Category: Artificial Intelligence

Effective GenAI in Language Education: A Reflection on Key Insights

Posted on by Miguel Rivera

In our recent insight briefing, we explored key findings from ‘Teaching with GenAI,’ an independent report commissioned by Avallain and produced by Oriel Square Limited. Central to our discussion was the question: How is GenAI shaping the future of language education?

Effective GenAI in Language Education: A Reflection on Key Insights

St. Gallen, February 27, 2025 – On February 19th, Avallain hosted an online insight briefing, ‘Effective GenAI in Language Education.’ The session explored the findings of ‘Teaching with GenAI,’ an independent report commissioned by Avallain and produced by Oriel Square Limited. The discussion encouraged participants to consider the evolving role of Generative AI (GenAI) in education—its advantages, risks and ethical implications, with a particular focus on Language Teaching.

The Reality of AI Tools in Language Education

Moderated by Giada Brisotto, Marketing Project Manager at Avallain, the panel featured:

  • Nik Peachey, educator, author and edtech consultant.
  • Carles Vidal, Avallain Lab Business Director.
  • Ian Johnstone, Avallain VP Partnerships.

Nik Peachey noted the rapid proliferation of AI tools, describing the current moment as the ‘Wild West’ in which new tools emerge almost daily. ‘In the time we’ve been in this webinar, ten new AI-powered language learning tools have probably been launched.’ He considers that, while enthusiasm is high and GenAI tools are increasingly accurate now in terms of language levelling, teachers often lack the resources to assess which tools truly enhance learning.

Carles Vidal highlighted the fact that while AI has the potential to empower teachers, the absence of proper AI training for them often leaves them experimenting in isolation. ‘Educators need to receive AI training to critically assess the trustworthiness of the GenAI tools they use in the classroom.’

The Challenge of Effective AI Integration

The discussion underscored the importance of integrating AI as a support tool rather than a replacement for pedagogical expertise. Ian Johnstone pointed out that while tools such as TeacherMatic allow educators to generate tailored lesson plans, worksheets and discussions efficiently, the quality of AI-generated content still requires human oversight. ‘Creating prompts that output a consistent, well-levelled, targeted response requires experimentation. That’s why we need tool sets that sit on top of AI models and help teachers find exactly what they need with consistency and high quality.’

Nik Peachey reinforced this, stating that the role of AI should be collaborative rather than authoritative. He described a classroom exercise where students co-write stories with AI, taking turns to contribute paragraphs. ‘It’s about guiding students through the creative process, not letting AI do the thinking for them’. For Peachey, this approach fosters deeper engagement and encourages students to develop critical thinking skills.

Ethical Considerations and the Need for AI Literacy

The ethical implications of AI in education were a major focus of the discussion. The independent report commissioned by Avallain found that only 38% of UK educators feel confident using AI in the classroom, despite an increasing familiarity with AI concepts.

‘There’s a lot of concern around AI bias’, Peachey noted. ‘Many teachers are asking, “How do I know if this tool is truly neutral?”’ He called for greater transparency from AI providers, stressing that education should drive AI development, not the other way around.

Johnstone advocated for rigorous pilot testing of AI tools such as TeacherMatic, ‘If we don’t test AI tools properly in real classrooms, we risk reinforcing existing inequalities rather than solving them. Avallain’s approach involves ongoing collaboration with institutions to ensure AI-generated materials align with educational standards.’

AI as a Teacher’s Tool, Not a Replacement

The panel unanimously agreed that a common concern among educators is whether AI will replace teachers. However, they believe that while AI can assist in lesson planning and material generation, it cannot replicate the human elements of teaching—motivation, encouragement and personalised guidance.

‘An AI can tell a student “Well done”, but does the student truly believe it?’ Peachey asked. ‘A teacher’s encouragement carries a sincerity that AI can’t replicate.’ Johnstone added that AI should be viewed as a co-pilot, allowing teachers to focus on student engagement and deeper learning.

Summarising the Key Takeaways

The webinar reinforced several noteworthy conclusions:

  • AI tools are evolving rapidly, but their effectiveness depends on a careful and structured approach.
  • Teachers need guidance and training to navigate the AI landscape effectively.
  • Ethical concerns such as bias and data security must be addressed to build trust in AI adoption.
  • AI is a support tool, not a substitute for human interaction and teaching expertise.
  • Education professionals must play an active role in shaping AI’s role to ensure it aligns with pedagogical values.

Rather than fearing AI, educators should engage with it critically. By shaping its use with integrity and curiosity, teachers can harness the potential of AI while safeguarding the human elements of education that make learning meaningful.

To learn more about ‘Teaching with GenAI’ and how AI is transforming language education, click here.

About Avallain

At Avallain, we are on a mission to reshape the future of education through technology. We create customisable digital education solutions that empower educators and engage learners around the world. With a focus on accessibility and user-centred design, powered by AI and cutting-edge technology, we strive to make education engaging, effective and inclusive.

Find out more at avallain.com

About TeacherMatic

TeacherMatic, a part of the Avallain Group since 2024, is a ready-to-go AI toolkit for teachers that saves hours of lesson preparation by using scores of AI generators to create flexible lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes and more.

Find out more at teachermatic.com

_ 

Contact:

Daniel Seuling

VP Client Relations & Marketing

dseuling@avallain.com 

Making Learning Better

Posted on by Miguel Rivera

The implementation of AI in education presents both opportunities and challenges. As AI solutions focused on education evolve, it’s essential to determine what constitutes ‘better’ learning. To do this, we must consider the various perspectives of teaching and learning.

