AI4AfL- Artificial Intelligence for Assessment for Learning to Improve Learning and Teaching in 21st Century

New Video: How Does the EAT Technology Work?

We have developed an informational video showcasing EAT – Essay Assessment Technology, a tool for automatic individually tailored feedback on student writing.

EAT has been developed as part of AI4AfL research project and offers insight into how artificial intelligence can support formative assessment and contribute to students’ writing development. The technology analyzes texts and provides individual, automated feedback on language, content, structure and organisation – and has the potential to become a valuable tool in future assessment practices.

Essay Assessment Technology - EAT English

New Video: The Design Principles Behind the EAT Technology

How can technology support students’ writing development in a pedagogically grounded way? In this video, we present the seven design principles behind Essay Assessment Technology (EAT), developed through the AI4AfL project. Inspired by classical learning theory, these principles show how EAT integrates assessment into the learning process, fosters reflection, and supports collaboration between students and teachers.

The video offers a clear and concise explanation of how technology can serve as a meaningful aid in writing instruction—not as a replacement for the teacher, but as a tool that enhances the work of both students and educators.

EAT DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Why EAT Matters – A New Path for Assessment and Learning with AI

At a time when artificial intelligence challenges traditional assessment and teaching practices, EAT (Essay Assessment Technology) offers a new, pedagogically grounded alternative. This video highlights why banning AI from the classroom is not enough—we need to learn how to use the technology wisely.

EAT makes assessment an integral part of the learning process. With automated, constructive feedback provided throughout the writing process, students are supported in developing reflection, writing skills, and awareness of their own learning. For teachers, it creates more space for guidance and insight into students' development—not just evaluation of a final product.

How AI can Enhance Learning

About the project

The AI4AfL is an interdisciplinary project that will combine the efforts of the pedagogy, IT researchers and Hypatia Learning company to achieve the projects’ goals. Two PhD candidates will be employed in the project affiliated with the Faculty of Teacher Education and Languages and the Faculty of Computer Sciences, Engineering and Economics at Østfold University College.

Understanding how to go about learning to be able to engage in lifelong learning is crucial for learners in the 21^st century. Assessment for learning (AfL) is one of the strategies to develop such an understanding with learners and it has been a priority area in Norwegian schools since 2010. However, educational practice shows that AfL is extremely time and resource consuming process. In addition, teachers need to develop their profound understanding of the AfL approach to be able to design meaningful activities for learners to enhance their understanding of the target concepts and their capacity in learning to learn.

In summary, the AI4AfL project will foster collaboration among research environments, a private company Hypatia Learning and schools in Halden Municipality. Such collaboration is vital not only to develop technology that supports pedagogical practice but also to minimise the gap between the developers of educational technology, teachers and students who are consumers of such technology. In doing so, the project’s participants will contribute to develop new knowledge about how AI can improve pedagogical practice and students’ learning in Norwegian classrooms.

Østfold University College has received an extra grant from the Research Council of Norway for the qualification project ACE-TL21, which aims to commercialize technology developed in the AI4AfL research project.

Project period

01.11.2021 - 31.10.2026

Project type

Collaborative and Knowledge-building Project

Objectives

The project Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Assessment for Learning (AfL) to Improve Learning and Teaching in 21st Century (AI4AfL) aims to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that is able to analyse students’ texts and offer semantic, syntactic and sentimental feedback. Such feedback is tailored to the needs of each individual student and can be used to improve learners’ written texts. In addition, the AI technology will help teachers to facilitate students’ writing process and address their individual needs.

The project also aims (i) to examine how students interact with the technology and the feedback it offers and (ii) how teachers organise and facilitate students’ learning during the writing process with the AI technology. In doing so, the project will develop new knowledge about students’ learning in the writing process with the AI technology, teachers’’ facilitating of such process and the development of students’ capacity in learning to learn.

Funding

Total budget- 19,1 million NOK. From Research Council of Norway - 11,2 million NOK 

Partners

Høgskolen i Østfold 
Høgskolen i Volda 
HYPATIA LEARNING
HALDEN KOMMUNE- UNDERVISNING OPPVEKST OG KULTUR

Publications

Engeness, I., Gamlem, S.M. Exploring AI-Driven Feedback as a Cultural Tool: A Cultural-Historical Perspective on Design of AI Environments to Support Students’ Writing Process. Integr. psych. behav. 59, 23 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-025-09894-8

Krange, I., Segaran, M., Gamlem, S., Moltudal, S., & Engeness, I. (2023). A Triple Challenge: Students’ Identification, Interpretation, and Use of Individualized Automated Feedback in Learning to Write English as a Foreign. Interaction Design & Architecture (s)–IxD&A Journal, (56). DOI: 10.55612/s-5002-059-001