Client story Insight partners with the South Australian Department for Education to deliver EdChat
An innovative chatbot that uses generative AI to enhance teaching and learning outcomes.
By Insight Editor / 23 Apr 2024 / Topics: Generative AI Microsoft Azure
Facts at a glance
Client industry
Education
Challenge
South Australia’s Department for Education aims to ensure South Australia’s public education system can unlock every child’s potential now and in the future. One of the key skills that the Department identified as essential for the 21st century is digital literacy, which includes the ability to understand, use and create with digital technologies.
Solution
The Department for Education partnered with Insight Enterprises and Microsoft to scale and trial EdChat, an AI-powered chatbot application built on Azure OpenAI Services that leverages GPT-4. The 8-week pilot involved eight schools across South Australia, covering both metropolitan and regional areas, and involving more than 1500 students and 400 educators.
Results
1500 students were empowered to :
- Take control of their own learning
- Improve their academic performance
- Develop essential skills for the future
Area of expertise
Insight's Generative AI solutions personalise customer conversations with human-like responses and contextual awareness.
Download the client story
EdChat is the first chatbot of its kind in Australia and one of the first in the world to be introduced in an educational setting. It encourages student and teacher engagement in natural language conversations by generating realistic and coherent text-based responses on user inputs. The platform was designed to provide a safe and controlled environment for students and teachers to explore the potential of AI, understand its limits and constraints, and to develop critical thinking, creativity and ethical awareness.
"When ChatGPT was released to the public, we knew immediately that it would change everything. We know that young people are going to go out into a world where generative AI and other forms of AI will be embedded in every industry, and they need to be able to navigate that world with confidence. The question was not whether or not we introduce AI to schools, but how"
Martin Westwell - Chief Executive, Department for Education
Beyond the hype – innovating with AI responsibly
Insight and South Australian Department for Education approached EdChat with a focus on responsible AI to ensure that the platform remains transparent, accountable and fair. A key metric for success was demonstrating that EdChat can equip students with the skills and dispositions required to engage with it critically and creatively in a safe environment that respects values, diversity and privacy. EdChat is built with a range of fault tolerant backend Azure services which log chat history and balance workloads. Its conversation content safety monitoring capabilities escalate inappropriate or concerning (at risk) prompts for action.
“Edchat is a truly inspiring example of how the education sector can embrace generative AI to enhance the delivery and experience for its most important and valuable stakeholders - students. This breakthrough technology empowers students to take control of their own learning, improve their academic performance, and develop essential skills for their future careers. With EdChat’s intelligent assistant, teachers and students can access a personalised learning experience that is both fun and effective. Imagine a future where learning is intuitive and tailored to individual needs - thanks to EdChat, that future is closer than ever”. Veli Matti Vanamo, Chief Technology Officer, Insight, APAC
Following the successful trial, the South Australian Department for Education is confident in the solution’s infrastructure and safety measures. The Department is planning to continue rolling out EdChat in different schools across the state with a view of learning how generative AI can support students in both digitally advanced schools and those in rural areas.
