Measuring the impact of learning with AI in Sierra Leone and beyond

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Google DeepMind published results from a pre-registered randomized controlled trial measuring Gemini's Guided Learning feature on 1,763 junior secondary school students across 12 schools in Sierra Leone's Port Loko District. Conducted over 8 weeks in partnership with Fab AI and the Sierra Leone Ministry of Education, the trial is one of the few rigorous RCTs testing AI educational impact at this scale. The pre-registered design makes it more credible than typical EdTech outcome claims.\n\nAcross 113,000+ interactions, students used the AI to build conceptual understanding in 91.4% of conversations rather than seeking direct answers. Gemini asked scaffolding questions in 76% of its responses and provided direct solutions in only 2% — a deliberate Socratic design keeping cognitive effort on the student. Quantitative learning outcomes showed significant improvement, though specific test-score deltas are not fully disclosed in the published summary.\n\nThe trial was explicitly teacher-led: educators designed lessons, set objectives, and facilitated classroom discussions while Gemini served as pedagogical partner. Teachers reported the tool also supported their own professional growth — discovering new ways to explain concepts like fractions and describing a shift from lecturers to facilitators. DeepMind is releasing teacher training materials and protocols from the study to help others replicate the program.