Only Half a Year Left Until Implementation, but the 'Underdeveloped AI Textbook'... Even in Field Demonstrations, "I Don't Understand"

Final Certification Announcement Delayed Until Late November
Only Prototypes Demonstrated at 'Edutech Fair'
Teachers Say "Still Insufficient for Field Use"

"We cannot yet reveal the complete version of the digital textbook, so not all functions are in place."

At the '2024 EduTech Korea Fair' held from the 23rd to the 25th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, the Ministry of Education exhibited and supported demonstrations and experiences of an AI (Artificial Intelligence) digital textbook prototype. Although the government plans to introduce AI digital textbooks by March next year, less than six months away, the complete digital textbooks are still not available for review in the field.

From the 23rd to the 25th, government ministries such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, along with various education company officials, attended the '2024 Edutech Korea Fair' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Jun Lee Park]

The event venue was filled with various education sector stakeholders and on-site teachers, including representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Through the tablet PCs displayed at the Ministry of Education’s experience booth, teachers could view sample screens and textbook examples that students could use. The content that can be seen in paper textbooks is implemented exactly on the tablet PC screen, allowing students to solve problems, receive grading, and view solution explanations.

The teacher’s screen includes a feature where an AI assistant summarizes each student’s learning status and helps the teacher deliver instructional content to students. It also allows viewing each student’s individual progress and response details.

From the 23rd to the 25th, the Ministry of Education demonstrated a prototype of the AI digital textbook at the '2024 Edutech Korea Fair' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Park Joon-yi]

However, on-site stakeholders repeatedly emphasized that the exhibited program is a prototype version and will differ from the digital textbooks actually used in schools. This is because the final approval announcement for the digital textbooks to be used in schools starting next year will be made on November 29. While companies continue to demonstrate digital textbook technologies, it remains undecided which textbooks each school will use and what specific functions will be utilized.

The sample screens available at the event showed difficulty in switching between subjects and grade levels, and only partial lesson content was included for each subject. A teacher who experienced the prototype technology on-site said, "It still seems insufficient for practical use in the field," adding, "It feels like about 60% of the level of commercial learning management systems like Google LMS." He added, "If an improved version that can replace Google is released, I would be willing to use it."

The event gathered not only government booths but also various textbook publishers, EduTech developers, and related companies in one place. Textbook publishers currently undergoing digital textbook approval reviews showcased technologies that teachers can use as instructional aids in addition to materials that will be used in the actual digital textbooks.

From the 23rd to the 25th, at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an official explained the "Teacher-Led Classroom Revolution" plan utilizing edutech at the '2024 EduTech Korea Fair.'
[Photo by Park Joon-yi]

A representative from Publisher A explained, "Electronic materials are resources that can support printed textbooks, but in our case, we developed it so that the entire textbook content can be delivered just by playing the electronic materials," adding, "We structured the lessons to be easy to understand by utilizing images, videos, and interactive experiences."

Not only publishers but also AI digital textbook platform developers participated in the technology demonstrations. They also expressed a sense of uncertainty about the AI digital textbook promotion process. A representative from Developer B said, "We don’t know which technology the Ministry of Education will adopt," explaining, "We can only try to develop well and pass the approval." He added, "We have tried to leverage only the strengths of digital technology to prevent issues such as the decline in literacy skills that parents and teachers are concerned about."