#281 – Risk Assessments for AI Learning Tools (part 1)

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What’s in this episode?

In today’s episode, we have the first part of a two-part miniseries on risk management, risk mitigation and risk assessment in AI learning tools.  Professor Rose Luckin is away in Australia, speaking internationally, so Rowland Wells takes the reins to chat with Educate Ventures Research team members about their experience managing risk as teachers and developers.  What does a risk assessment look like and whose responsibility is it to take onboard its insights?  Rose joins our discussion group towards the end of the episode, and in the second instalment of the conversation, Rowland sits down with Dr Rajeshwari Iyer of sAInaptic to hear her perspective on risk and testing features of a tool as a developer and CEO herself.   

View our Risk Assessments here: https://www.educateventures.com/risk-assessments

In the studio:

• Rowland Wells, Creative Producer, EVR
• Dave Turnbull, Deputy Head of Educator AI Training, EVR
• Ibrahim Bashir, Technical Projects Manager, EVR
• Rose Luckin, CEO & Founder, EVR

Talking points and questions include:

• Who are these for?  what’s the profile of the person we want to engage with these risk assessments?  They’re concise, easy-to-read, no technical jargon.  But it’s still an analysis, for people with a research/evidence mindset.  Many people ignore it: we know that even learning tool developers who put research on their tools ON THEIR WEBSITES do not actually have it read by the public.  So how do we get this in front of people?  Do we lead the conversation with budget concerns?  Safeguarding concerns?  Value for money?
• What’s the end goal of this?  Are you trying to raise the sophistication of conservation around evidence and risk?  Many developers who you critique might just think you’re trying to make a name pulling apart their tools.  Surely the market will sort itself out?
• What’s the process involved in making judgements about a risk assessment?  If we’re trying to demonstrate to the buyers of these tools, the digital leads in schools and colleges, what to look for, what’s the first step?  Can this be done quickly?  Many who might benefit from AI tools might not have the time to exhaustively hunt out all the little details of a learning tool and interpret them themselves? 
• Schools aren’t testbeds for intellectual property or tech interventions.  Why is it practitioners’ responsibilities to make these kind of evaluations, even with the aid of these kind of assessments?  Why is the tech and AI sector not capable of regulating their own practices?
• You’ve all worked with schools and learning and training institutions using AI tools.  Although this episode is about using the tools wisely, effectively and safely, please tell us how you’ve seen teaching and learning enhanced with the safe and impactful use of AI

In the Studio:

• Dave Turnbull, Deputy Head of Educator AI Training, EVR

  

Dave’s seven years’ experience in primary classrooms, including 5 years as his school’s Computing Curriculum Lead, has given him a front-row view to the challenges schools face in developing coherent digital strategies.  As Deputy Head of Educator AI Training at EDUCATE Ventures, he’s helping to build next generation CPD for leaders and teachers in this space.  Dave has a BA in Media Arts from Royal Holloway University of London and worked in film and television prior to completing a PGCE at Goldsmiths, specialising in Early Years.  He planned, developed, and implemented his school’s digital strategy, enabling him to guide the staff through remote teaching during the pandemic.  He recently left teaching to become the primary caretaker for his son, and is excited to apply his experience to system-level digital capacity building in education.

• Ibrahim Bashir, Technical Projects Manager, EVR

Ibrahim Bashir is a Software Developer currently working as a Data Engineer.  Ibrahim is a Fulbright fellow and has a Masters in Computer Science from Louisiana State University.  His work in the last 9 years has focused on the intersection of Big Data, Machine Learning and IoT. Once a passionate hobby roboticist, he hasn’t gone near one in years after 9 of the 12 machines he built from scratch for a swarm robotics project wouldn’t play nice and fried their circuit boards.

• Rose Luckin – Professor of Learner Centred Design, UCL, Founder, EDUCATE Ventures Research 

 

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. She was named as one of the 20 most influential people in education in the Seldon List in 2017, the only non-US winner of the ISTE Impact Award, and one of Computer Weekly’s top 50 most influential women in technology for 2023. Rose regularly provides expert evidence to policymakers like the UK Parliament’s House of Lords and House of Commons select committees and the European Commission. Rose has published widely in academic journals, at international conferences, through books, and in news media (TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines). Her 2018 book, Machine Learning and Human Intelligence: The Future of Education for the 21st Century, has been translated into Mandarin and influenced many of China’s leading AI companies. Her most recent book, AI for School Teachers (2022), is an essential and accessible guide to AI for anyone in education.

Host

• Rowland Wells, Creative Producer, EVR

 

A good story might write itself, but not without organisation.  Running events, relationship managing your community, penning Tweets, SOPs, agendas, and coordinating projects is what Rowland does best, and they have been doing it since 2003.  An occasional welfare officer, waterer and potter of office flora, AV technician, note-taker and EdTech crackerjack, Rowland also specialises in recruitment, quality management, pitch decks, graphic design, marcomms, and storytelling.  Outside Educate Ventures Research their activities include the hunt for 90s techno, YouTube vlogging, singing and music production, the rescue of tired bumblebees, and they are the comic artist and writer for their creator-owned space opera. 

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