Bottling the lightning: An inclusive and AI-powered learning environment

By Scott Hayden, Head of Teaching, Learning and Digital,
Basingstoke College of Technology.

Finalist for the Jisc Award for Effective Use of Digital Technology in FE at the 2025 Beacon Awards.

Our 'AI and Empathy' programme is a response to a student, Benjamin, who on a January 2023 inset day (while Ofsted were in) asked over 200 educators in one room what we were doing about artificial intelligence as part of an assessment panel discussion and asked us what students were allowed to do with AI.

Student digital leaders like Benjamin are central to our student-led approach to well-being and safety, digital integration, and teaching excellence. The programme aims to equip staff and then students with the support and confidence to navigate the digital world deliberately and intentionally.

Bottling the lightning: an inclusive and AI-powered learning environment.

At Basingstoke College of Technology, we are continually ‘empathy mapping’ and listening to teachers and diverse learners (16-18 year-olds, adults, and many with complex needs) to see how AI can help them and how we can give them what they need to move forward and control what we can control about AI.

2023/24 highlights:

• We turned on Google’s Gemini for Teachers tool in May 2023 and through weekly sessions focused on prompting for sequence of learning creation, resource development, and assessment/feedback pilots (alongside Google's AI for Educators course), we have developed a culture of curious, sceptical and effective technology integration.

• Our Level 3 and 5 education and training learners are now equipped to leverage AI to enhance their practice.

2024/25 focus:

• Over 1000 learners completed the 'AI @ BCoT' online module with an 80% pass rate. This 'drivers licence' for responsible AI use, a prerequisite for accessing the Gemini tool, empowers students with essential skills and knowledge and has a section helping learners be mindful of spotting deep fakes starring our Principal, Anthony Bravo (and his digital twin). Level 1 and higher education learners will complete the module this term.

Sharing our expertise:

• We have reached over 4,164 individuals from businesses, colleges, and universities, disseminating best practices for AI in education. This includes delivering a keynote presentation at the Baltics Vocational Colleges conference in Estonia and collaborating with Welsh principals to showcase our innovative approaches.

• AI is key to creating inclusive learning environments, particularly for students with English as a second language (ESOL), including refugees and asylum seekers. Through AI-powered translation (documents, slides, and videos) and personalised support, we ensure everyone feels welcome and understood.

AI is transforming learning at BCoT, making it more personalised, engaging, and accessible.

• In lesson observations we are regularly seeing AI transform learning, making it more personalised, for example, “Explain X to me like I am 10 years old by using examples that relate to my interest and career aspirations which are Y and Z”.

• We are developing a clear roadmap that includes an AI-powered assessment feedback bot, to be shared with the further education (FE) sector, providing tailored feedback to learners and freeing up staff time.

• All curriculum teams will receive quality assured AI-enhanced feedback training in 2025.

• Benjamin, our student AI pioneer, is now on staff developing and delivering an advanced AI module for small and medium enterprises (SME’s).

• In 2025, we will present at a Department for Education national conference, five keynote events, and partner with Empathy Week 2025, a global movement reaching thousands, to upskill teachers worldwide.

Upskilling Educators to Empower Learners

• We have provided 110 teachers with the skills to use AI effectively, leading to increased confidence, innovative teaching methods, and an average of 5.43 hours of time saved per week.

• 76% of BCoT educators agree or strongly agree that AI tools such as Gemini, Canva, and NotebookLM are driving increased student engagement and developing more enriching learning experiences.

• 81% indicate agreement or strong agreement that AI has improved educators' performance in their roles.

• 69% of our staff agree that AI has enabled more efficient assessment practices.

• 64% of our staff have adapted existing teaching models or implemented entirely new ones using AI, with 89% highlighting significant benefits like improved efficiency and a wealth of creative lesson ideas.

By harnessing AI with empathy, meeting staff and students where they are, we are trying our best to nurture human skills and creating a more inclusive and effective learning experience.