Making Learning Better

Author: John Traxler, UNESCO Chair, Commonwealth of Learning Chair and Academic Director of the Avallain Lab

Understanding Different Teaching and Learning Approaches

St. Gallen, February 26, 2025 – There are many perspectives for understanding teaching and learning, each with its own values, methods and achievements. These include:

  • Behaviourism focuses on observable and objective improvement in learners. Didactic and transmissive approaches that concentrate on content, absorbing information, procedures and techniques. 
  • Constructivism is the belief that learning is better if it enables learners to build on their existing understandings; recognising their individuality, background, achievements and contributions.
  • Social constructivism believes learning is better if learners undertake and discuss learning as a social phenomenon and group activity. It argues that learners can help each other often better than teachers, who are distant from their struggles and backgrounds.

We could characterise behaviourism as Web 1.0, where learning follows a top-down approach. In contrast, constructivism and social constructivism align more with Web 2.0, a flat, outward and collaborative approach.

There are many strategies used to deliver these perspectives, for example, quizzes, lectures, tutorials, projects, exams, workshops, role play, spaced learning, field trips, games and role-play.

The Challenge of Defining ‘Better’ in Learning

There is however always the problem of which perspective is ‘better’, and which strategy is ‘better’ for delivering it, problems without solutions. Each perspective and strategy comes with its own objectives and its own way of measuring whether those objectives are being met.  

We must however address the problem of ‘better’ since the introduction of AI into education, without considering this issue runs several risks, namely that educational AI, especially in its ‘raw’ form,

  • Reinforces those perspectives based on content generation, manipulation and transmission (text, images, sound, video) because AI is good at that (as opposed to other perspectives of learning based on the learners, their individuality and interactions).
  • Is justified by the ‘time-saved’ argument, de-skilling teachers or taking them out of the loop, consolidating the pedagogic status quo.
  • Amplifies existing problems and inequalities beyond our capacity to deal with them.
  • Struggles with the cognitive, affective and cultural diversity and individuality of learners.

The purpose of this piece is to suggest that there is another approach to the question of which perspective or strategy is ‘better’ and that is to look at it from an ethical point of view.

An Ethical Perspective on ‘Better’ Learning

Basic and widely held ethical principles talk about respect for the individual, their agency and autonomy, as well as respect for their background, culture and community, ultimately, treating them with dignity. These principles also uphold the commitment to non-maleficence and doing no harm.

If we explore different learning perspectives and strategies from this angle, then we should be asking which ones:

  • Encourage curiosity, creativity, originality and criticality.
  • Cause embarrassment, shame, harassment, bias or prejudice.
  • Reinforce existing inequalities and divisions.
  • Recognise the need to survive and flourish in a complex, changing and volatile world.
  • Value humour, laughter and care, and respond to sadness or distress.
  • Undermine learners’ self-confidence or self-esteem.
  • Recognise their ideas and contributions.
  • Treat their culture and community with respect.
  • Value difference and individuality.
  • Understand individual struggle and effort. 

Our systems and our technologies, perhaps mediated by teachers or perhaps supporting teachers’ good practices, should be built, evaluated, monitored and improved around these questions; these questions determine which learning is ‘better’. 

AI, Ethics and Cultural Contexts in Education

The Avallain Lab is working on these challenges, from both ends. From the bottom-up, looking at trapping and preventing individual types of harmful responses from educational AI systems, and from the top-down, looking at how educational AI systems can work with general ethical and pedagogic principles. Avallain Intelligence, our broader AI strategy, already incorporates much of this thinking in Avallain Author, Avallain Magnet and Teachermatic, shielding teachers and editors from the ‘raw’ but rather wayward and irresponsible power of AI.

There is however a complication, namely culture. Different cultures, communities, nations or societies, will have different values about:

  • Individuals as opposed to the group.
  • Authority as opposed to discussion. 
  • Local as opposed to global.
  • The future as opposed to the present or the past.
  • Originality, creativity, innovation, debate and disagreement as opposed to tradition, consensus, conformity, compliance and agreement. 
  • Risk-taking, chance and change as opposed to risk-avoidance, stagnation and stasis.

The Avallain Lab is focused on capturing and incorporating more of the learner’s context, including their culture and backgrounds. This approach aims to refine the responses of educational AI systems, ensuring they better align with the values and expectations of learners. At the same time, we maintain our commitment to ethical principles.

So as we continue to navigate the complexities of AI in education, it’s crucial to approach these challenges from both practical and ethical perspectives. 

About Avallain

At Avallain, we are on a mission to reshape the future of education through technology. We create customisable digital education solutions that empower educators and engage learners around the world. With a focus on accessibility and user-centred design, powered by AI and cutting-edge technology, we strive to make education engaging, effective and inclusive.

Find out more at avallain.com

About TeacherMatic

TeacherMatic, a part of the Avallain Group since 2024, is a ready-to-go AI toolkit for teachers that saves hours of lesson preparation by using scores of AI generators to create flexible lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes and more.

Find out more at teachermatic.com

_ 

Contact:

Daniel Seuling

VP Client Relations & Marketing

dseuling@avallain.com 

UK’s Generative AI: Product Safety Expectations

Posted on by Miguel Rivera

The UK’s Department for Education publishes its outcomes-oriented safety recommendations for GenAI products, addressed to edtech companies, schools and colleges.

UK’s Generative AI: Product Safety Expectations

Author: Carles Vidal, Business Director of the Avallain Lab

St. Gallen, February 20, 2025 – On 22 January 2025, the UK’s Department for Education (DfE) published its Generative AI: Product Safety Expectations. This is part of the broader strategy to establish the country as a global leader in AI, as outlined in the Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan. 

As a leading edtech company with over 20 years of experience, Avallain was invited to participate in consultations on the Safety Expectations. Avallain Intelligence’s focus on clear ethical guidelines for safe AI development, demonstrated through TeacherMatic and other AI-driven solutions across our product portfolio, is reflected in our role in these consultations, where we were well-positioned to contribute expert advice.

Product Expectations for the EdTech Industry

The Generative AI: Product Safety Expectations define the ‘capabilities and features that GenAI products and systems should meet to be considered safe for use in educational settings.’ The guidelines, aimed primarily at edtech developers, suppliers, schools and colleges, come at a crucial time. Educational institutions need clear frameworks to assess the trustworthiness of the AI tools they are adopting. The independent report, commissioned by Avallain, Teaching with GenAI: Insights on Productivity, Creativity, Quality and Safety, provides valuable insights to help inform these decisions and guide best practices.

