriers that hinder their ability to provide quality education.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into education, it is imperative to ensure that its deployment is both ethical and transparent. This includes addressing concerns about data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the potential for AI to exacerbate existing inequalities. Additionally, AI models must be tailored to the specific educational contexts in which they are deployed, recognizing that models trained in one setting may not be directly applicable to another without careful adaptation.

This panel will explore the ways in which schools can leverage AI to expand the reach and quality of their services. The panel will present different solutions that showcase how AI can be leveraged in support of teachers and students to improve learning, and in support of school managers to access customized loan support and increase the ability for schools to grow and reach more children.

The three presentations within this panel will delve into different facets of AI's impact on education:

We will learn how a Personalized Adaptive Learning (PAL) tool, using generative AI models, has been designed and deployed to enhance learning outcomes in schools in South Asia. This presentation will highlight key principles such as personalization, ethical considerations, and the importance of combining AI with human instruction.

We will hear about early findings from the implementation of an AI-driven tutoring system in classrooms in Ghana. This AI tutor is designed to provide personalized, adaptive learning experiences aimed at improving student outcomes in mathematics and literacy, critical areas in under-resourced educational settings.

A financial services provider will share their work in improving access to finance for low-fee private schools in East Africa through an AI-powered credit scoring platform. By assessing creditworthiness using over 300 unique data points, the platform facilitates early intervention and customized financial support, resulting in faster loan processing and strong loan repayment performance.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Organizer

• Jenny Berg, Opportunity International

Chair

• Natalie Davirro, Opportunity International

Individual Presentations

• Findings from a landscape assessment of AI trends in education - Charlie Habershon, Dalberg Advisors

• AI in education: market insights - Sandeep Aneja, Kaizenvest

• Effective and Scalable Math Support: Experimental Evidence on the Impact of an AI- Math Tutor in Ghana - Francisco Carballo, Rising Academy Network

Discussant

• Vicki Phillips, NCEE