OI Research

Everything we do is research-led with a focus on extending the boundaries of the current status quo. We frequently work with with research bodies and institutions, and regularly present our findings through research publications and conferences.

Reducing the global skills and employability gap has been a challenge for social innovation for many decades. Today, over 750 million potential learners still lack access to basic transferable and employability skills training. We are constantly involved in researching and finding new teaching methods to serve our learners globally.

Our Research Focus

AI Language Models

We are researching and developing language models for education to power cross-platform AI driven teaching in society.

Conversational AI

We are researching and developing conversational AI protocols and systems to build humanlike interactions and teaching capabilities of AI.

Teaching and Pedagogy

We are researching and developing unique state-of-the-art teaching methods and pedagogy to power Education 4.0.

Publications

Chatting with the Future: A Comprehensive Exploration of Parent's Perspectives on Conversational AI Implementation in Children's Education

Summary

Revolutionary technological advancements have introduced the integration of Conversational AI into a multitude of different settings. This widespread implementation has raised questions about the impact of AI on learning, its benefits are and its potential costs. This study aims to explore the perspectives of parents, investigating their confidence in allowing conversational AI tools to become part of children’s learning. The study analyses survey responses of 101 parents to investigate how they feel about this emerging tool.

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One-to-One Conversational Study Partners for children using AI : A user experience analysis of Teddy AI

Summary

AI-driven educational tools can be effective for children’s learning experience, and especially conversational AI can have a positive impact on a child’s learning journey. Using conversational AI, with generative AI language models, personalised study partners can be made for children that can learn with them, motivate them, teach them, and gamify their learning experience using one-to-one conversational interactions. In this study, TeddyAI, a conversational AI learning app, tests this concept. It is a conversational Teddy bear, powered completely by AI, that supports learners between the ages of 4 and 7. From a teaching perspective, it helps them learn alphabets, and topics like general geography, history, animals in a zoo. Apart from these, TeddyAI is also able to teach two subjects from Key Stage 1 and 2 of the UK national curriculum. The objective of this research is to understand the user experience and overall usability of Teddy AI to offer a personalised approach to learning by delivering tailored experiences through the study partner; Teddy. This study provides insights for future improvements for AI study partners, focusing primarily on user interaction and engagement.

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A study exploring the effectiveness of a virtual coach to upskill underserved women

Summary

The use of learning chatbots has increased over the past decades, impacting the education of individuals across the globe as a virtual teaching coach. This study will increase our understanding of the significance of these chatbots in education enabling us to understand how it could heavily benefit individuals universally. To aid and assist underserved women globally, allowing them to achieve their goals on the platform using a conversational agent as a coaching tool. This study focuses on underserved women in South Africa, a sizeable user group with whom such a coaching tool has not been tested previously.
The survey results showed that participants were very positive about their interactions with the Virtual Coach and found it very useful, beneficial, engaging, and they now know what to learn next in their career journey. From the seven generated themes, it is clear that participants found the Virtual Coach friendly and trustworthy, they enjoyed interacting with the bot, and finding the guidance helpful as well as the support to navigate around the website

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AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE VIRTUAL TRAINER TO SERVE THE UNDERSERVED AND MAKE THEM EMPLOYABLE

Summary

Otermans Institute (OI) is a global company focused on upskilling unserved and underserved populations to make them more employable. They currently operate in nine countries, providing physical, digital, and AI-based solutions. OI aims to upskill 750 million learners by 2025, using their AI-driven virtual trainer, OI AI. This virtual trainer has already been tested in a UNHCR BCF camp in Iraq, with preliminary results showing success in providing continuous upskilling for learners. The potential impact on internally displaced and refugee learners is massive, especially considering the high number of people globally affected by violence and war. The presentation will discuss the study, its findings, and next steps targeting 5,000 learners.

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Providing 12-17 Week Transferable and Employability Skills to 30,000 Underserved Learners Across 8 Countries – A Truly Cross Border System

Summary

Otermans Institute (OI) is a global micro-organisation upskilling unserved and underserved populations with the mission of making them employable. They are currently working in more than eight countries, providing their pedagogy and training digitally to underserved and rural learners. OI aims to upskill 750 million learners, mostly rural, by 2025. They have supported over 35,000 unserved learners to date and have developed a blanket curriculum and teaching & training method that can upskill 200 million learners just in India. This system has been taken by governments in India, the United Kingdom, and was taken by the Technical Education Department of the Government of Afghanistan. The original methodology of the research and curriculum development will be presented in a talk along with the latest results of its delivery with two separate rural cohorts from South Asia.

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A SYSTEM TO UPSKILL 200 MILLION LEARNERS AND TO REMOVE THE GLOBAL SKILLS AND EMPLOYABILITY GAP

Summary

Otermans Institute (OI) is a global company that aims to upskill unserved and underserved populations to make them employable. They provide solutions physically, digitally, and using artificial intelligence, and aim to upskill 750 million learners by 2025. OI has supported over 25,000 unserved learners to date, and through research in South Asia, they developed a curriculum and teaching method that can upskill 200 million learners in India. This system has been taken by two state governments in India and the Technical Education Department of the Government of Afghanistan. The system's impact has been accepted in nine countries, and there are plans to further develop and test it with the target of making it a universal system across Asia.

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Interested in doing research with us ?

Are you passionate about narrowing the global skills gap? Interested in pioneering teaching methods that can impact millions? Partner with us for groundbreaking research that aims to democratise education at a global scale.

Our recent research collaborators have come from UCL, Brunel University London, London Metropolitan University, University of Greenwich

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