DAEGU, South Korea, April 14 (Korea Bizwire) — In a fourth-grade English class at Yonggye Elementary School in Daegu’s Dalseong County, a young student taps the play button on her tablet. “I am thirsty,” the screen reads. Her pronunciation of “I am” earns a 65; “thirsty” gets a perfect 100. Without a word from the teacher, she repeats the first phrase for a better score.
This is the new face of education in South Korea, where AI-powered digital textbooks are being introduced into elementary and middle school classrooms. Since March 2025, select schools across Daegu have been piloting the technology in core subjects like English and math.
The AI textbooks, accessed via tablet PCs, offer real-time pronunciation analysis, customized problem sets, and interactive learning dashboards that display all students’ work simultaneously on a shared smart board. While traditional paper textbooks remain in use, they now complement rather than dominate the classroom experience.
At Deokhwa Middle School in Suseong District, first-year students also used AI textbooks during English and math lessons. After a teacher’s explanation on the verb “to be,” the software automatically assigned personalized review exercises to each student based on their performance.
On April 10, elementary students study using AI textbooks during a public demonstration class featuring Artificial Intelligence Digital Textbooks (AIDT) at Yonggye Elementary School in Gachang-myeon, Dalseong County, Daegu. (Yonhap)
Educators say the technology helps bridge learning gaps, especially in subjects with wide performance disparities. “Math varies significantly by student ability,” said Lim Sun-ha, a math teacher at Deokhwa Middle School. “The AI system automatically generates questions tailored to each student’s level, allowing me to step in with targeted support.”
English teachers, too, find value in AI’s ability to help both students and educators improve pronunciation and intonation. “Correcting pronunciation early on is crucial,” said Choi Hee-jung, an English teacher at Yonggye Elementary. “Since I’m not a native speaker myself, the AI tool has helped me improve alongside my students.”
Parents, according to teachers, have responded positively, noting the similarity of AI content to materials from private tutoring companies. Still, some logistical issues remain. Initial registration and login via the national “Digital One-Pass” system proved cumbersome for younger students, adding to homeroom teachers’ administrative load. In some cases, software glitches have disrupted lessons.
Despite the growing pains, educators are optimistic. “AI textbooks aren’t replacing teachers,” said Lim. “They’re helping us interact more effectively with our students—and teaching us a few things along the way.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
