Making fun of learning
AI can tailor a program to the student

Zoe Smith

Like many parents, Paul Richards and his wife found their 11-year-old son Mason found studying his school subjects uninteresting.

They initially considered a private tutor for him before a colleague recommended TeachIllion, an AI-powered teaching program that taps into a student’s interests to make engagement and learning better with their studies.

Mr Richards said the program had been “life-changing” for his 12-year-old son, a student at Yarra Valley Grammar.

“The learning platform initially asks the participant a series of questions to gauge their interests and then keeps students engaged by offering personalised lessons, games and challenges in the form of an AI-based tutor,” he said.

Mr Richards says Mason’s marks as well as his confidence have improved, particularly his ability to work out questions without a calculator.

“After the shock of my life on one of the questions he was about to click—it was fourth-grade maths, he hit 105, 137 and 240.

“He just starts working it out in front of me on the screen and then says ‘Dad, you’re amazing, you’re amazing’.

“He retains everything that he’s interested in; he’s excited by it,” said Mr Richards.

“I said to Mason, ‘I’m so proud of you’. It’s amazing to see how children’s minds are working now, which is what he was struggling with before we got him into this.

“I don’t think a home tutor would actually do a better job than what this has done for him.”

Melbourne mother Emily Seagal has also improved the maths skills of her son, Elliot, aged 11, by doing the challenges and questions within the system.

“I got my son to start playing the lessons, and he absolutely loved it and he started doing the maths points,” she said.

“His teachers told me the change in him is that he’s retained what he’s learning through his maths.”

The platform is being used by pupils all around the world and is the brainchild of Australian AI expert Ross Paraskevopoulos, a former Yarra Valley Grammar student in Melbourne’s northeast.

Mr Paraskevopoulos said teachers have significant interests in partnering with TeachIllion to incorporate the platform into schools.

“Teaching often doesn’t just fit every learner. It means each child finds it easy to learn what they are, how they feel, and how they learn best,” Mr Paraskevopoulos said.

“Parents love the journey – AI personalises it, you’re improving scores, you’re making and failing.

“And all of a sudden you get a chance to apply the learned knowledge in context, to add layer 2 and tackle level 2, you need to have knowledge at the skill and competency base.”

“Through that process, you’re gaining points. But it’s also doing something even more special. As you’re learning, it’s identifying knowledge gaps.”

Mr Paraskevopoulos said the learning platform had attracted huge interest in Australia as well as the United Arab Emirates, where schools are looking at adopting it across the school system and education products.

“Parents are seeing huge value in TeachIllion, with the affordability compared with traditional face-to-face tutoring,” he said.

Department of Education spokesperson said they will explore how new technologies can improve enjoyment, student engagement and attainment.

“AI can make learning more dynamic and interesting and identify skills gaps,” it said.

“And it’s not just for kids – adults seeking simple refreshment or upskilling might benefit.”

Employee Alex El-Kazzi, 32, from Sydney’s southwest, said using TeachIllion to help with his marketing qualification had helped him retain knowledge and be more confident when he was sitting his final exam.

“I would have saved a lot of money – my parents would have saved a lot – from paying $80 to $100 an hour sessions,” he said.