Spotlight On: Celebrating AI in Action in PE
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Ofqual’s recent blog post on talking to students about AI in coursework is a welcome and important contribution to the national conversation about artificial intelligence in education. It highlights a reality that many schools are already grappling with: AI is now embedded in students’ learning lives, whether institutions are ready for it or not. The key message from Ofqual is simple but powerful: rules alone are not enough. If we want students to act responsibly with AI, they must understand what it is, how it works, and when its use is appropriate.
Students are already using AI
Across schools and colleges, learners are experimenting with AI tools for homework, coursework, revision and research. Some use them thoughtfully, while others use them as shortcuts. The difference between those two behaviours often comes down to guidance and understanding. Ignoring the technology or attempting to ban it outright is unlikely to succeed. Students have easy access to powerful tools outside school, and without structured conversations they will simply navigate them alone. As the AI in Education community has long argued, AI literacy must become a core part of modern education. Our work with schools shows that when students are taught how AI systems work - including their limitations, bias and potential misuse - they develop a far more critical approach to using them.
Coursework integrity depends on understanding
Ofqual is right to emphasise that conversations between teachers and students are essential to maintaining trust in qualifications. When expectations around AI use are unclear, both learners and teachers face uncertainty.
Schools need clear guidance on questions such as:
- When is AI-assisted work acceptable?
- What counts as original student work?
- How should AI support research, drafting or feedback?
These questions cannot be answered through enforcement alone. They require transparent policies, shared expectations and ongoing dialogue.
Building AI literacy across the whole school
At AI in Education, we believe that responsible AI use in coursework is part of a wider institutional challenge. Schools need a coherent approach that brings together:
- Leadership and policy
- Teacher professional learning
- Student AI literacy
- Safeguarding and data protection
- Assessment practice
Our AiEd Certified Framework was designed precisely to support this kind of whole-institution approach, helping schools move from ad-hoc experimentation with AI to structured and ethical implementation. A key principle of the framework is that teachers and students must both understand AI’s potential and its limitations. When learners are taught to question AI outputs, evaluate sources and recognise bias, AI becomes a tool for deeper learning rather than a shortcut.
The opportunity ahead
The emergence of AI in coursework raises difficult questions for the education system, but it also creates an opportunity.
Handled well, AI could strengthen important learning behaviours such as:
- Critical thinking
- Independent research
- Reflective writing
- Digital and ethical literacy
These are precisely the capabilities students will need in an AI-enabled world.
The conversation must continue
Ofqual’s blog is an important step in encouraging schools to talk openly with students about AI use. But this conversation must extend beyond individual classrooms. Schools, exam boards, policymakers and organisations like AI in Education all have a role in shaping a shared understanding of responsible AI use in learning and assessment. AI is not going away. The challenge now is to ensure that students learn not just how to use AI - but how to use it wisely.