Qld schools trialling game-changing AI tool, Cerego

It’s the biggest technological advancement in education since the internet and calculator, now Queensland state schools are ready to embrace the AI revolution. Here’s how it works.

It’s the biggest technological advancement in education since the internet and calculator, now Queensland state schools are ready to embrace the AI revolution.

About 500 students and 25 teachers from 10 Queensland schools have embarked on a game changing trial of a new artificial intelligence teaching and learning tool called Cerego.

Unlike ChatGPT, which openly sources information, the platform brings in data from a digitised version of the full Queensland school curriculum, across subjects from English, humanities, accounting or physics.

The cutting-edge tech uses generative AI and machine-based learning to provide students with quiz-based lessons that are adjusted to meet their individual needs.

Not only does it keep teachers at the centre of the classroom, it has the power to reduce workloads and to better prepare students for life after school.

If successful, the trial could pave the way to develop resources and provide information for how AI technology is rolled out in Queensland state schools from 2024.

Education Minister Grace Grace said the explosion of AI could change the way schools teach and students learn - similar to how calculators and the internet transformed modern day classrooms.

“For teachers, AI is about saving time, reducing workload, and ensuring the technology is intuitive and easy to use,” Ms Grace said.

“For students it provides a tailored interactive learning experience that quickly adapts to their individual needs.

“And of course, while we need the right support, we need the right safeguards too. We can’t have a situation where private data is sold off, where academic integrity is compromised, or where AI is used to bully students or target teachers.”

Brisbane State High School students Indi Fletcher and Harris Zhong with teacher Aliska Bierman are taking part in the AI trial. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Brisbane State High School teacher Aliska Bierman said the beauty of the platform was its ability to cater to the needs of an individual, no matter their learning ability or progress.

“The more the platform learns to adapt to your students, so the more targeted the activities become and the better the outcomes,” Ms Bierman said.

“It’s individualised to the student, so depending on what they have learnt and retained, the platform will adapt to their needs.

“Students have enjoyed it. Because it’s adapted to them, they’re not doing things repetitively, they’re trying new things or the same thing in a new way.”

Year 12 students Harris Zhong and Indi Fletcher said it was exciting to be in the Class of 2023 swept up in the AI wave.

The Brisbane State High pair are part of 500 students across Years 5-12 trialling the platform.

Harris, who aims to study a bachelor of advanced finance and economics after graduating, said embracing AI was a huge step forward in education technology.

“I terms of AI, I think it’s a good approach in terms of developing understanding, especially for some specific niche as part of a concept that we want to explore further,” Harris said.

“I feel like that it can help us develop our knowledge and understanding of the concept.”

Indi said the quiz components of the program were quite engaging and helped students stay on the task at hand.

The trial is consistent with principles of the national framework that was agreed on in the Education Minister’s meeting on Thursday.