OUP Education and English Language Teaching teams were proud to participate in, and host, the attendees of the AIEOU (AI in Education at Oxford University) Summer School, in July.

The conference marked one year since the founding of this growing global community of researchers, academics, educators, industry leaders, and policymakers – united by the goal of tackling some of the biggest questions facing education today.

Dr Sara Ratner, of the University of Oxford’s Department of Education, designed a week-long programme in collaboration with colleagues at the University’s Social Sciences Division as well as a team at the UK’s Department for Education, bringing together diverse perspectives from over a hundred representatives of academia, schools, government, industry, and civil society.

Over the week, attendees discussed not only the advances in AI technology, but also what meaningful impact looks like in education.

Discussions throughout the week brought together diverse perspectives, asking difficult questions about what AI should do in education and demanding evidence of its impact on learner outcomes.

Sarah Ultsch, Director of Global Product at OUP, shared her impressions of the event: “The debates and workshops of this summer school have been tremendously important, because the decisions we make now will shape the experience of learners for years to come.”

She also highlighted her team’s recent launch of L2-Bench, the world’s first benchmark for evaluating AI in second language learning, culminating in the release of an open-source dataset for the benefit of the wider education and technology community.

During the week, summer school attendees were welcomed to OUP’s Oxford offices for an informal gathering and tour of the OUP Museum, which showcases key milestones and stories from our 500-year history. Liz Tyler, Managing Director of UK Education, welcomed participants and applauded the aims of the event that align with OUP Education’s commitments:

Liz Tyler

Managing Director, UK Education

“At OUP, we develop services to support teachers and schools that are based on evidence and research, and we are deeply committed to working with the sector and with experts to establish an evidence base that will help us understand how AI might improve teaching and learning.”

She also pointed towards recent research conducted by teams at OUP into student attitudes to the use of AI: the Teaching the AI Native Generation and Navigating AI in Education reports. These have shown how much students as well as their teachers need more data and evidence to guide the use of AI in developing cognitive skills and improving learning. 

As the AIEOU community enters its second year, the conversations and partnerships sparked during the summer school will continue to shape the understanding of AI’s role in education. Through ongoing research and collaboration with the University of Oxford, OUP remains committed to helping the sector navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI and focus on improved learner outcomes.

We’ve signed an agreement with Simply, the leading digital platform for creative hobbies, bringing select content from our acclaimed piano method to millions of Simply Piano learners worldwide.

What OUP content is available in Simply Piano?

Simply Piano users now have access to an expanded library of high-quality, curated sheet music spanning our works including Piano Time and Tunes for Ten Fingers, all within the app’s interactive learning environment.

Piano Time is one of our well-established beginner piano methods, widely appreciated for its natural progression and musical, engaging pieces. It helps students build reading, rhythm, coordination, and technique in a way that feels enjoyable rather than mechanical—which is why it has remained a trusted teaching resource for years.

Tunes for Ten Fingers is an introductory book for absolute beginners, encouraging security at every step and making learning fun.

These titles form part of our wider music publishing programme. We have long been a leader in classical music publishing, with a catalogue spanning centuries of repertoire and serving musicians from beginners to professionals. Through this collaboration, our music will now reach millions of Simply Piano hobbyists and lifelong learners worldwide.

OUP bringing sheet music content to Simply

Robin Barry, Director of Music at OUP, shared: “We are delighted to bring content from OUP’s piano method—trusted by teachers for generations—to the Simply Piano community, a platform that shares our commitment to quality and progression for aspiring musicians around the world.”

“Access to songs people love is one of the strongest drivers of learning,” said Yuval Kaminka, CEO and co-founder of Simply. “Working with OUP allows us to bring our learners and casual players sheet music of the highest editorial standard. It’s an important step in building a platform that supports learners at every stage and a proud moment for Simply.”

“What stands out in OUP’s early piano materials is the pedagogical clarity of the arrangements and pieces,” added Danny Fine, Simply Piano’s Music Pedagogy Lead. “They introduce new skills in a very structured and approachable way, which makes them especially effective for helping learners build confidence and gradually master core musical skills.”

As interest in creative hobbies grows globally, the addition of OUP’s portfolio strengthens Simply Piano’s library, giving users access to music they can both learn and enjoy.

Find out more about OUP’s sheet music here.