3. Instructor workload: Tension, transition, and the AI opportunity

Our research shows

AI can reduce administrative burdens and improve personalisation, but efficiency gains depend on training and trust. Institutions investing in faculty development and LMS-embedded AI tools are seeing measurable time savings and satisfaction gains.

83% of education leaders in the UK identify edtech investment as a top institutional priority.

Perception of workload

38% of instructors say AI has increased workload due to academic integrity monitoring, but those using AI daily report 3× greater workload reduction.

In comparison, only 11% of instructors say their workload has decreased due to AI.

Yet faculty who embrace AI as part of their daily teaching practice are beginning to see its benefits with 36% reporting a decrease in overall workload compared to only 11% of those who use AI less frequently than daily.

U.S Instructors using embedded AI features in LMS or courseware platforms report significantly higher satisfaction (elevated Net Promoter Scores) than those not using these features.
U.S. educators find AI is most valued for grading, lesson planning, and accessibility.
U.S Educators cite saving time on administrative tasks as their #1 potential benefit of AI.

“The AI tools that Brightspace has with Lumi, in bridging the gap between instructional designers and faculty, it’s not just about content. It’s also about being able to take the content and come up with practice questions for the students and quiz questions for students.”

Elizabeth Pearsall
Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning, American College of Financial Services

Women looking down at notes while in a group setting

Actions to consider

Provide professional development on using AI for grading, feedback, and instructional design.
Incentivise innovation with seed funding or workload recognition.
Create faculty learning networks to share AI strategies and resources.
Track time-savings and engagement metrics to measure AI impact.

Key takeaway

The balance between workload and innovation depends on institutional design, not individual effort. With support, educators can shift from AI apprehension to AI acceleration.