Legal Alignment, Accountability and Practical Implementation

The guidelines are specifically intended for edtech companies operating in England. While not legally binding, the text links the product expectations to existing UK laws and policies, such as the UK GDPR, Online Safety Act and Keeping Children Safe in Education, among others. This alignment helps suppliers, developers and educators navigate the complex legal landscape. 

From an accountability point of view, the DfE states that, ‘some expectations will need to be met further up the supply chain, but responsibility for assuring this will lie with the systems and tools working directly with schools and colleges.’ Furthermore, the guidelines emphasise that the expectations are focused on outcomes, rather than prescribing specific approaches or solutions that companies should implement.

Comparing Frameworks and An Overview of Key Categories

In line with other frameworks for safe AI, such as the EU’s Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI, the Generative AI: Product Safety Expectations are designed to be applied by developers and considered by educators. However, unlike the EU’s guidelines, which are field-agnostic and principles-based, the DfE’s text is education-centred and structured around precise safety outcomes. This makes it more concrete and focused, though it is less holistic than the EU framework, leaving critical areas such as societal and environmental well-being out of its scope.

The guidance includes a comprehensive list of expectations organised under seven categories, summarised in the table below. The first two categories — Filtering and Monitoring and Reporting — are specifically relevant to child-facing products and stand out as the most distinctive of the document, as they tackle particular risk situations that are not yet widely covered.

The remaining categories — Security, Privacy and Data Protection, Intellectual Property, Design and Testing and Governance — apply to both child- and teacher-facing products. They are equally critical, as they address these more common concerns while considering the specific educational context in which they are implemented.

Collaboration and Future Implications

By setting clear safety expectations for GenAI products in educational settings, the DfE provides valuable guidance to help edtech companies and educational institutions collaborate more effectively during this period of change. As safe GenAI measures become market standards, it is important to point out that the educational community also needs frameworks that explore how this technology can foster meaningful content and practices across a diverse range of educational contexts.

Generative AI: Product Safety Expectations — Summary

  • Filtering
    1. Users are effectively and reliably prevented from generating or accessing harmful and inappropriate content.
    2. Filtering standards are maintained effectively throughout the duration of a conversation or interaction with a user.
    3. Filtering will be adjusted based on different levels of risk, age, appropriateness and the user’s needs (e.g., users with SEND).
    4. Multimodal content is effectively moderated, including detecting and filtering prohibited content across multiple languages, images, common misspellings and abbreviations.
    5. Full content moderation capabilities are maintained regardless of the device used, including BYOD and smartphones when accessing products via an educational institutional account.
    6. Content is moderated based on an appropriate contextual understanding of the conversation, ensuring that generated content is sensitive to the context.
    7. Filtering should be updated in response to new or emerging types of harmful content.
    8. Filtering should be updated in response to new or emerging types of harmful content.
  • Monitoring and Reporting
    1. Identify and alert local supervisors to harmful or inappropriate content being searched for or accessed.
    2. Alert and signpost the user to appropriate guidance and support resources when access to prohibited content is attempted (or succeeds).
    3. Generate a real-time user notification in age-appropriate language when harmful or inappropriate content has been blocked, explaining why this has happened.
    4. Identify and alert local supervisors of potential safeguarding disclosures made by users.
    5. Generate reports and trends on access and attempted access of prohibited content, in a format that non-expert staff can understand and which does not add too much burden on local supervisors.
  • Security
    1. Offer robust protection against ‘jailbreaking’ by users trying to access prohibited material.
    2. Offer robust measures to prevent unauthorised modifications to the product that could reprogram the product’s functionalities.
    3. Allow administrators to set different permission levels for different users.
    4. Ensure regular bug fixes and updates are promptly implemented.
    5. Sufficiently test new versions or models of the product to ensure safety compliance before release.
    6. Have robust password protection or authentication methods.
    7. Be compatible with the Cyber Security Standards for Schools and Colleges.
  • Privacy and Data Protection
    1. Provide a clear and comprehensive privacy notice, presented at regular intervals in age-appropriate formats and language with information on:
    2. The type of data: why and how this is collected, processed, stored and shared by the generative AI system.
    3. Where data will be processed, and whether there are appropriate safeguards in place if this is outside the UK or EU.
    4. The relevant legislative framework that authorises the collection and use of data.
    5. Conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) during the generative AI tool’s development and throughout its life cycle.
    6. Allow all parties to fulfil their data controller and processor responsibilities proportionate to the volume, variety and usage of the data they process and without overburdening others.
    7. Comply with all relevant data protection legislation and ICO codes and standards, including the ICO’s age-appropriate design code if they process personal data.
    8. Not collect, store, share, or use personal data for any commercial purposes, including further model training and fine-tuning, without confirmation of appropriate lawful basis.
  • Intellectual Property
    1. Unless there is permission from the copyright owner, inputs and outputs should not be:
      • Collected
      • Stored
      • Shared for any commercial purposes, including (but not limited to) further model training (including fine-tuning), product improvement and product development.
    2. In the case of children under the age of 18, it is best practice to obtain permission from the parent or guardian. In the case of teachers, this is likely to be their employer—assuming they created the work in the course of their employment.
  • Design and Testing
    1. Sufficient testing with a diverse and realistic range of potential users and use cases is completed.
    2. Sufficient testing of new versions or models of the product to ensure safety compliance before release is completed.
    3. The product should consistently perform as intended.
  • Governance
    1. A clear risk assessment will be conducted for the product to assure safety for educational use.
    2. A formal complaints mechanism will be in place, addressing how safety issues with the software can be escalated and resolved in a timely fashion.
    3. Policies and processes governing AI safety decisions are made available.

