Explore Learning report warns weak evidence in AI tools could risk student development

AIResearchSchools

10 Mar

White paper from UK tuition provider Explore Learning calls for stronger scientific evidence in AI-driven learning tools as adoption accelerates across education.

Explore Learning has warned that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence in education could risk student learning outcomes if tools are implemented without strong scientific evidence or educational theory.

The warning appears in a new white paper from the UK-based tuition provider examining how AI is being integrated into learning environments. The report argues that while AI offers opportunities to support personalized learning, poorly designed systems could weaken critical thinking, undermine confidence, and lead to overreliance on automated guidance.

Explore Learning says the debate comes at a time when governments, schools, and EdTech companies are accelerating the use of AI tools across teaching, assessment, and student support.

Evidence and assessment remain central

The report argues that meaningful personalization depends on accurate and ongoing assessment of a student’s understanding rather than simple automated recommendations.

According to the paper, many AI learning tools prioritize easily measurable performance metrics over deeper indicators of learning. Explore Learning suggests this can create what the report describes as “metric fixation,” where educational progress is reduced to simplified outcomes rather than broader cognitive development.

Lisa Haycox, CEO of Explore Learning, says stronger evidence standards are needed as AI adoption expands across education: “The UK’s education system is under greater pressure than ever, and AI has significant potential to alleviate these challenges, but only when backed by strong evidence and proven to improve outcomes, with the same rigour we expect of any educational intervention.”

Haycox adds that tools lacking rigorous testing risk creating misleading signals about student progress: “The research is clear: poorly designed tools risk a mirage of false mastery, where short-term gains disappear when the technology is removed.”

Potential support for SEND learners

While the report highlights risks, it also identifies areas where carefully designed AI systems could support learning.

Explore Learning points to growing pressure on support systems for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The company reports a 35 percent increase in SEND students accessing its tuition services between 2024 and 2025.

The white paper suggests evidence-based AI systems may help identify learning difficulties earlier and adjust tasks to match individual learning needs.

Dr Hisham Ihshaish, Head of Data and AI at Explore Learning, says the company’s approach has focused on applying established learning theory to AI system design.

“At Explore Learning, the question has never been whether to use AI, but how,” he says. “Our technology is grounded in established learning theories and informed by 25 years of longitudinal learner data.”

Ihshaish explains that the company’s platform attempts to model not only what students know but how they learn over time: “The latest updates to Compass 2.0 dynamically model not just what children know, but how they learn and the pace at which they develop, recalibrating scaffolding in real time.”

Human educators remain central

The report concludes that AI is most effective when used alongside human educators rather than replacing them.

Explore Learning argues that while technology can help support foundational learning skills, human oversight remains critical to interpret progress and manage the limitations of algorithmic systems.

Haycox says debate around AI in education should focus on balancing innovation with evidence: “We cannot forfeit children’s futures for hype, and we should continue to encourage healthy debate to guard against this, while embracing the full potential of transformative technology.”