EdChat Project

432 The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) ().2 April 2025). Can the Minister for Education advise—

1. Provide a breakdown of the initial costs associated with implementing the EdChat project, including during the pilot phase expenses?

2. What are the ongoing maintenance costs for the EdChat project, and how are these being managed within the department's budget and how is it funded?

3. What specific cybersecurity measures have been put in place to protect student data and ensure the safe use of EdChat?

4. Can you elaborate on the protocols for monitoring and mitigating harmful student behaviour online through EdChat?

5. What strategies are being implemented to ensure that the use of EdChat does not 'take away' students' research skills and critical thinking whilst not be too reliant on EdChat?

6. What training and support are being provided to teachers to effectively integrate EdChat into their classrooms while balancing the use of AI tools with traditional teaching methods?

7. Given the rapid advancements in technology, how frequently will teachers receive training and updates on the EdChat project?

8. How will the success of the EdChat trial be measured, and what criteria will be used to decide on a broader rollout?

9. How were student and teacher feedback be incorporated into the development and trial of EdChat?

10. What monitoring tools or reports are be available for parents to track their children's use of EdChat and their progress?

11. What support and resources will be provided to parents to help them understand and engage with EdChat effectively?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing): The Minister for Education, Training and Skills has advised:

There were no costs associated with the initial build of EdChat.

Ongoing costs are based purely on consumption. To date EdChat has not significantly increased the department's current operational spend.

In the same way the department currently manages staff and student access to the internet and other internet-based platforms, significant controls have been implemented to protect student data and ensure the safe use of EdChat including:

All data (staff and student) is securely stored in a data lake located within the departmental Microsoft tenancy (located at the Microsoft data centre based in Sydney).

Only approved staff and students can access EdChat via the department's central access and identity solution, staff are also required to use MFA (multi factor authentication) when accessing EdChat from outside a school or preschool.

Two independent security reviews of EdChat have been undertaken by external cybersecurity specialists to ensure compliance with best practices.

EdChat is monitored 24/7 in real-time using cloud monitoring software that reports on any changes detected to the platform.

An SSL certificate is used to ensure all data is securely encrypted in transit over the internet.

Site based firewalls are used to monitor all requests to EdChat and automatically block suspicious activity.

Any data entered into EdChat via staff or student is passed through a content safety filter in real-time.

EdChat is controlled by a targeted system prompt managed by the department. At a high level EdChat is instructed to only provide responses that are education related. This prevents the ability for a student or staff member to trick EdChat in providing inappropriate responses (which are otherwise blocked by the content safety filters).

Student use of EdChat is currently confined to the department's proof of concept secondary schools.

Schools participating in the proof of concept are encouraged to use a traffic light system to signal to students what the appropriate use of EdChat for the task or learning at hand is. This enables the educator and students to have regular discussions about when AI can support thinking, and when it is better not to use it at all.

The department provides ongoing support and guidance to schools through an AI advice series that guides schools on AI use. This series covers crucial areas, including maintaining assessment integrity and building an understanding of ethical AI use. The department continues to develop supports for schools, leaders and educators. Leaders and educators are being supported with functionalities that support workload reduction, such as:

Professional learning package which helps educators to learn about the benefits of AI in education, how it can support teaching and learning, and how to bring it into the classroom.

Guidance and advice series focused on explaining what AI is, potential use cases, and what educators need to consider before and while using AI for teaching and learning.

A community of practice for educators using EdChat. It is a space where they can exchange ideas, ask questions, learn from each other, and find resources and events.

A curated resource library that saved educators and leaders time by providing easy access to high quality and reliable resources to build their understanding and awareness of safe and responsible use of AI in education.

Training is offered ongoing. Educators have access to guidance, resources, and micro-learnings at their convenience, in addition to offerings each term, responsive to educator feedback that enables communities of practice opportunities to learn from each other.

In 2024, student and teacher use of EdChat during the proof of concept was reviewed. The analysis showed positive engagement and highlighted the power of the tool in supporting teaching and learning and streamlining lower value teacher tasks.

Based on the above, and the strong technical efficacy of EdChat itself, EdChat was rolled out to our entire workforce in term 4 of the 2024 school year. This included instruction that EdChat cannot be used for report writing.

Student and teacher feedback played a crucial role in the development and trial of EdChat. The department actively engaged with educators and students to gather insights and experiences. For example, teachers and students were encouraged to explore EdChat, providing them with the opportunity to use the tool and offer real-time feedback. This approach allowed the department to understand the practical implications and benefits of EdChat in the classroom.

The department also used data-driven insights from users. By incorporating feedback from both students and teachers, the department ensured that EdChat was developed and refined to effectively support teaching and learning.

As part of the advice series, the department has issued guidance to parents and carers on supporting their child in using generative AI in a safe and responsible way. Parents and carers can find the guidance on the department's website.