Balancing innovation with accessibility in education across the Global South
The arrival of generative AI tools like ChatGPT has sent ripples through educational systems worldwide, leaving many educators caught between embracing innovation and preserving academic integrity. While much of the global North grapples with preventing AI “cheating,” schools in South Africa and the broader Global South face a more nuanced challenge: integrating these powerful tools meaningfully within contexts of varying digital access and infrastructure.
The AI Assessment Scale Framework
The AI Assessment Scale (AIAS), developed by educators Mike Perkins, Jasper Roe, Jason MacVaugh and Leon Fuze, offers a promising approach that might be particularly valuable for South African schools. Rather than taking a binary view of AI use as either permitted or prohibited, the AIAS provides a five-level framework that allows educators to clearly articulate how and when AI tools can be appropriately integrated into learning.
This scale moves beyond the simplistic “cheating” narrative that has dominated discussions since ChatGPT’s release in November 2022 (and in fact, is still raised in meetings with school leaders). Instead, it acknowledges that we, as educators, define what constitutes academic misconduct and must clearly communicate these boundaries to our students.
The Five Levels Explained
The AIAS consists of five distinct levels of AI integration:
Level 1: No AI
At this level, students complete assessments entirely without generative AI. This approach works well for supervised activities, handwritten tasks or examinations where personal knowledge and skills must be demonstrated. In the South African context, this level creates equity by removing potential advantages for students with greater digital access, particularly relevant in areas with limited connectivity.
Level 2: AI-Assisted Idea Generation and Structuring
Here, students can use AI to brainstorm and structure ideas, but they must produce the final work themselves. This level is particularly useful for idea development and might help South African students working in additional languages rather than their mother tongue. They might use AI to help generate initial ideas but must develop and express these themselves.
Level 3: AI-Assisted Editing
Students create original work at this level but can use AI for refinement and editing. This proves especially valuable for language improvements and could support South African learners working across multiple languages. Students would submit both their original drafts and AI-assisted final versions to demonstrate the editing process.
Level 4: AI Task Completion, Human Evaluation
Students actively use AI for specific components of tasks while critically evaluating AI outputs. This level encourages an understanding AI’s capabilities and limitations and could help prepare South African students for a workforce increasingly shaped by these technologies.
Level 5: Full AI
AI is used throughout the task at the discretion of students or teachers. This approach suits situations where AI forms an integral part of learning outcomes. In well-resourced South African schools with reliable internet access, this might include innovative projects exploring AI as a collaborative tool.
AIAS for South African Schools
Implementing the AIAS in South Africa requires thoughtful adaptation to address the country’s unique educational landscape. South Africa presents a stark digital divide, with some schools enjoying world-class facilities while others lack basic infrastructure and consistent internet connectivity.
Focusing on Levels 1-3 may be most practical for schools with limited resources, emphasising occasional AI use during computer lab sessions rather than requiring constant access. Schools might designate specific “AI exploration days” where students visit computer labs to experiment with these tools in structured ways.
In contrast, more resourced institutions might explore all five levels, preparing students for a world where AI literacy increasingly determines economic opportunity. These schools could pioneer approaches that subsequently inform wider adoption.
Common Concerns
When discussing the AIAS with South African educators, several concerns typically emerge:
- Equitable Access: Not all students have equal access to AI tools at home. Schools might consider providing scheduled access to computer labs or partnering with community centres to reduce this disparity.
- Data Costs: In South Africa, data remains expensive. Educational authorities could negotiate with telecommunications providers for zero-rated access to educational AI platforms, similar to arrangements made during pandemic remote learning.
- Language Diversity: South Africa has eleven official languages, yet most AI systems perform best in English. Educators should acknowledge these limitations while exploring how AI might still support multilingual education.
- Teacher Training: Many South African teachers have not received formal training on AI. Provincial education departments could develop contextually relevant professional development programmes focused on practical AIAS implementation.
Rather than waiting for perfect conditions, South African educators can begin implementing modified versions of the AIAS now, documenting their experiences to inform future use. This approach transforms South African classrooms from passive consumers of global educational trends into active contributors to pedagogical innovation.
Schools might start by selecting a single subject area for initial AIAS implementation, gathering feedback from both educators and learners before expanding to additional subjects. This measured approach allows for contextual refinement while building institutional confidence.
The AIAS offers South African educators a structured way to engage with AI rather than avoiding it altogether. By adapting this framework to local realities, South African schools can navigate the AI wave in ways that respect their unique contexts while preparing learners for an increasingly digital future.