AI in Education: Saving Teachers Time and Personalising Student Learning

The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), a concept introduced by psychologist Lev Vygotsky, is the sweet spot between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance from a more knowledgeable teacher or peer. By better understanding this psychological need in relation to childhood advancement, we can better understand how technology can empower teachers to sustainably deliver quality education in the context of limited funding and overwhelming expectations.  

Vygotsky conducted his psychological research in the field of sociocultural theory. This encompasses an exploration of how social and cultural influences affect how we develop, think, feel and behave. A core element of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was the belief that the family, social environment and wider community are responsible for human development: human learning is largely a social process, and cognitive functioning improves due to observing, imitating and understanding interactions with ‘more skilled’ individuals around us.  

The Zone of Proximal Development is the distance between a child’s current capabilities and their future-potential, which is ultimately achieved as a result of collaboration in the learning process. Educators have the responsibility to consider unique learners’ backgrounds and provide the appropriate learning experience to realise that next level of development. In order to engage beyond their current capabilities, students therefore need guidance, modelling and assistance to advance: a setting and process that must be crafted, applied and managed by teachers, usually for multiple classes, learning levels and subjects. (1)  

Internationally, there is not enough funding and support for teachers. In the UK, “89% of primary teachers feel funding levels are too low to provide appropriate learning resources,” (2) and “three quarters (74%) of primary school headteachers report having to reduce the number of teaching assistants”, (3)  while “Project 2025 would decimate more than 180,000 teacher positions and negatively affect the academic outcomes of 2.8 million vulnerable students” in the US. (4)  

Anecdotally, I can tell you that teaching is difficult: my mother was a support teacher in the special needs department of a Sussex school, my friend currently teaches Secondary School classes in the sciences, and a family friend has worked with children back home in South Africa for many years. Teachers are over worked, regularly taking work home with them in the form of marking, lesson planning, or making resources; there are many stories of teachers spending their own money to decorate and supply their classrooms, (5) and they must do emotional work of mitigating, empathising and mentoring young people as they navigate early years of social engagement.  

While educators do all the above, they also have to teach: tapping into the Zone of Proximal Development of 30 kids in a single class - all with their own backgrounds and potential for development - is not a simple task to accomplish, let alone providing the unique social engagement required to each child for their personal development. While Vygotsky developed his theory in the late 20th century, the teachers of today at least have access to technology to support them. Although, the lived experience of educators who use these tools will be enlightening as to the actual effectiveness of technology to support their ability to advance learners through the Zone of Proximal Development.  

BRISK Teaching is a free AI-powered chrome extension that is designed to assist educators in streamlining their various responsibilities within the platforms they already use. Some key features include; content creation, which generates instructional material like quizzes, lesson plans, or presentations; provide feedback, which delivers personalised feedback to students directly within their Google Docs; inspect writing, which analysis students’ writing processes by viewing their revision history; and adjust reading levels, which modifies or translates any text to align with students’ reading abilities and language needs. (6)  

The purpose of this tool is to remove the onus of repetitive tasks and allow greater time for teachers to prioritise interactions with students, and improve the personalised quality of those interactions to better achieve development. By reducing the upfront mental load for teachers, BRISK Teaching and other AI-powered tools have the potential to mitigate the increasing difficulties of providing quality education in unsupportive institutions, benefiting both teachers and students.  

But let’s hear from teachers (of Reddit):  

The integration of AI technology into teachers’ daily toolbox has the potential to bring efficiency to administrative tasks such as drafting emails, writing lesson plans, or generating discussion points that can otherwise free up time for teachers to focus on student engagement. (18)  

However, there is a call for educators to remain vigilant of any AI-generated content, to ensure it remains accurate and appropriate in order to maintain the irreplaceable human-touch of quality education. (19)  

Therefore, in an era where teachers are overburdened by administrative tasks, large classroom sizes, and increasing expectations, AI-powered tools like BRISK emerge as an ally in the classroom. By streamlining lesson planning, content creation, and feedback processes, it enables educators to focus on what truly matters - engaging with students’ Zone of Proximal Development and fostering their advancement. While AI tools like BRISK cannot replace the nuanced expertise and personal touch of a teacher, they serve as assistants that help alleviate teachers’ workload and enhance students’ personalized learning experiences. As education continues to evolve, the mindful integration of AI has the potential to empower teachers, support student learning, and bridge the gap between limited resources and quality education.