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Controversial AI digital textbook initiative faces uncertain future

Published: 18 Jun. 2025, 15:47

A student at Yonggye Elementary School in Daegu uses an artificial intelligence digital textbook (AIDT) during an English class in April. The tool includes features like voice recording for conversation practice. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Three months after the rollout of the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s artificial intelligence digital textbook (AIDT) initiative, teachers are sharply divided — some calling it a game changer, others dismissing it as unfit for the classroom. The debate has intensified amid President Lee Jae Myung’s pledge to revoke AIDT’s status as an official textbook.

Im Sun-ha, a math teacher at Deokhwa Middle School in Daegu, introduced the AIDT this semester in an after-school program designed for students who exhibit a range of learning difficulties. Using the AIDT courseware, she tailored problem sets to suit the varying levels of her students.

The results were significant. One student who used to take 12 minutes to solve a single problem now finishes in under a minute. Another student, once disengaged and silent, now asks more questions than anyone else.

“This made me realize how technology can genuinely enhance the quality of education,” said Im.

But not everyone shares her enthusiasm.

Ham Song-i, an elementary school teacher in Daegu, used AIDT last month in her fourth-grade classroom. She no longer does. Her students collectively decided they preferred going back to paper textbooks. “With AIDT, it felt like we faced crises by the second,” she said.

Ham said that at least five students had experienced hardware issues, including network problems and stylus glitches. Some students were caught secretly playing games; others struggled just to log in. “If the learning effect had really been as good as advertised, wouldn’t more teachers be using it voluntarily?” Ham asked.

First-year students at Deokhwa Middle School in Daegu use an artificial intelligence digital textbook (AIDT) during a math class on April 10. The tablet PC used by teacher Im Sun-ha displays students’ answers in real time. [JOONGANG ILBO]

It has been three months since the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration ambitiously began rolling out AIDT in schools. Teachers who have used the platform are split: some see the beginnings of a classroom revolution, while others believe it’s simply not ready.

The uncertainty surrounding AIDT has only deepened since the inauguration of Lee who had pledged to revoke AIDT’s designation as an official textbook. Experts are now urging a more balanced approach: instead of scrapping the program, they suggest giving schools the freedom to choose and improving the system incrementally.

Teacher satisfaction with AIDT varies depending on the subject and students’ age. In subjects like math, which benefit from differentiated problem sets, or information technology, which requires computer use, AIDT has received more favorable reviews.

A math teacher at an elementary school in Seoul said that top-performing students used AIDT to tackle extra problems during class, while struggling students were drawn to interactive features like gamified learning and avatar customization, improving engagement. A high school IT teacher praised the platform for streamlining both lessons and homework submissions, reducing administrative tasks.

First-year students at Deokhwa Middle School in Daegu use an artificial intelligence digital textbook (AIDT) during a math class on April 10. [JOONGANG ILBO]

However, many teachers criticize AIDT’s effectiveness in practice, particularly pointing to its underwhelming AI capabilities compared to services like ChatGPT. An English teacher at a Seoul middle school noted the AI failed to recognize Korean words such as “bibimbap,” leaving blanks instead of providing a romanization. She added that unlike math, English often rewards creative, nonstandard answers, making AIDT unsuitable for language learning.

Another elementary teacher in Daegu said the translation tool intended to support multicultural students produced nonsensical results — for example, rendering the Korean phrase for “500 items” as “500dog.” In Korean, the word gae is used as a counting unit for objects and is pronounced the same as “dog” in Korean, leading the AI to confuse the two.

She also noted frequent issues with the smart pen, which often failed to recognize numbers handwritten by students.

Many pointed out that AIDT is especially challenging for younger students who lack digital fluency. “Third graders who are just learning the alphabet were asked to type in English IDs and passwords — it wasn’t easy,” said one teacher.

The artificial intelligence digital textbook's (AIDT) AI chatbot function allows students to ask questions related to the lesson and receive answers. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Concerns among parents about excessive screen time also remain. A parent in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, said her fourth-grade child started begging for a tablet after using AIDT in class. Another parent of a third grader said she worries AIDT’s video-heavy format might reduce active participation compared to traditional textbooks.

Critics also argue that the Yoon administration’s rushed rollout hindered AIDT’s potential. The implementation timeline was only finalized in June 2023 — less than two years before its scheduled launch in the first semester of 2025. This gave publishers just over a year to develop content, and many teachers only saw the actual materials in December, shortly before choosing whether to adopt it.

“Neither the sellers nor the buyers really knew what AIDT was,” one source said.

Facing opposition from lawmakers, teachers’ unions and parents, the Education Ministry eventually shifted from mandating full-scale implementation in Grades 3 and 4 of elementary school, as well as in Grade 7 and Grade 10, to a voluntary system.

A demonstration of an AI digital textbook (AIDT) math class for third-grade elementary students takes place at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi, in December 2024. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Now, with Lee in office, schools that opted in are facing fresh uncertainty. Provincial education offices must finalize subscription requests for the second semester by the end of June, but even Daegu’s office — where AIDT uptake is highest — says it’s waiting for the ministry’s guidance. If AIDT loses its textbook status, schools may no longer receive government subsidies to fund it.

Publishers that invested hundreds of billions of won in AIDT development are suing the government for breaking its promises.

Experts recommend giving schools the option to use AIDT as either a textbook or supplementary material and to continue refining the content based on real-world classroom feedback.

“AIDT has shown promise in math drills and English speaking practice,” said Kim Yong, a professor at Korea National University of Education. “It should be continually developed as supplemental content while allowing schools to choose.”

“Delaying things indefinitely won’t make AIDT better,” said Yeo Sheung-hyun, a professor at Daegu National University of Education. “We need to focus on pilot programs in willing schools and validate its effectiveness.”

Jeong Young-sik, a professor at Jeonju National University of Education, recalled similar skepticism when the National Education Information System administrative platform was introduced in the early 2000s.

“Back then, there was strong resistance too,” said Jeong. “If we reflexively reject every new teaching method, Korea’s education system risks falling behind.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI MIN-JI, LEE BO-RAM [[email protected]]