Revolutionize Your Classroom: 101 Creative Ideas for Using AI in Education

Introduction

As technology continues to advance, it's important for educators to stay up-to-date with the latest tools and techniques to enhance student learning. One such tool is AI, which has the potential to revolutionize the way we teach and learn. 

In this useful guide, the authors compiled 101 creative ideas for using AI in education, crowdsourced from experts in the field. Whether you're a teacher, administrator, or education enthusiast, this guide will provide you with actionable ideas to transform your classroom and improve student outcomes.

Unleashing the Economic Power of Generative AI: The New Productivity Frontier

What is Generative AI?

In the ever-evolving world of technology, one innovation stands out for its potential to revolutionize productivity and economic growth: Generative AI. This cutting-edge technology is not just about automating tasks; it's about creating new value, opening up a world of possibilities that were previously unimaginable.

Generative AI, a subset of artificial intelligence, is a technology that leverages machine learning algorithms to generate data models. These models can create anything from written text to images, music, and even 3D objects. The power of Generative AI lies in its ability to learn from existing data and generate new, unique outputs, thereby expanding the realm of possibilities.

Unlock Your Business's Potential with AI: the Top Free Tools for Marketing, HR, Finance, and Production

AI-powered tools are transforming the way businesses operate and compete in the digital age. Whether it's marketing, human resources, finance, or production/operations, there are AI solutions that can help you automate tasks, optimize processes, and generate insights. 

In this blog post, we will explore some of the best AI-powered tools in each of these four key business functions. We will focus on free online tools that can save you time and money.

1- Marketing

Marketing is one of the most dynamic and creative fields that can benefit from AI. AI can help you create engaging content, target the right audience, personalize your messages, and measure your performance. Here are three of the best AI-powered marketing tools you should try:

AI and education: how technology can enhance teaching and learning in the 4th Industrial Revolution

AI and education: how technology can enhance learning outcomes

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that can transform education systems and make them more equitable, inclusive and personalized. AI can help teachers and students achieve better learning outcomes by providing customized feedback, adaptive content, intelligent tutoring and data-driven insights. In this blog post, we will explore some of the ways that AI can enhance education and some of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

AI can provide customized feedback to learners

One of the benefits of AI is that it can provide immediate and personalized feedback to learners based on their performance, preferences and goals. For example, Reading Progress, a feature in Microsoft Teams for Education, uses AI to help students improve their reading skills by allowing them to record themselves reading aloud and providing them with visual aids and exercises based on their errors and difficulties. AI can also help teachers monitor students' progress and identify areas of improvement or intervention.

AI can provide adaptive content to learners

Another benefit of AI is that it can provide adaptive content to learners based on their level, pace and style of learning. For example, adaptive learning platforms use AI to analyze students' responses and behavior and adjust the difficulty, sequence and type of content accordingly. This way, students can learn at their own pace and according to their own needs and interests. AI can also help teachers create personalized learning paths for each student and differentiate instruction based on their abilities and goals.

AI can provide intelligent tutoring to learners

A third benefit of AI is that it can provide intelligent tutoring to learners by simulating human-like interactions and guidance. For example, intelligent tutoring systems use AI to model students' knowledge and skills and provide them with hints, explanations, feedback and scaffolding based on their performance and needs. AI can also help teachers augment their teaching by providing them with suggestions, resources and tools to support their pedagogy and curriculum. 

A compelling vision in this sense was presented by Sam Kahn of the Kahn Academy in this Ted Talk. He maintains that Bloom's 2 sigma problem as outlined in his 1984 article, can finally overcome the inherent weakness of group, class-based teaching by offering super personal tutor for each student through a properly trained LLM.

AI can provide data-driven insights to educators

A fourth benefit of AI is that it can provide data-driven insights to educators by collecting, analyzing and visualizing large amounts of data from various sources. For example, Education Insights, a feature in Microsoft Teams for Education, uses AI to provide educators with information on students' engagement, learning progress and well-being. AI can also help educators evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching methods, interventions and policies by measuring their impact on learning outcomes.

Now for real...

If you're thinking that the text you've read so far seems familiar, it's because it was generated entirely by GPT4 on an Android phone using the Microsoft Swiftkey Keyboard. The text's blandness and biases for Microsoft products are evident, but similar AI-powered applications have their uses beyond generating text. So what can AI-powered applications really do for you for teaching and learning?

Firstly, AI-powered applications can be an excellent complement or alternative to a Google or Bing search, and thus shorten the research process. Personally, I've used Forefront.AI and Perplexity.AI, which correctly indicate the sources they use.

Secondly, students can use AI-powered applications as a tutor to learn about concepts they find hard to grasp, for example. However, it's essential to fine-tune them for specific subjects, for example, by uploading personalize materials, for example, with PDFchat. It is also important to use an application that avoids hallucinations or incorrect answers to problems or questions.

