VIEWS & OPINION
How cultural spaces can help to tackle inequality in our schools Comment by JENNY WALDMAN, Director of Art Fund
The newly elected Government will have multiple challenges to tackle in their first 100 days in office. At the forefront of their priorities, should be tackling educational and cultural inequality, and ensuring every young person has access to the opportunities they deserve.
Access to cultural spaces plays a key role in addressing educational inequality for children and young people. Museums and galleries offer opportunities for experiential learning,
cultural understanding, and social development. According to research from Arts Council England in 2022, participating in the arts may lead to improvements of cognitive learning for people of all ages. It can also boost self-esteem, and a UCL study found those who engage in arts activities scored 16-32% higher on self-esteem questions. The Cultural Learning Alliance furthermore reported that structured art activities enhance literacy and math skills with young people, and cognitive capabilities by 17%.
Everyone should have the right to engage with and participate in high- quality cultural spaces, such as museums and galleries, in their local region. According to Art Fund’s recent YouGov poll, 89% of UK adults believe museums are vital to UK culture and 62% consider education to be the most important role of local museums. Local museums provide a vital layer of UK-wide cultural infrastructure, that works in partnership with local authorities and education providers. Cultural education will equip children with skills that prepare them not just for work, but for life. Yet, the reality is that right now, many young people are not afforded these opportunities.
Art Fund research from 2023 highlights a troubling disparity: only 34% of pupils from less privileged backgrounds visit museums with their schools, compared to 47% from more affluent backgrounds. The pandemic has only exacerbated this divide, with a significant 36% drop in school-led museum visits. Positively, Art Fund’s Museum Directors Research 2024 has shown that visitor numbers are on the rise, with over half of venues at or above pre-pandemic levels. One of the biggest growth areas has been
in learning visits, with teachers and children re-engaging enthusiastically. However, this presents a task for the new Government, to ensure that the rising tide of cultural re-engagement lifts all boats, not just the privileged few. Otherwise, existing disparities may begin to grow.
So how can these growing inequalities be addressed? As part of the new Government’s agenda for the future of education, it must consider how access to cultural spaces can improve educational outcomes, and engage with the ways that museums and galleries can provide the tools to address educational inequalities. School museum visits are difficult for a number of reasons. This ranges from travel costs and covering classes, to planning time. To ensure all young people have access to culture, we need a stronger education system that supports trips and visits, especially for disadvantaged students.
To help tackle this problem and better connect teachers and museums, Art Fund launched the Teacher Art Pass. The highly subsidised pass offers all the benefits of Art Fund’s National Art Pass – including free entry to over 250+ museums, galleries and historical houses, up to 50% off exhibitions and guidance on what to visit. It aims to encourage more teachers to visit museums, allowing them to enrich their personal and professional lives, spark creativity and innovation in the classroom and positively influence the next generation to visit our museums and galleries. However, access to culture is an issue that requires state level support, and Art Fund is calling on Government to commit to ensuring that every schoolchild experiences a visit to a museum and gallery every year, within the national curriculum. Any reviews of the curriculum or assessment system should also include commitments to visiting cultural spaces.
The new Government has a series of challenges to tackle in the education sector, from school absences and teacher recruitment to digital capacity, infrastructure, and young people’s wellbeing, and cultural education may not be on top of their list. However, it is important to remember that cultural education and access to cultural spaces is a key part in creating a robust, fulfilling, and equal education system for all children. Every school pupil deserves the chance to thrive, regardless of their location, background or socioeconomic status. By prioritising educational equality, we can invest in a brighter future for all.
How AI is transforming exam season for teachers and students Comment by JOHN CLEEMAN, Executive Vice President of Learnosity
As exam season approaches, tension fills the air, not just for students facing high-stakes assessments, but also for the educators tasked with preparing them. This year, however, there’s an additional factor amplifying both anxiety and excitement: the widespread presence of artificial intelligence (AI).
AI has rapidly embedded itself in our daily lives, and the classroom is no exception. As an education technology expert, I’ve observed firsthand how this technological revolution is placing teachers at the epicentre of a growing dilemma. On one hand, AI promises to revolutionise teaching by freeing up valuable time and alleviating overwhelming workloads. On the other, it raises valid concerns about students’ ability to retain knowledge and the potential for compromised exam integrity.
However, I believe that viewing AI solely as a source of anxiety is a missed opportunity. Instead, we should explore how it can offer solutions to relieve stress for both teachers and students while addressing the fears. AI support
Consider the potential of AI in content creation. Learnosity’s Author Aide tool generates new assessment content in any subject, at any level, and in multiple languages. This dramatically accelerates the test creation process up to 10 times faster than manual creation. It is powered by GPT-4, which allows authors to use their own learning material so that content can be aligned with specific curricula, syllabuses, or standards. Human input is essential. AI can also help with grading students’ answers, acting as an additional reader, providing an initial scoring pass on student essays before passing them to the teacher for review. Learnosity is currently developing this, but it goes beyond just a score. We are also working towards the generation of
July/August 2024
specific feedback pointing out areas for improvement along with suggestions for elevating students’ writing.
Which leads me to my next point, the exciting promise of personalised learning. While we’re not quite there yet, AI holds large potential for tailoring education to individual student needs. Imagine a world where each student receives a customised learning path, with real-time adjustments based on their progress and areas of difficulty. This level of personalisation could revolutionise exam preparation, significantly reducing stress by ensuring students feel thoroughly prepared. Addressing fear
The more worrisome implications of AI on students’ development needs can be shifted in a positive direction when we recognise the demand for and emphasis of the uniquely human skills that will be needed moving forward. Skills such as critical thinking, interpersonal abilities, creativity, adaptability, ethical judgement, and leadership will need nurturing and will ensure students can thrive in a rapidly evolving, AI-augmented world. So how do we manage AI-enabled test fraud despite AI being promoted as being able to take tests and exams as well as humans? Similar to chess computers outplaying grandmasters, human intelligence remains invaluable. Just as chess tournaments adapted, we can evolve exams by implementing security measures and designing assessments that showcase uniquely human skills. We can also incorporate AI into some evaluations, allowing students to demonstrate their ability to collaborate with these tools—a crucial skill in our technology-driven world.
As we adapt our approach to education and assessment methods, we’re creating a system that supports teachers as well students. It does not just prepare students for exams; it equips them with the skills and mindset needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving, AI-integrated society.
www.education-today.co.uk 31
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