About Avallain

At Avallain, we are on a mission to reshape the future of education through technology. We create customisable digital education solutions that empower educators and engage learners around the world. With a focus on accessibility and user-centred design, powered by AI and cutting-edge technology, we strive to make education engaging, effective and inclusive.

Find out more at avallain.com

About TeacherMatic

TeacherMatic, a part of the Avallain Group since 2024, is a ready-to-go AI toolkit for teachers that saves hours of lesson preparation by using scores of AI generators to create flexible lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes and more.

Find out more at teachermatic.com

_ 

Contact:

Daniel Seuling

VP Client Relations & Marketing

dseuling@avallain.com

From Insights to Action: Language Teaching with GenAI and the TeacherMatic Solution

Posted on by Miguel Rivera

Guest blog by Nik Peachey – Over the last few months, I’ve been lucky enough to work with the Avallain Group advising on the development of their TeacherMatic offering for ELT schools.

From Insights to Action: Language Teaching with GenAI and the TeacherMatic Solution

St. Gallen, February 14, 2025 – The main goal of my work has been to advise on the adaptation of TeacherMatic’s AI generators for the context of language teaching. It was essential to ensure that the output generated is CEFR-level accurate and continues to support creativity and innovation within the language classroom.

As generative AI increasingly impacts today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, we need to be aware of how it is reshaping the way we teachers can plan, create and innovate in the classroom.

Key Insights into the Role of GenAI in Teaching

The recently published ‘Teaching with GenAI’ report, commissioned by the Avallain Group and produced by Oriel Square Ltd, sheds some light on how educators integrate AI into their practice.

From my perspective, the research strongly focuses on creativity, personalisation and innovation. Teachers interviewed for the report mention using GenAI to design engaging visual aids, such as infographics and animated characters, to enhance their students’ engagement. Others mention using AI to experiment with different pedagogical approaches to help them explore new teaching methods. TeacherMatic particularly supports this with a generator that allows teachers to create plans or activities using various pedagogical approaches.

The report also highlights that teachers are using AI tools to help adjust reading materials to match student proficiency levels and provide targeted feedback on writing and speaking. They can now generate quizzes specific to their own and their students’ learning goals in minutes, saving teachers valuable preparation time. Personalisation extends beyond accurately levelling materials for students. The TeacherMatic generator set incorporates the ability to produce materials tailored to various neurodiversity conditions, taking personalisation to a whole new level.

Balancing Efficiency and Quality in AI-Assisted Teaching

The potential for improved efficiency is addressed several times in the report. One study found that “non-contracted work hours had reduced by 34%” after implementing AI-assisted lesson planning and marking, overall helping with administrative tasks. However, quality control remains a crucial issue. While AI-generated content can be a powerful tool, teachers must carefully curate and refine AI outputs to ensure they align with curricular goals and learning standards. As Rob Howard, an ELT consultant and trainer, warns, “Most teachers don’t fact-check AI-generated content. If you need to verify everything, the time saved is lost.” Proper AI literacy training is essential to help teachers craft more effective prompts, make effective use of AI tools and ensure their ethical application.

Ensuring Ethical and Safe AI Integration

It seems likely that as AI continues to develop, its role in fostering creativity and transforming classroom experiences will only grow. Schools that invest in AI training, ethical policies and responsible implementation are the ones that are more likely to empower educators to harness AI’s full potential while maintaining student-centred teaching practices. This is why tools like TeacherMatic, which support all staff involved in teaching, are crucial for helping schools quickly establish a consistent approach to AI use while ensuring it is applied safely and ethically.

Learn More

If you would like to learn more about how generative AI is impacting our classrooms you can download a copy of the report here: https://teachermatic.com/teaching-with-genai-new-insights-report/ 

You can also sign up to join me and experts from the Avallain Group to unpick some of the key issues from the report at: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GNdoxtJ_R_G6dp270QpL4wn 

About the Author

Nik Peachey is the Director of Pedagogy at PeacheyPublications, an independent digital publishing company that specialises in the design of digital learning materials for the English language classroom.

He has been involved in Education since 1990 as a teacher, trainer, educational consultant and project manager. He has over 30 years of experience working with online, remote and blended learning environments.

He has worked all over the world teaching, training teachers and developing innovative and creative products. He is a two-time British Council Innovations award winner and has been shortlisted six times.

His books include:

About Avallain

At Avallain, we are on a mission to reshape the future of education through technology. We create customisable digital education solutions that empower educators and engage learners around the world. With a focus on accessibility and user-centred design, powered by AI and cutting-edge technology, we strive to make education engaging, effective and inclusive.

Find out more at avallain.com

About TeacherMatic

TeacherMatic, a part of the Avallain Group since 2024, is a ready-to-go AI toolkit for teachers that saves hours of lesson preparation by using scores of AI generators to create flexible lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes and more.

Find out more at teachermatic.com

_ 

Contact:

Daniel Seuling

VP Client Relations & Marketing

dseuling@avallain.com

Professor Rose Luckin, Avallain Advisory Board Member, Honoured at Bett Awards 2025

Posted on by Miguel Rivera

Avallain congratulates Professor Rose Luckin, a member of the Avallain Advisory Board, on receiving the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Bett Awards 2025. 

Professor Rose Luckin, Avallain Advisory Board Member, Honoured at Bett Awards 2025

St. Gallen, February 6, 2025 – The Bett Awards 2025 celebrated excellence and creativity in education technology at Bett UK, one of the world’s leading edtech exhibitions. As part of the recognitions granted, Professor Rose Luckin, University College London and a valued Avallain Advisory Board member received the Outstanding Achievement Award. 

Held annually in London, Bett brings together educators, innovators and industry leaders to showcase the latest advancements shaping the future of learning. 

‘These awards honour the most innovative, impactful and game-changing solutions in EdTech, and each finalist is pushing the boundaries to make education better worldwide.’ — Bett UK

A Leading Voice in Ethical AI for Education

Professor Rose Luckin has over 30 years of experience in research and development. She is widely recognised for her work on the design and evaluation of educational technology and AI. As an advisor to policymakers, author and speaker, her research has influenced global discussions on AI and learning.

