Perspectives
AI in EdTech: making room for better teaching
AI can help with lesson preparation, learning materials and feedback. Its value depends on how well it serves teachers and learners.
Artificial intelligence is opening new possibilities for education technology. For schools and training providers, the useful question is where it can help people teach and learn more effectively. At AGES, we see the strongest starting point in practical tasks, clear learning goals, and teachers who remain in control.
Start with a real teaching task
A teacher preparing a lesson might use AI to draft practice questions, suggest another explanation of a difficult concept, or organise an initial set of learning activities. These are starting points for professional review. The teacher still needs to check the answers, adjust the language, and decide whether the material fits the class.
This changes what institutions should look for in an EdTech product. Generating content quickly is useful only when educators can inspect it, revise it, and connect it to the curriculum. A tool should make that review straightforward.
Design for the people who will use it
A promising demonstration is only the beginning. For Tanzanian institutions, implementation needs to account for language, available devices, connectivity, and the time teachers have to learn a new system. Content should use relevant examples and support the intended learning level.
UNESCO’s guidance on generative AI calls for a human-centred approach, including attention to privacy, inclusion, and the educational suitability of tools. Its AI competency framework for teachers also makes professional learning part of the picture. Institutions need people who can question an output and recognise when a tool is unsuitable.
Try, review and improve
A sensible pilot begins with a narrow use case: for example, supporting a small group of teachers with lesson preparation. Agree what to examine before starting—accuracy, usefulness, teacher workload, and the quality of the learning activities produced.
Teachers should have a way to report errors and influence improvements. Learner information also needs careful handling; schools should establish what may be shared with a tool and who is responsible for reviewing its use.
Where AGES contributes
AGES brings together educator development, localisation, and software implementation. That can mean helping an institution assess a tool, adapt content, connect a platform to existing systems, or develop a custom application.
The aim is a service that fits the institution and supports learning over time. AI is one part of that work, alongside good teaching, reliable systems, and ongoing support.