Trailblazing_NI genAI_in_educAtIon: a_proof_of_concept_study_in_schools_in_Northern_Ireland_with_MS_Copilot

Worldwide, technological innovations continue apace, and many have a considerable impact on education. No technology might augment education more than Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), if deployed and used effectively. Northern Ireland’s schools are ideally placed to take this opportunity, both in its geographical size and in the number of educational establishments. However, those involved in education, whether decision-makers, school leaders or teachers, should be fully aware of GenAI and what it can do, and indeed, what it cannot. Structures should be in place to develop the skills of teachers in NI and those who support them to allow them to use GenAI effectively and ethically, and to develop the skills of young people in NI, preparing them for a place in an increasingly digital world. GenAI is a form of Artificial Intelligence which generates content – whether text, speech, images, videos, music, software code etc. – in response to conversational language. It has been claimed to have changed the landscape for the use of AI in Education and has widely been described as ‘transformative’.This report provides the results of a pioneering proof-of-concept research study introducing Microsoft’s
Copilot tools to teachers (n=84) and other educational professionals (n=10) across NI, from a broad spectrum of educational sectors. This project aims to assess the utility and impact of GenAI technologies in educational practices through professional learning sessions, access to MS Copilot tools and subsequent surveys. Given the distinctive digital architecture and ecosystem of digital provision in Northern Ireland schools (see Taggart & Roulston, 2024), this study is believed to be the first of its kind, at this scale,
conducted globally within a school context.