Her essential role as a key advisor to Avallain has helped to shape the company’s approach to AI. Furthermore, she has contributed with her expertise to Avallain Intelligence, the group’s initiative for responsible AI integration across the education technology landscape, founded on the principles of ethics and safety.

Acknowledging Excellence in AI and EdTech

‘Given Professor Rose Luckin’s decades of research, her influential work in AI for education and her commitment to ethical AI, this award recognises her significant and lasting impact on education technology, which has driven innovation and meaningful advancements in learning.’ — Ursula Suter, Avallain, Executive Chairwoman and Co-Founder.

In her acceptance speech Professor Rose Luckin expressed her gratitude ‘This award means a huge amount to me. I’ve worked for many years to try and encourage educators to engage with Artificial Intelligence…It’s a real thrill to win such an award’ 

Professor Rose Luckin speaks after receiving the Outstanding Achievement Award at Bett Awards 2025. © Bett Awards 2025.

Avallain is honoured to collaborate with leading experts like Professor Rose Luckin, whose work continues to shape the future of education technology. With a shared commitment to ethical and research-driven innovation, Avallain remains dedicated to supporting educators and institutions in delivering meaningful and accessible learning experiences.

About Avallain

At Avallain, we are on a mission to reshape the future of education through technology. We create customisable digital education solutions that empower educators and engage learners around the world. With a focus on accessibility and user-centred design, powered by AI and cutting-edge technology, we strive to make education engaging, effective and inclusive.

Find out more at avallain.com

_ 

Contact:

Daniel Seuling

VP Client Relations & Marketing

dseuling@avallain.com

Avallain Reinforces its Commitment to Research-Driven Solutions with a Newly Commissioned GenAI Report

Posted on by Miguel Rivera

How is GenAI being integrated into schools to enhance teaching and learning? ‘Teaching with GenAI: Insights on Productivity, Creativity, Quality and Safety’ delves into this critical question by exploring the opportunities GenAI offers, the challenges it poses and how it’s shaping the future of education.

Avallain Reinforces its Commitment to Research-Driven Solutions with a Newly Commissioned GenAI Report

St. Gallen, January 30, 2025 – Education technology pioneer Avallain introduces, Teaching with GenAI: Insights on Productivity, Creativity, Quality and Safety. This independent report, commissioned by the Avallain Group and produced by Oriel Square Ltd, is key research that provides valuable insights for educators and policymakers alike.

This timely and comprehensive report explores how generative AI is being integrated into schools to enhance teaching and learning outcomes and the critical opportunities and challenges it presents.

Professor Rose Luckin, of University College London and Founder of Educate Ventures Research, says the report is ‘an essential read for any education leader navigating the AI landscape.’

Download the Report

Register for Live Briefings of the Report

Navigating the Opportunities, Challenges and Risks of GenAI

The ‘Teaching with GenAI: Insights on Productivity, Creativity, Quality and Safety’ report provides detailed insights into how GenAI saves time and boosts efficiency, allowing educators to streamline workflows and dedicate more time to impactful teaching. It delves into the tools and training needed to create meaningful learning materials, providing practical advice for designing engaging and effective content. The report examines how GenAI fosters creativity and innovation in teaching practices, encouraging educators to reimagine their instructional approaches.

Beyond this, the report also stresses the importance of quality control in GenAI applications, identifying areas where oversight is essential to ensure high standards in AI-generated content. Critical advice is offered around data security and tackling inbuilt bias, helping educators and institutions confidently address these key concerns. More importantly, the report provides actionable recommendations on how schools and organisations can effectively integrate and apply GenAI to maximise its potential while ensuring ethical and responsible use.

As Professor John Traxler, Academic Director of the Avallain Lab, explains, ‘While schools and educators acknowledge the potential of GenAI tools to assist in key pedagogical tasks, they also express concerns about content accuracy, the risk of perpetuating biases and the impact of these tools on their evolving role in the classroom. This underscores the need to provide educators with GenAI solutions tailored to educational contexts and the critical analysis skills required to engage with these technologies safely and effectively.’

A Commitment to Research-Driven Solutions

The rapid rise of GenAI has introduced both unprecedented possibilities and complex challenges in the educational landscape. With a long history of developing educator-led technology, Avallain has always believed that research-driven approaches are essential to ensuring technology supports learning outcomes.

‘This report reflects our commitment to research-driven solutions that empower educators. By exploring the benefits, potential and challenges of GenAI through the experiences of teachers and specialists, we aim to provide valuable insights and actionable recommendations to the educational community. Together, we are navigating this transformative field to deliver technology that ethically and safely supports teachers and students.’ As Ignatz Heinz, President and Co-Founder of Avallain, highlights.

Over 50% of teachers in England use AI tools to reduce workload, and 40% use them to personalise learning content.

Avallain’s Approach to Ethical and Safe GenAI Integration

As GenAI enters classrooms, Avallain is doubling down on this commitment with these informative reports and its broader AI strategy, Avallain Intelligence, which aims to responsibly integrate AI across the entire edtech value chain. This initiative is built on the principle that ethical AI is essential—not only for achieving better outcomes, enhanced productivity and safe, innovative learner interactions but, more importantly, as a foundation for the reliable adoption of these tools in our societies, particularly in our educational systems.

Carles Vidal, Avallain Lab Business Director, explains further, ‘Avallain’s unwavering commitment to Ethical AI is reflected in a range of AI solutions designed in alignment with the Ethical Key Requirements, outlined in the EU’s Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI. These guidelines uphold the principles of respect for human autonomy, prevention of harm, fairness and explicability.’

The newly commissioned report aligns with this AI strategy by exploring critical ethical, safe, and effective implementation considerations. It provides actionable recommendations for schools and educators to adopt these technologies while ensuring responsible use confidently.