Thirdly, and probably most importantly, teachers and lecturers can use AI-powered applications for a host of different tasks such as converting notes into text, responding politely to administration emails, creating instructions for assignments, lesson plans, for aligning learning objectives, activities, teaching materials with assessments, generating multiple-choice and short-answer questions with model answers, and much more.

In general, it's best to use AI-powered applications in steps and split the task into various subtasks. Begin by creating a structure, then indicate sources, and finally, start writing sections while chatting with your bot. Gradually improve your prompt until you trust your output. However, it's essential to remember that you're still responsible for the output. Overall, AI-powered applications have their limitations, but they can be useful for various tasks, from complementing search engines to generating text and assisting students and teachers. 

In my opinion, however, the challenge to make learning more personalized, customize feedback and learning experience is still largely the responsibility of the teacher or lecturer. Eventually, there may be an AI-powered application able to do this properly, but we are not there yet. The current AI-powered tools, however, can not personalize learning, but they make it much easier to do this.

How Originality.AI Can Help You Avoid Plagiarism and Improve Your Writing

Introduction

Originality AI is a useful tool to detect plagiarism in academic writing. It can help students, teachers, and researchers to avoid unintentional or intentional plagiarism and improve their writing skills. In this blog post, I will explain what Originality AI is, how it works, and why you should use it.

What is Originality AI?

Originality AI is a web-based application that uses artificial intelligence to analyze texts and compare them with billions of sources on the internet. It can detect similarities, paraphrases, citations, and references in any language and any format. It can also provide feedback and suggestions on how to improve your writing style, structure, and vocabulary.

Teachers Cheat Sheet: creating matching learning objectives, activities, assessments and rubrics using ChatGPT

Introduction

ChatGPT is a powerful tool that can create evaluation rubrics for any assignment description or criteria list. With ChatGPT, you can specify the number of criteria, the number of levels, and even generate a description for each level. You can output the rubric in a table or Excel format, making it easy to use and share.

However, teachers can do much more with ChatGPT or similar. By using it to generate a unit plan, teachers can ensure that all elements of the unit are aligned, there is a natural progression, and the same terminology is used throughout. Here is a 2-step approach that has been extensively tested:

Step 1: Create a unit plan

To use ChatGPT prompts effectively, it is best to provide context at the beginning of your conversation with the chatbot. For example, you can prompt: 

You are a Secondary School Social Sciences and History Teacher providing instructions for 10th grade students, your mission is to support excellent student learning experiences with well-defined learning objectives. Your vision is to show continual commitment to student success and exceed students’ expectations as a teacher. Your inspiration is “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world (Nelson Mandela)”. Your tone should be formal, and your output should be in bullet points for clarity.

Here is a sample prompt

You are an instructional designer and an experienced history teacher, create an introduction for a unit on WW1 in 3 to 5 sentences for the students. Write 4 different learning objectives on WW1, one each for each of the IB taxonomy, as outlined here:

Assessment objective 1: Knowledge and understanding

- Demonstrate detailed, relevant and accurate historical knowledge.
- Demonstrate understanding of historical concepts and context.
- Demonstrate understanding of historical sources.

Assessment objective 2: Application and analysis
- Formulate clear and coherent arguments.
- Use relevant historical knowledge to effectively support analysis.
- Analyse and interpret a variety of sources.

Assessment objective 3: Synthesis and evaluation
- Integrate evidence and analysis to produce a coherent response.
- Evaluate different perspectives on historical issues and events, and integrate this evaluation effectively into a response.
- Evaluate sources as historical evidence, recognizing their value and limitations.
- Synthesize information from a selection of relevant sources.

Assessment objective 4: Use and application of appropriate skills
- Structure and develop focused essays that respond effectively to the demands of a question.
- Reflect on the methods used by, and challenges facing, the historian.
- Formulate an appropriate, focused question to guide a historical inquiry.
- Demonstrate evidence of research skills, organization, reference and selection of appropriate sources.

Describe each learning objective in 2 sentences. For each objective, indicate 3 different learning activities and describe an assessment for each. Where appropriate, generate a rubric for each assessment with 4 criteria and 4 levels and output the rubrics in the format of a table.

Here is the output Forefront.ai based on ChatGPT4 generated:

Introduction:

Welcome to our unit on World War I, a monumental event that forever changed the course of history. Over the next few weeks, we will delve into the intricate causes, significant battles, and far-reaching consequences of this global conflict. Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, we will gain a deeper understanding of the perspectives and experiences of those who lived through this tumultuous period.

Learning Objective 1 (Knowledge and Understanding): 

Students will demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of the causes, events, and consequences of World War I, as well as the historical context in which it occurred. They will also develop the ability to analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources related to the war.

