With the rapid growth of artificial intelligence tools and applications, education technology experts have created a visual aid to make the landscape of AI tools clearer and more understandable. Led by Edtech Insiders, this new generative AI map and database categorizes over 250 AI-powered tools into use cases for teaching and learning. The categories of use cases on the map include teaching materials, assessment and feedback, teacher practice support, professional learning for teachers, student support, and social tools. Each category includes more specific use cases, such as lesson plan generation and homework assistance.
The map showcases the logos of the education technology companies with the "broadest coverage" in each use case, determined by company size and web traffic. Links to the use case database and the directory of AI tool companies are provided at the top of the map. The database contains a comprehensive list of AI-driven educational tools identified as supporting each use case, while the searchable directory provides information about the companies that created these tools.
Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, licensed by Midjourney
According to Alex Sarlin, co-founder of Edtech Insiders, the map only displays tools that have been publicly released, are currently available, and focus on K-12 education. He added that the inclusion of a tool does not imply that it has been proven effective.
The map, database, and directory are an extension of previous work by Laurence Holt and Jacob Klein, two veterans in education technology who created an AI map in education in 2023 to understand the sudden emergence of AI-powered teaching and learning tools. Holt is a senior advisor at the nonprofit XQ Institute, and Klein is the product manager at TeachFX, a company that provides AI-driven instructional guidance for teachers.
Holt stated, “We just wanted to understand all of this, and when we started doing so, we thought it might be useful for others too.” “So the initial goal was for ourselves, and then for other innovative thinkers.”
In June 2023, they published the map on Medium, and Holt mentioned that it quickly gained attention. He and Klein began receiving inquiries from other education technology developers, philanthropic funders, and educators, as the map revealed both excess and gaps in AI's role in education. For instance, while many AI tools were already available for tasks like tutoring and question generation, there were few or none in areas such as grading and student data analysis.
After updating the map on Medium in March 2024, Holt said he and Klein realized that the project needed a dedicated team to regularly update it to keep pace with this rapidly evolving field.
Holt remarked, “Jacob and I are really looking for a home for the map.” “It has exceeded our capacity to manage it, but we know, from the calls and emails we receive, that people are beginning to rely on it in different areas.”
They reached out to Sarlin and Ben Kornell, co-founders of Edtech Insiders, to help transition the map to their own website, where they have been tracking AI-powered educational tools in their database directory.
Sarlin stated, “Laurence and Jacob did this amazing use case analysis, and we were simultaneously working on an AI tool database, trying to understand this rapidly evolving space.” “So, we are not only strong supporters of the use case taxonomy, but we can also bring in more companies, using it as a searchable database to delve into any use case and integrate them.”
The number of AI tools displayed in the new map has more than doubled, reaching a total of 269, with Sarlin expecting an additional 100 to be added in the coming months. Regarding any new excesses and gaps, the database currently lists 92 AI tools for student support, 78 for teaching materials, 46 for teacher practice support, 38 for assessment and feedback, 10 for teacher practice support, and 5 for social purposes.