Leveraging Insights to Drive GenAI in Education

Avallain strives to remain at the forefront of educational innovation, actively monitoring and analysing educators’ difficulties as they integrate generative AI into their teaching practices. With a particular focus on ethics and pedagogy, these insights shape the ongoing development of Avallain’s next generation of GenAI features implemented in our solutions. Explore the full report and gain a deeper understanding of how GenAI can enhance teaching and learning. 

Download your free copy here.

Register Now for Upcoming Live Report Briefings

As part of our commitment to supporting educators and institutions, look out for upcoming report briefings to explore key insights from the report, including practical and ethical steps for integrating GenAI effectively. This is an opportunity to engage in discussions about the future of AI in education.

Secure my place

About Avallain

At Avallain, we are on a mission to reshape the future of education through technology. We create customisable digital education solutions that empower educators and engage learners around the world. With a focus on accessibility and user-centred design, powered by AI and cutting-edge technology, we strive to make education engaging, effective and inclusive.

Find out more at avallain.com

About TeacherMatic

TeacherMatic, a part of the Avallain Group since 2024, is a ready-to-go AI toolkit for teachers that saves hours of lesson preparation by using scores of AI generators to create flexible lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes and more.

Find out more at teachermatic.com

_ 

Contact:

Daniel Seuling

VP Client Relations & Marketing

dseuling@avallain.com

TeacherMatic, part of the Avallain Group, Takes Gold for AI Innovation in Learning at the Learning Technologies Awards 2024

Posted on by Miguel Rivera

Recognised for Transforming Education, TeacherMatic’s AI Innovations Reflect Avallain’s Commitment to Empowering Teachers and Enhancing Learning Outcomes.

TeacherMatic, part of the Avallain Group, Takes Gold for AI Innovation in Learning at the Learning Technologies Awards 2024

London, November 13, 2024 – TeacherMatic, part of the Avallain Group, has won gold in the category for ‘Most innovative new learning technologies product — UK’, at the Learning Technologies Awards 2024. This prestigious award recognises TeacherMatic’s unique use of AI to streamline lesson planning and to reduce the burden on teachers while enhancing student engagement and outcomes.

TeacherMatic’s AI-driven platform offers personalised, adaptive planning tools that empower teachers by streamlining administrative tasks and enabling more focus on student interaction and innovation. By integrating cutting-edge AI technology in an ethical and safe manner, TeacherMatic exemplifies Avallain’s dedication to educational excellence and impactful digital learning solutions. This latest accolade adds to Avallain’s distinguished record of over 15 major awards and other recognitions, such as the ISTE Seal in 2023, the SIIA CODiE Award in 2020 and the Bett Award in 2018.

“Winning gold at the Learning Technologies Awards 2024 demonstrates the commitment of our teams at TeacherMatic and Avallain to push the boundaries of AI and technology in education,” said Ignatz Heinz, President and Co-Founder of Avallain. “This recognition confirms our drive to make learning more accessible, impactful and human-centred for educators and learners alike.”

The Learning Technologies Awards are globally recognised for celebrating outstanding achievements in the field of digital learning. TeacherMatic’s success highlights the importance of scalable, intelligent solutions in shaping the future of education.

About Avallain

Avallain powers some of the most renowned educational brands including Oxford University Press, Cengage National Geographic Learning, Cambridge University Press, Santillana, Klett, and Cornelsen, reaching millions of learners worldwide. Avallain most recently raised 8M Euros from Round2 Capital Partners and is advised by i5invest. Through the Avallain Foundation, the technology is also made available to partners improving access to quality education.

Find out more at avallain.com

About TeacherMatic

TeacherMatic was formed in 2022 as Innovative Learning Technologies Limited and has developed a suite of generative AI tools for educators. TeacherMatic is a ready-to-go AI toolkit in an intuitive interface for teachers that saves hours of lesson preparation by using over 90 AI generators to create flexible lesson plans, worksheets and quizzes. Developed by teachers, for teachers, TeacherMatic offers powerful and intuitive AI tools tailored to educators’ needs.

Free trials are available at teachermatic.com

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Contact:

Daniel Seuling

VP Client Relations & Marketing

dseuling@avallain.com

EU’s Guidelines for Trustworthy AI: A Reliable Framework for Edtech Companies

Posted on by Yerbol Adamov

This post is the first in a series that highlights the most relevant recommendations, and regulations on ethics and AI-systems, produced by international institutions and educational agencies world-wide. Our goal is to provide updated and actionable insights to all stakeholders, including designers, developers and users involved in the field.

EU’s Guidelines for Trustworthy AI: A Reliable Framework for Edtech Companies

A look into the EU’s ethical recommendations and their possible adaptation to Gen-AI-based educational content creation services.

Author: Carles Vidal, Business Director of the Avallain Lab

Since the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT-3.5, in November 2022, the edtech sector has focused its efforts on delivering products and services that leverage the creative potential of large language models (LLMs) to offer personalised and localised learning content to users. 

LLMs have prompted the educational content industry to reassess traditional editorial processes, and have also transformed the way in which teachers and professors plan, create and distribute classroom content across schools and universities.

The generalised uptake of Generative AI technologies [Gen-AI], in education, calls for ensuring that their design, development and use are based on a thorough understanding of the ethical implications at stake, a clear risk analysis, and the application of the corresponding mitigating strategies.

We start by discussing the work of the High-level Expert Group on AI (HLEG on AI), appointed by the European Commission in 2018 to support the implementation of the European strategy on AI. The work provides policy recommendations on AI-related topics. The “Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI”(2019) and its complementary “Assessment List for Trustworthy AI, for Self-Assessment” (2020) are two non-binding texts that can be read as one single framework.

1. Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI

From an AI practitioner’s point of view, the guidelines and the assessment list for trustworthy AI are strategic tools with which companies can build their own policies to ensure the implementation of ethical AI-Systems. In this sense, the work of the HLEG on AI is presented as a generalist model that can/should be adapted to the context of each specific AI-System. Additionally, due to its holistic approach, the framework addresses not only the technological requirements of AI-systems, but also considers all actors and processes involved throughout the entire life cycle of the AI.

