Shikshan Copilot: An innovative and impactful AI-powered digital assistant for teachers

Teachers in public or private schools must plan classes and activities for different grades and teach a large number of students with varying abilities and needs. Microsoft Research in India has collaborated with the Shikshana Foundation to develop an AI-powered digital assistant for teachers that caters to their needs in order to make their work easier and more effective. Teaching is a rewarding and challenging profession, but it also takes a lot of time and effort.

The AI-powered digital assistant for teachers is called Shikshan Copilot, and it uses advanced generative AI models to create personalized learning experiences for students. Shikshan Copilot can integrate multiple content formats, such as text, images, videos, charts, and other interactive elements, to make the lessons more engaging and relevant. Shikshan Copilot can also connect to both public and private resource content, to provide the teachers with a variety of options and sources.

Shikshan Copilot is easy to use and accessible for teachers. They can access it through WhatsApp, Telegram, or web applications, and communicate with it using natural language and voice-based interactions, in both English and Kannada. Shikshan Copilot is currently being used in 10 government schools around Bengaluru, and will soon be available across Karnataka.

How AI-powered digital assistant helps plan and deliver lessons

Shikshan Copilot helps teachers save time and effort in planning and delivering lessons. Teachers can tell Shikshan Copilot what they want to teach, and the AI-powered digital assistant for teachers will generate a lesson plan for them, based on the curriculum and the learning objectives. The lesson plan will include objectives, key points, activities, assessments, and feedback. Teachers can also modify or customize the lesson plan according to their preferences and needs.

Shikshan Copilot also helps teachers deliver the lessons in an interactive and effective way. Teachers can use Shikshan Copilot to create PowerPoint presentations, quizzes, games, and other multimedia content, to make the lessons more fun and engaging for the students. Shikshan Copilot can also provide real-time feedback and guidance to the teachers and the students, to enhance the learning outcomes and address the learning gaps.

How Shikshan Copilot benefits teachers and students

Shikshan Copilot has received positive feedback from the teachers and the students who have used it. Parimala HV, who teaches science for grades 6 to 8 in Kannada at Government Higher Primary School, Santhe Beedhi in Devanahalli, said that Shikshan Copilot has made her work more accessible and more enjoyable.

“Before, I had to spend an hour or more each day, to prepare a lesson plan. Even searching the internet for ideas was overwhelming. The new tool is very useful for new teachers. I think it could revolutionize the way teachers teach.”

Gireesh KS, another teacher who teaches in a school near Devanahalli, said that Shikshan Copilot has improved the learning environment and student engagement.

“With the digital assistant, I can make PowerPoint within minutes to create an interactive atmosphere for the students. The students are more interested and attentive in the class. They also learn better and faster with the multimedia content and the feedback.”

Shikshan Copilot is an innovative and impactful example of how AI can transform education and empower teachers and students. Shikshan Copilot is the result of the collaboration between Microsoft Research and Shikshana Foundation, who share a common vision of improving the quality and accessibility of education in India.

Akshay Nambi, Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, explained how they developed the AI-powered digital assistant for teachers using generative AI models such as Large Language Models (LLMs).

“This grounding is enabled by ingesting relevant data with the help of state-of-the-art optical character recognition, computer vision, and generative AI models. It was also important to use natural language and voice-based interactions including English and Kannada.”

How does Shikshan Copilot ensure privacy and security?

The AI-powered digital assistant respects the privacy and security of the teachers and the students, and follows these principles:

• Shikshan Copilot does not record or use the chats with the teachers for model training or any other purpose.
• Shikshan Copilot does not access or store any personal or sensitive information of the teachers or the students, such as names, addresses, or grades.
• Shikshan Copilot only accesses the content and context the teachers explicitly provide or authorize, such as textbooks, videos, or curriculum objectives.
• Shikshan Copilot encrypts and protects the data that it uses with state-of-the-art technologies and protocols, such as optical character recognition, computer vision, and generative AI models.
• Shikshan Copilot complies with the existing privacy, security, and compliance commitments of Microsoft, the Shikshana Foundation, and the government schools that use it.

Shikshan Copilot is intended to improve the educational experience and empower teachers and students while protecting their data security and privacy. Shikshan Copilot is a reliable and responsible AI solution that adheres to the UN’s and the AI Advisory Body’s ethical and social standards.