Welcome to today’s edition of the #24DaysOfAI Appvent Calendar! 

If you’re searching for a way to transform how writing is assessed in classrooms, Olex.AI might just be the solution you’ve been waiting for. This AI-driven platform offers educators a powerful toolset to provide personalised, class-level assessment and feedback on student writing, which aims to save valuable time and improve learning outcomes.

What is Olex.AI?

Olex.AI is an award-winning educational platform designed to revolutionise writing assessment. Developed with teachers in mind, it uses advanced generative AI alongside algorithms and processing, to deliver fast, detailed, and consistent feedback on student essays in English, History and RS. Beyond simple grading, Olex.AI analyses student work against exam standards or customisable rubrics, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, supporting learners in developing their writing skills and teachers with workload and targeted lesson planning. With single sign-on for Google and Microsoft, it’s easy to get onboarded and get up and running.

Recognised with the prestigious 2024 Bett Award for Primary Digital Learning Product in Language & Literacy, Olex.AI has already made waves in education. Its innovative approach is especially valuable in today’s classrooms, where time and resources are often stretched thin.

Key Features

• AI-Powered Feedback: Teachers can receive tailored feedback on student writing within minutes. This is not generic, surface-level advice, Olex.AI delves into each piece of work, aligning feedback with specific curriculum standards or individual teacher preferences.
• Multilingual Capabilities: To cater to increasingly diverse classrooms, Olex.AI offers feedback in students’ native languages. This ensures inclusivity and supports understanding for all learners.
• Illustrative Story Books: The platform doesn’t stop at feedback. It creates personalised, AI-generated illustrations for student writing, turning their essays into engaging story covers using their ‘Imaginator’ that captures their imagination. It will also generate class books using the same tool.
• Class-Level Insights: Teachers are provided with aggregated data on class performance in the moment and across a whole academic year, highlighting common trends, enabling targeted teaching strategies and ease of moderation.

Why is Olex.AI Perfect for Classrooms?

Streamlining Feedback

One of the most time-consuming tasks for any teacher is providing meaningful feedback on student writing. Olex.AI changes the game by delivering accurate, curriculum-aligned feedback in a fraction of the time it would take manually. For teachers managing multiple classes, this is a potential game-changer (without the gimmicks).

…meaning students can upload their handwritten work and still support workload reduction, the platform is great for schools with limited access to technology and younger learners.

Enhancing Engagement

Students thrive on recognition and creativity. The USP of Olex.AI to generate illustrations for their work drives greater descriptive writing as learners know that their writing will generate the imagery which helps to foster a sense of achievement and excitement when they get to see the finished images to go with their work. For younger learners in particular, seeing their ideas come to life in a visual format enhances their motivation and connection with their writing.

Empowering Inclusive Education

We always share that accessibility is essential for some but useful for all. The multilingual functionality in Olex.AI is for us, a standout feature. Forget closing the feedback loop in a timely fashion for a minute, for some learners, if language is a barrier they won’t even access the feedback. By breaking down language barriers, Olex.AI ensures that all students, regardless of their first language, have access to meaningful feedback they can understand and act on. The whole-class assessment and feedback back to teachers in minutes helps teachers to ensure that every child gets the same level of focus.

Emphasising Consistency, Objectivity, and Analysis

The latest feature in the Olex.AI arsenal is OlexAnalytics. Squarely aimed at providing information (rather than data – remembering that data is meaningless until it’s given context, this is what Olex does so well) at a macro level, OlexAnalytics helps standardise and moderate children’s writing with some lovely features. Allowing teachers and leaders to see data at a school, class, and individual student level, OlexAnalytics allows key stakeholders to assess, and moderate assessments further helping workload reduction whilst helping raise standards and consistency.

On the assessment and moderation piece, Teaching and Learning Leader, Hollie Benfield of Woodland Academy Trust recently posted on LinkedIn about Olex:

“I would’ve appreciated this 10 years ago when I first started teaching!! It’s amazing, isn’t it? I especially like the ability to moderate pieces of writing.”

Strengths and Limitations

What Makes Olex.AI Shine?

• Efficiency: Teachers reclaim marking time, close the feedback loop effectively, with inclusion in mind, and can focus on the next steps planning, intervention, and other activities.
• Consistency: Automated feedback ensures every student receives a fair and equal assessment, free from unconscious bias.
• Engagement: The Imaginator feature is a thoughtful addition, particularly for primary and early secondary learners.

Comparison to Other Tools

Unlike generic writing platforms or basic AI grammar checkers, Olex.AI focuses entirely on educational outcomes. Its emphasis on actionable feedback tailored to national curricula (so many are covered, across the different exam boards and increasingly, national curricula beyond that of the United Kingdom) makes it an excellent companion for schools aiming to combine pedagogy with innovative technology.

Cost and Accessibility

Olex.AI offers flexible subscription plans, making it accessible to schools of all sizes. Discounts are available for multi-academy trusts and larger institutions. A free trial is also available, giving you a chance to explore the platform before committing.

Final Thoughts

Olex.AI stands out as a tool that supports teachers, engages students, and fosters inclusivity in education. By blending cutting-edge AI technology with an educator-first ethos, Olex.AI redefines what’s possible in writing assessments.

Whether you’re looking to save time, provide richer feedback, or inspire a love for writing, Olex.AI could be the perfect fit for your classroom.

Visit Olex.AI today to discover how it can transform your teaching and learning journey.

Let us know how you’d use Olex.AI in your classroom. Share your thoughts with the hashtag #24DaysOfAI!

This is a sponsored review.

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