As the HLEG on AI states, the guidelines’ “foundational ambition” is the achievement of trustworthy AI, which requires AI-systems, actors and processes to be “lawful, ethical, and robust”. Having said this, the authors explicitly exclude legality from the scope of the document, deferring to the corresponding regulations, and focus on addressing the ethical and robust dimensions for trustworthy AI-systems.

The framework is structured around three main conceptual levels, progressing from more abstract to more concrete. At the top level, defining the foundations of trustworthy AI, four “ethical imperatives” are established, to which all AI systems, actors, and processes must adhere:

  1. Respect for Human Agency
  2. Prevention of Harm
  3. Fairness 
  4. Explicability

At a second level, the framework introduces a set of seven key requirements for the realisation of trustworthy AI. The list is neither exhaustive nor presented in a hierarchical order. 

  1. Human Agency and Oversight
  2. Technical Robustness and Safety
  3. Privacy and Data Governance 
  4. Transparency
  5. Diversity, Non-discrimination and Fairness
  6. Societal and Environmental Wellbeing
  7. Accountability

The relevance of these key requirements extends beyond these guidelines. They also inform recital 27 and, implicitly, article 1 of the recently published EU AI Act, of April 2024.

The guidelines suggest a range of technical and non-technical methods for their implementation (e.g., architectures for trustworthy AI, codes of conduct, standardization, diversity and inclusive design) that actors can use to enforce the mentioned requirements. 

Achieving trustworthy AI is an ongoing and iterative process that requires continuous assessment and adaptation of the methods employed to implement key requirements in dynamic environments.

2. Assessment List for Trustworthy AI

The third level of the framework consists of an “Assessment List for Trustworthy AI” (ALTAI), intended to operationalise the key requirements. It is primarily addressed to developers and deployers of AI-Systems that directly interact with users. 

The ALTAI list breaks down the key requirements into more concrete categories. It provides a range of self-assessment questions for each of these, aiming to spark reflection around every aspect. Each individual actor is left to decide on the corresponding mitigating measures.

For example, the ethical requirement of Diversity, Non-Discrimination and Fairness, is divided in three subsections: 

1) Avoidance of unfair bias

2) Accessibility and Universal Design 

3) Stakeholder participation

In turn, for Avoidance of Unfair Bias, a series of self-assessment questions are proposed, a sample of which is listed below:

  • Did you establish a strategy or a set of procedures to avoid creating or reinforcing unfair bias in the AI system, both regarding the use of input data as well as for the algorithm design? 
  • Did you consider diversity and representativeness of end-users and/or subjects in the data? 
    • Did you test for specific target groups or problematic use cases? 
    • Did you research and use publicly available technical tools, that are state-of-the-art, to improve your understanding of the data, model and performance? 
    • Did you assess and put in place processes to test and monitor for potential biases during the entire lifecycle of the AI system (e.g. biases due to possible limitations stemming from the composition of the used data sets (lack of diversity, non-representativeness)? 
    • Where relevant, did you consider diversity and representativeness of end-users and or subjects in the data? 

The guidelines also suggest that companies incorporate their assessment processes into a governance mechanism, involving both top management and operations. The text even proposes a governance model, describing roles and responsibilities. 

The assessment list is not intended to be exhaustive and follows a generalist (horizontal) approach. The purpose of the HLEG on AI is to provide a set of questions that help all AI-system actors operationalise the more abstract key requirements, and to encourage them to adapt the assessment list to the specific needs of their sector and continuously update it.

In accordance with this vision, and grounded in the same framework, the European Commission published in September 2022, the “Ethical Guidelines on the Use of AI and Data in Teaching and Learning for Educators”. This document is a valuable resource for teachers and educators, helping them to reflect on AI and critically assess whether the AI systems they are using comply with the Key Requirements for Trustworthy AI.

3. Adapting and implementing the guidelines.

Having analysed the work of the HLEG on AI, we understand that it is proposed as a framework that companies like Avallain, along with other AI-system deployers, can build upon to create an adapted version that ensures the ethical design, development, and use of AI tools for the educational content creation community.

To this end, we support the framework’s recommendation of establishing a multidisciplinary body within companies to define ethical and robustness standards, identify the corresponding mitigating interventions, and ensure their implementation across all involved areas. This governing body should play a crucial role in the continuous adaptation of the company’s ethics and AI strategy to future ethical challenges.

About the Avallain Lab

We established the Avallain Lab in 2023 to be an ethically and pedagogically sound academic resource, providing support to Avallain product designers and partners, as well as the wider e-learning community.

This unit operates under the academic leadership of John Traxler and the business direction of Carles Vidal. The Avallain Lab also has the support of an advisory panel including Professor Rose Luckin. This experience and expertise allows us to deliver research-informed technology and experiences for learners and teachers, including in the field of AI.

The Avallain Lab is a unique, novel and innovative approach acting as the interface between the world’s vast and rapidly evolving research outputs, activities, networks and communities and Avallain’s continued ambition to enhance both the pedagogic and technical dimensions of its products and services with relevant medium-term ideas and longer-term concepts.

The Lab supports Avallain’s trials and workshops, informs internal discussion and draws in external expertise. The Lab is building a library of research publications, contributing to blogs and research papers and presenting at conferences and webinars. Early work focussed on learning analytics and spaced learning but the current focus is artificial intelligence, specifically ethics and pedagogy and their interactions.

About Carles Vidal

Business Director of the Avallain Lab, 
MSc in Digital Education by the University of Edinburgh.

Carles Vidal is an educational technologist with more than twenty years of experience in content publishing, specializing in creating e-learning solutions that empower educators and students in K12 and other educational stages. His work has included the publishing direction of learning materials aligned with various curricula across Spain and Latin American countries.

