University of Sydney launches Cogniti AI teaching platform on Microsoft Marketplace

The educator-controlled system lets teachers create course-specific AI agents for feedback, simulations and problem-solving, following use across Sydney courses and nursing trials in New Zealand

Professor Danny Liu, architect of the Cogniti AI education platform. Credit: University of Sydney

The University of Sydney has launched its Cogniti AI education platform on Microsoft Marketplace, extending access to a system that allows educators to create course-specific AI agents using their own teaching approaches and materials.

Cogniti agents can provide personalized feedback on student work, run simulated scenarios and guide students through complex problems. Each agent is configured by an educator and aligned with the curriculum, teaching practices and course content they select.

Hundreds of University of Sydney educators are already using Cogniti across subjects including Engineering, Science, languages and cultures.

Cogniti has also been trialed by nursing educators at Unitec, Manukau Institute of Technology and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in New Zealand. The institutions created three agents covering drug calculations, patient deterioration and the de-escalation of situations involving distressed patients.

The Microsoft Marketplace listing provides a new route for institutions outside the University of Sydney to access Cogniti. The university has not disclosed pricing, licensing arrangements or any technical requirements for organizations adopting the platform.

Educators control course-specific AI agents

Professor Danny Liu, Cogniti’s architect at the University of Sydney, says educators retain control over how AI is used within individual courses: "We hear a lot about the importance of giving educators the ability to be in the driver's seat. We're giving them a tool where they can control how AI can be used effectively, because they're the experts in their curriculum and teaching practices."

University of Sydney Engineering and Science educators have used Cogniti agents to summarize technical information, quiz students and provide immediate feedback.

In the School of Languages and Cultures, educators have created agents that allow students to practice conversations in different languages at a level matched to their existing skills.

The platform’s structure means individual educators determine the instructions, source materials and teaching approach used by each agent, rather than relying on a single general-purpose AI assistant across multiple courses.

Nursing trials use AI for clinical scenarios

The nursing trial in New Zealand focused on scenarios that students can find difficult to practice under pressure.

One agent allowed students to work through drug calculations. A second simulated a patient whose condition deteriorated unless the student identified the problem and requested an appropriate intervention. The third was designed to help students practice de-escalating tense situations involving distressed patients.

Dr. James Oldfield, Manager of Digital Learning at Unitec, described the experience of one student using the drug calculation agent: "We had a student who was very nervous about coming into the maths-heavy part of their study. They really took to working with the [drug calculations] agent, spent quite a bit of time with it, and essentially aced the test. They came back to the teacher with very positive, unsolicited feedback."

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is also introducing AI agents in other subject areas. According to the university, most student interactions with the agents take place outside standard business hours.

"Students are juggling many competing demands," says Jonathan Adams, Education Technology Advisor at Toi Ohomai. "Having these sorts of tools available around the clock means students can get help exactly when they need it."

Cogniti is now listed on Microsoft Marketplace for organizations interested in adopting the platform.