Google's chief technologist for learning and sustainability, Ben Gomes, visited Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) with his team to observe how artificial intelligence is being used in daily teaching. The visit, focused on vocational education, was designed to gather direct student and staff feedback that will shape Google's future product development for schools worldwide.
BCoT has embedded AI tools across its curriculum, not as replacements for human effort, but as structured supports for attention and critical thinking. Mr Gomes pointed to a specific, society-wide problem that classrooms can help reverse.
"The loss of ability for students to focus is society-wide; however, schools and colleges can be a place where this ability is taught again," he said. "Students need to rebuild their attention muscle and BCoT is intentionally using the classroom to scaffold it and support that growth."
A balanced approach between human and digital skills
Mr Gomes stressed that technology in vocational education requires a careful equilibrium. "When it comes to education (especially vocational), technology has to be a balanced approach between human skills and digital ones," he said. This philosophy was visible during the team's interactions with students from engineering, health and social care, and animal management courses.
Scott Hayden, head of digital learning at BCoT, described how students use Gemini and NotebookLM as active thinking partners rather than shortcuts. "It was a profound opportunity for our learners to demonstrate how they use tools like Gemini and NotebookLM not as shortcuts, but as active sparring partners that support their own unique voices and professional growth," he said.
The college's approach reflects a growing movement in AI for Education that prioritizes cognitive development alongside technical fluency. Students are encouraged to challenge AI outputs, refine their own arguments, and maintain ownership of their work.
What the Google team observed on the ground
The day included direct engagement with learners across multiple vocational pathways. Students demonstrated how they integrate AI into research, drafting, and revision without surrendering their judgment. The Google team asked questions about workflow, friction points, and what features would make the tools more useful in a classroom setting.
This kind of field research is rare for a company of Google's scale. By observing real classroom use rather than relying on lab testing or surveys, the team captured the practical realities of how AI fits into lesson structures, assessment preparation, and staff workload management.
Professionals who have completed Google AI Courses will recognize the tools in question. The visit signals that Google is actively refining its education-specific AI features based on how students and teachers actually use them, not just on engineering assumptions.
Why this matters for education professionals
For teachers, trainers, and learning designers, the BCoT visit offers a concrete model: treat AI as a scaffold for attention, not a substitute for thinking. The college's method shows that when students are taught to engage critically with AI, the technology strengthens their focus rather than eroding it.
Educators planning their own AI integration should note that Google is listening to frontline users. The feedback gathered at BCoT will directly influence product updates. Early adopters who document their classroom practices now have a rare chance to shape the tools that millions of students will use later. The key takeaway is to design assignments where AI serves as a sparring partner - one that students must question, correct, and ultimately outthink.
Your membership also unlocks:
