The Education Authority of Northern Ireland has chosen Nurture as their assessment and feedback technology provider as part of a cloud-based educational solution across 1,100 schools, benefiting over 20,000 teachers and 345,000 students in Northern Ireland. This decision follows a state tender process, culminating in a 10-year agreement which will replace the current service with a cloud-based solution that promises to enhance teaching and learning in schools.
The procurement process, completed in December 2023, identified Nurture as a key component in transforming how teachers and students work together in the classroom; both in-person and digitally. With research collaborations with institutions like Trinity College Dublin and Stanford University, and integration with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Nurture helps to close the feedback loop between teachers and students with a pedagogy-led approach. It leverages the latest in generative AI functionality to save substantial time for teachers so that they can personalise their interaction with their students.
The objectives of the Nurture solution include:
- Putting the learner at the centre of the service
- Improved efficiency and productivity to assist teachers with assessment and feedback
- Embedding research and pedagogy into the technology used for teaching and learning
- Provide an Assessment Solution integrated and accessible within the online learning platforms used by schools in Northern Ireland
David Neville, CEO of Nurture, commented
"We are incredibly excited to support the Education Authority in Northern Ireland with Nurture. This agreement is a significant step toward transforming the experience for teachers and students in Northern Ireland - putting research and pedagogy at the core of how technology and AI can enhance teaching and learning. With the rapid developments in generative AI, we are focusing on improving the lives of teachers - not to replace them, but to give them the time to do the work that only teachers can do through the human connection they build with their students.”
Kate Maxwell, Education Industry Lead at Microsoft, added:
“Our collaboration with Nurture showcases our shared commitment to enabling greater equity in education through technology. Bringing AI innovation to Education and supporting partners in developing and deploying AI in a responsible manner is central to our approach and commitment to responsible AI. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on the teaching and learning experience.”
This marks a significant shift towards modernising education, aiming to leverage the fullpotential of AI and technology to enhance the teaching and learning experience for teachersand students.
