Data collected from more than 8,000 simulated oral exams indicated that scores rose by an average of nearly four points between the first and the most recent practice sessions.
By Shula Rosen
An Israeli pilot program using artificial intelligence tutors has shown measurable improvements in student performance, with gains evident after just 25 minutes of practice.
The project, led by eSelf in partnership with the Center for Educational Technology (CET), tested lifelike AI avatars with thousands of high school students preparing for Israel’s National English Oral Matriculation Exam.
Harvard University participated as an academic advisor, while the MIT Media Lab independently evaluated the outcomes.
Data collected from more than 8,000 simulated oral exams indicated that scores rose by an average of nearly four points between the first and most recent practice sessions, measured against Ministry of Education rubrics.
Students who spent longer periods interacting with the avatars saw the strongest gains, with those practicing over 30 minutes improving by more than six points.
Dr. Abel Sanchez of MIT Media Lab, who led the evaluation, said the results demonstrate the educational potential of AI. “Students not only engaged consistently with the AI avatar tutor but also demonstrated measurable learning gains,” Sanchez said in a press release.
“eSelf is illustrating the profound impact that well-designed AI systems can have on student learning.”
CET also hailed the pilot as a breakthrough in broadening access to personal tutoring.
“Every student deserves the opportunity to succeed in school,” said Tzahi Langer, the organization’s chief marketing and product officer.
“Partnering with eSelf lets us offer every Israeli student an AI-based personal tutor for the English oral exam. This is only the first step.”
The pilot reached 2,031 students, with more than 90 percent completing at least two sessions.
Average scores climbed from 78.23 to 82.17, according to the study. The avatars, accessible on both mobile and desktop devices, provided instant feedback, guided improvement strategies, and graded performance with official rubrics, all free of charge.
Dr. Alan Becker, eSelf’s co-founder and CEO, said the system improves more than grades. “We’re seeing genuine improvements in student confidence as well. Our mission is to make high-quality learning tools accessible to everyone.”
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