About John Traxler

Academic Director of the Avallain Lab, 
FRSA, MBCS, AFIMA, MIET

John Traxler, FRSA, MBCS, AFIMA, MIET, is Professor of Digital Learning, UNESCO Chair in Innovative Informal Digital Learning in Disadvantaged and Development Contexts and Commonwealth of Learning Chair for innovations in higher education. His papers are cited over 11,000 times and Stanford lists him in the top 2% in his discipline. He has written over 40 papers and seven books, and has consulted for a variety of international agencies including UNESCO, ITU, ILO, USAID, DFID, EU, UNRWA, British Council and UNICEF.

About Rose Luckin

Advisory Panellist of the Avallain Lab,
Doctor of Philosophy – PhD, Cognitive Science and AI

Rosemary (Rose) Luckin is Professor of Learner Centred Design at UCL Knowledge Lab, Director of EDUCATE, and author of Machine Learning and Human Intelligence: The Future of Education for the 21st Century (2018). She has also authored and edited numerous academic papers.  

Dr Luckin’s work centres on investigating the design and evaluation of educational technology. On top of this, she is Specialist Adviser to the UK House of Commons Education Select Committee for their inquiry into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

Her other positions include: 

  • Co-founder of the Institute for Ethical AI in Education
  • Past President of the International Society for AI in Education
  • A member of the UK Office for Students Horizon Scanning panel
  • Adviser to the AI and Robotics panel of the Topol review into the future of the NHS workforce
  • A member of the European AI Alliance
  • Previous Holder of an International Franqui Chair at KU Leuven

Avallain increases impact with strategic investment in AI Platform, TeacherMatic

Posted on by Yerbol Adamov

Education Technology Provider, Avallain, today reaffirmed its commitment to responsible generative AI and innovation in education with a number of key announcements.

Avallain, a twenty year veteran of innovative and impactful edtech, has acquired TeacherMatic, one of Europe’s fastest growing generative AI toolsets for educators. The acquisition supports Avallain’s broader AI strategy including remediation and copyright protection, both features developed for its industry leading content creation tool, Avallain Author. 

The Avallain product suite already enables publishers to use the full breadth of the best generative AI while meeting educational, legal and commercial requirements. TeacherMatic has, over the last year, developed and organised one of the most complete AI toolsets to support educators globally, allowing everything from lesson plans and flashcards to schemes of work and multiple choice quizzes  – alignable to curricula – at the click of a few buttons. This coming together of TeacherMatic and Avallain forms the basis of a strong partnership of leading-edge and ethical capability applying generative AI for education.

Ursula Suter, Co-Founder and Executive Chairwoman at Avallain, says “We see this joining of forces with TeacherMatic as a crucial step to counter the main risks from generative AI while also benefiting educators and education, in general, in a manner that will cater to high quality educational publishing and learning outcomes. For many years we have been delivering grounded and considered educational innovation. With TeacherMatic, we will continue to do that and more. Our product suite achieves both high-quality education and commercial viability with success for all parties involved.”

Peter Kilcoyne, MD at TeacherMatic comments “TeacherMatic was formed by a group of lifelong educators with the aim of making generative AI available and accessible to all teaching staff to help reduce workloads and improve creativity. We are delighted to have been acquired by Avalllain whose expertise and experience in terms of both education and technology will greatly enhance our future developments, improve TeacherMatic as a platform as well as engaging with new markets around the world. We see the ethical, technical and educational principles that drive both Avallain and TeacherMatic make this a partnership that will benefit both organisations as well as our customers and all teachers and students in organisations that we support.”

Ignatz Heinz (President & Co-Founder), Ursula Suter (Executive Chairwoman & Co-Founder), Alexis Walter (MD), Monika Morawska (COO), Rahim Hirji (Executive VP) © Mario Baronchelli

In an additional announcement, Professor Rose Luckin has been appointed to the advisory board of Avallain. Rosemary (Rose) Luckin is a Professor at University College London and Founder of Educate Ventures Research (EVR) who has spent over 30 years developing and studying AI for Education. She is renowned for her research into the design and evaluation of educational technology and AI. 

Rose comments “Avallain has, for many years, been the quality engine of education for publishers and content providers. I am delighted to support them and provide guidance and direction for Avallain’s products as we step forward into this exciting era of AI within education” 

Finally, Avallain also officially announced the Avallain Lab, with John Traxler as Academic Director. Traxler holds Chairs from the Commonwealth of Learning for innovations in higher education and from UNESCO for Innovative Informal Digital Learning in Disadvantaged and Development Contexts. The Avallain Lab was incubated in 2023 with a remit to provide research and rigour around product development for partners covering everything from learner analytics and accessibility to ethical AI applicability for learners. The Lab will support Avallain’s current partners and operate commercially in partnership with other institutions exploring innovation in educational contexts – and welcomes global collaborators.

Avallain’s announcements today build upon its established commitment to ethical generative AI, which is already available for Avallain Author, its market-leading content authoring tool and its newly launched SaaS Learning Management System (LMS), Avallain Magnet. Current clients can leverage new tools that can automate parts of the editorial workflow while leaving editors and learning designers firmly in control of the process.

About Avallain

Avallain powers some of the most renowned educational brands including Oxford University Press, Cengage National Geographic Learning, Cambridge University Press, Santillana, Klett, and Cornelsen, reaching millions of learners worldwide. Avallain most recently raised 8M Euros from Round2 Capital Partners and is advised by i5invest. Through the Avallain Foundation, the technology is also made available to partners improving access to quality education.

Find out more at avallain.com

About TeacherMatic

TeacherMatic was formed in 2022 as Innovative Learning Technologies Limited and has developed a suite of generative AI tools for educators. Teachermatic has adoption in FE Colleges in the UK, Universities and Schools and recently partnered with OpenLMS.

Free trials are available at teachermatic.com

For media comment, contact Rahim Hirji, Avallain, rhirji@avallain.com

Contact:
Daniel Seuling
VP Sales & Marketing
dseuling@avallain.com