Northern Ireland’s Department of Education announces national research study on the role of AI in advancing student literacy
The new research initiative, led by Oxford Brookes University, will evaluate evidence-based artificial intelligence (AI) reading interventions to support students and inform Northern Ireland’s literacy policy.
The national research study will use Amira Learning, an AI-powered literacy tool, to asses the impact of AI interventions on learning outcomes, with a particular focus on disadvantaged students and those with Special Educational Needs (SEND).
The study will use a matched-pair design to identify rigorous, policy-relevant evidence to inform national literacy policy and support targeted interventions.
More than 15,000 students will complete a 15 minute baseline assessment to evaluate their literacy skills and identity potential challenges. The assessment will use Amira’s AI technology to listen to students reading aloud and spit reading challenges.
Throughout the duration of the study, pupils will engage with Amira’s AI-assisted reading tutor for frequent sessions, totalling 20-40 minutes each week over a 12 month period.
Teachers will also receive face-to-face and online training from Oxford Brooks University, helping them learn how to interpret assessment data from Amira and identify struggling readers. They will be asked to implement individualized, evidence-based targeted interventions.
This new approach supports the ongoing shift toward evidence-based tools for improving reading outcomes, while providing data-driven insights to inform both classroom practice and broader educational policy decisions.
"This study gives us a chance to rigorously test how tools like Amira can support what we already know works in primary reading,” comments Professor Tim Vorley, Pro Vice-Chancellor at Oxford Brookes University. “It's about applying the evidence, not replacing it—with technology that complements and boosts the professionalism of the teachers, rather than competing with it."
Northern Ireland’s Minister of Education, Paul Givan MLA, adds: "Literacy is core to allowing pupils to access knowledge and all areas of learning within the curriculum. It is the key to unlocking the curriculum and a love for learning. I am looking forward to the outcomes of this research project and how these can inform my Department's policy going forward."
"Literacy is the foundation of all learning, and it's critical that we ground our efforts in evidence-based practices that actually move the needle for students. This study is an important opportunity to show how AI and the Science of Reading can come together to deliver real, measurable impact in the classroom. At Amira, we're proud to support educators with reading solutions that are not only research-backed, but proven in practice,” says Mark Angel, CEO at Amira.
