A groundbreaking six-week pilot program in Nigeria demonstrated the transformative power of generative AI as a virtual tutor, boosting learning outcomes equivalent to two years of progress, bridging gender gaps and empowering students with lifelong digital skills. (Source: Image by RR)

Students Achieve Unprecedented Learning Gains through Generative AI Pilot Program

Generative AI has demonstrated significant potential in transforming education, as evidenced by a pilot program conducted at Edo Boys High School in Benin City, Nigeria. The program, which used AI to support after-school learning, enabled students like Omorogbe Uyiosa (“Uyi”) to experience AI as a personalized tutor, adaptable to their needs based on the prompts they created. This six-week intervention between June and July 2024 focused on improving English language skills, AI knowledge, and digital literacy. Students who participated in the program outperformed their peers, not only in the areas covered by the intervention but also on end-of-year curricular exams, showcasing the far-reaching benefits of engaging effectively with AI.

The program’s impact extended beyond academic performance. It significantly benefited girls, who initially lagged behind boys, underscoring AI’s potential to close gender gaps in education. As noted in blogs.worldbank.org, students who attended more sessions saw greater learning gains, with each additional day of attendance contributing to better outcomes. Despite challenges such as flooding, teacher strikes, and after-school work commitments, the program achieved remarkable results, improving learning outcomes by 0.3 standard deviations—equivalent to nearly two years of typical learning in just six weeks. This surpassed 80% of education interventions in the developing world, including highly regarded cost-effective strategies.

One of the most striking findings was the program’s ability to sustain and amplify learning gains as it progressed, suggesting that longer-term interventions could yield even more significant outcomes. The evaluation highlights the effectiveness of using generative AI as a virtual tutor, particularly when supported by teachers. This pilot program aligns with other successful AI-based educational initiatives worldwide, such as AI for coding in Turkey, teaching math via WhatsApp in Ghana and AI as a homework tutor.

While the results are promising, they raise important questions about the long-term effects, the broader applicability of AI across subjects, and the evolving roles of students and teachers in interacting with large language models (LLMs). Addressing these questions is critical for scaling up similar programs effectively and ensuring that AI serves as an empowering educational tool rather than a shortcut. Future research and dialogue, such as discussions at the recent World Bank Annual Meetings, will be essential in unlocking the full potential of generative AI in education.

read more at blogs.worldbank.org