The Role of Teachers in Refining AI: A Teacher in the Loop Approach to Educational Resource Development

The Bootcamp on Introduction to the AI-Powered OER Generator was held on 12 April 2025 at the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), a nodal agency of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in New Delhi, India. It was organised under the ongoing Teacher in the Loop AI (TiL-AI) initiative by COL’s regional centre, the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA) in collaboration with CIET-NCERT. The event brought together over 70 mathematics educators, participating both online and offline, to explore the potential of AI in harnessing their expertise to co-create educational resources that truly support teachers working in resource constrained settings.

The day began with an Inaugural Session, featuring welcome remarks by Dr B. Shadrach, Director, COL-CEMCA, who congratulated the winners of the TiL-AI Open Math Challenge. In his address, he highlighted the importance of building a community of educators committed to enhancing mathematics learning through real-world applications. He encouraged the participants to contribute their knowledge via an AI-enabled, open educational resource (OER) generator for the wider teaching community, especially those educating students in under-resourced rural areas. 

In a keynote address, Professor Amarendra P. Behera, Joint Director, CIET-NCERT, aligned the initiative with NEP 2020 and SDG 4, advocating technology integration in teaching, learning, and assessment. He elaborated on AI’s transformative role in curriculum design, personalised learning, and inclusive education, citing NCERT’s efforts like the Diksha platform and various AI bots for educators, learners, and parents. He invited the participants to be a part of technology-enabled NCERT initiatives.

Both dignitaries emphasised the need to integrate teacher experience with emerging AI tools to support resource-constrained classrooms. Subsequently, a special Certificate Distribution Ceremony recognised outstanding teacher contributions to the TiL-AI Open Math Challenge. From over 170 submitted resources, 14 exemplary ones were shortlisted and the educators behind them were felicitated by Dr Shadrach, and Professor Behera.

The participants engaged in a peer review exercise, collaboratively evaluating the resources created during the challenge. This was followed by insights and reflections on the AI-powered OER Generator Tool, including its features, limitations, and scope for improvement.

In the afternoon session, the teachers engaged in a structured hands-on activity using the AI-powered OER Generator Tool. As part of this activity, they developed multiple educational resources for Grade 9 Mathematics, tailored the content to suit their classroom needs, and curated the resources accordingly. In a subsequent peer review round, these curated resources were swapped and reviewed by another set of teachers to ensure their applicability across diverse classroom contexts.

This collaborative cycle of creation, curation, and cross-review highlighted the critical role of teachers in shaping AI tools that are relevant, inclusive, and grounded in real classroom scenarios. The session concluded with a feedback exercise, where teachers shared practical insights and suggestions to further refine and enhance the AI tool.

This bootcamp reaffirmed the importance of teacher involvement in the development of AI-based educational solutions, ensuring that technology remains a meaningful and responsive aid in the teaching-learning process.