WA students are using AI. How can schools make sure they’re still learning?

Artificial intelligence is plaguing schools across Western Australia – and English teacher Peter Fallon has seen it become more prevalent in the past year as a way for students to “get an edge”.

But Fallon, who works mostly with year 11 and 12 students at Carey Baptist College, in Perth’s south, doesn’t hate AI.

Rather, he wants students to work with it and learn how to use it ethically to help them succeed.

“We have had challenges with academic integrity, and so we have to reimagine assessments in English to ensure there is proof of learning,” Fallon said.

“We tried pen-and-paper exams this year, and it worked to an extent, but it disadvantaged certain students with different learning needs.

“We also had cases where students would research the types of questions they might get asked, then run them through ChatGPT and memorise them in the hope something similar would appear in the test.”

Fallon said instead of resorting to old-school methods, it was better to reinvent the ways students were tested.

The best thing, he said, was to assess students throughout the learning process – on brainstorming and draft assignments, and also on how well their final product matched those earlier stages of work.

“We also need to look at the kind of assessments we create. Podcasts, presentations or videos are much harder to falsify through AI,” Fallon said.

“Using real-world context or life experiences are also key – things AI knows nothing about.

“We should also change the way we as teachers are marking. Things like creativity should be considered, rather than just how well a student can memorise something.”

Fallon said beyond making it harder to rely on AI, the techniques also had a positive impact on class engagement.

He said teachers could then incorporate forms of AI like Google’s Notebook LM into class, which allows students to ask questions and provides responses from uploaded source documents which in turn, teaches students the correct way to use AI for support.

Carey Baptist College was one of five schools to share insights into how it was using AI at an Association of Independent Schools WA Inspire event.

The event discussed ways independent schools were preparing young people for the future while also maintaining academic integrity.

The Fogarty Foundation, in partnership with the Beyond Boundaries Institute, also hosted the State of AI in WA Schools forum this month, with teachers, school leaders and education specialists tuning in alongside Education Minister Sabine Winton.

The forum featured representatives from 70 schools, including more than 25 regional, rural and remote educators from 10 schools, and explored the latest AI developments, ethical considerations, and practical classroom applications.

Fogarty Foundation chief executive Elizabeth Knight said teachers were “no strangers to new technologies promising to catalyse dramatic shifts in how we teach and learn”.

“From the calculator to the internet, iPads and interactive whiteboards, one thing is clear; whilst technology can enable transformation, it doesn’t guarantee it,” she said.

“Educational outcomes can be improved when teachers are well-equipped to harness new technologies to enhance, but never to replace great teaching.

“Fogarty Foundation is committed to ensuring that WA teachers and students aren’t left behind, by investing in professional learning to build critical AI literacy skills in the age of AI.”

AI expert Chris Bush, who also spoke at the forum, said teachers needed “protected time to learn and practice”.

“Schools need dedicated AI leadership to guide implementation,” he said.

“Disadvantaged schools need targeted funding so they aren’t left behind.

“Students need a voice in shaping how these tools work in their classrooms, and support to use them appropriately.”

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