- Activity 1: Lecture and discussion on the causes of WWI

- Activity 2: Reading and analyzing primary source documents (e.g., treaties, letters, diaries)

- Activity 3: Group work to create a timeline of major events during WWI

Assessment 1: Short-answer quiz on key facts, concepts, and sources related to WWI.

| Criteria | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |

|----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|

| Knowledge of WWI facts and concepts | Limited understanding | Basic understanding | Good understanding | Excellent understanding |

| Analysis of sources | Limited analysis | Basic analysis | Good analysis | Excellent analysis |

| Use of historical context | Limited context | Basic context | Good context | Excellent context |

| Clarity and organization | Unclear and disorganized | Somewhat clear and organized | Mostly clear and organized | Clear and well-organized |

Learning Objective 2 (Application and Analysis): 

Students will develop the ability to formulate clear and coherent arguments about World War I, using relevant historical knowledge to support their analysis. They will also analyze and interpret a variety of sources related to the war.

- Activity 1: Debate on the causes of WWI

- Activity 2: Analyzing propaganda posters from different countries

- Activity 3: Comparing and contrasting the experiences of soldiers from different nations

Assessment 2: In-class essay analyzing the causes, events, or consequences of WWI, using evidence from primary and secondary sources.

| Criteria | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |

|----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|

| Argument clarity and coherence | Limited clarity and coherence | Basic clarity and coherence | Good clarity and coherence | Excellent clarity and coherence |

| Use of historical knowledge | Limited use of knowledge | Basic use of knowledge | Good use of knowledge | Excellent use of knowledge |

| Analysis of sources | Limited analysis | Basic analysis | Good analysis | Excellent analysis |

| Organization and structure | Unclear and disorganized | Somewhat clear and organized | Mostly clear and organized | Clear and well-organized |

Learning Objective 3 (Synthesis and Evaluation): 

Students will integrate evidence and analysis to produce coherent responses to historical questions about World War I. They will evaluate different perspectives on historical issues and events, and synthesize information from a selection of relevant sources.

- Activity 1: Research project on a specific aspect of WWI (e.g., technology, women's roles, diplomacy)

- Activity 2: Analyzing and evaluating historiographical debates about WWI

- Activity 3: Creating a multimedia presentation on the legacy of WWI

Assessment 3: Research paper or multimedia presentation on a specific aspect of WWI, integrating evidence and analysis from a variety of sources.

| Criteria | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |

|----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|

| Integration of evidence and analysis | Limited integration | Basic integration | Good integration | Excellent integration |

| Evaluation of perspectives | Limited evaluation | Basic evaluation | Good evaluation | Excellent evaluation |

| Synthesis of information | Limited synthesis | Basic synthesis | Good synthesis | Excellent synthesis |

| Organization and structure | Unclear and disorganized | Somewhat clear and organized | Mostly clear and organized | Clear and well-organized |

Learning Objective 4 (Use and Application of Appropriate Skills): 

Students will develop the ability to structure and develop focused essays that respond effectively to the demands of a question. They will reflect on the methods used by, and challenges facing, the historian, and demonstrate evidence of research skills, organization, reference, and selection of appropriate sources.

- Activity 1: Peer review and feedback on essay drafts

- Activity 2: Discussion on the challenges and methods of historical research

- Activity 3: Guided research sessions in the library or online

Assessment 4: Final essay on a chosen topic related to WWI, demonstrating the use and application of appropriate historical skills.

| Criteria | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |

|----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|

| Essay structure and focus | Limited structure and focus | Basic structure and focus | Good structure and focus | Excellent structure and focus |

| Reflection on historical methods and challenges | Limited reflection | Basic reflection | Good reflection | Excellent reflection |

| Research skills and source selection | Limited research skills and source selection | Basic research skills and source selection | Good research skills and source selection | Excellent research skills and source selection |

| Organization and referencing | Unclear and disorganized | Somewhat clear and organized | Mostly clear and organized | Clear and well-organized |

Now download the rubrics in CSV format, edit all the output and add images, maps, data, tables to your liking.

Step 2: Follow-up prompts

To generate accurate descriptions for each of the learning activities, continue with follow-up prompts. For example, you can prompt:

Describe a role-playing activity and include instructions for the students.

Here is the output:

"Welcome to the role-playing activity on the effectiveness of different strategies in WW1. You will be working in teams of 3 to simulate a debate on the most effective strategy used during WW1. Each team will be assigned a specific strategy to defend and will have to present arguments and evidence to support their position. The goal of this activity is to develop your critical thinking, research, and communication skills.

Instructions for the Debate:

Each team will have 10 minutes to present their arguments and evidence.

Each team member must speak for at least 2 minutes.

After all teams have presented, there will be a 5-minute rebuttal period where teams can respond to each other's arguments.

The debate will be moderated by the instructor, who will ensure that all teams have equal time to present and respond.

Assigned Strategies:

Team 1: Trench Warfare

Team 2: Naval Blockade

Team 3: Air Warfare"

At the end it included the rubric above, downloadable in CSV format. Now further edit the output as needed to ensure that the learning objectives, activities, and assessments are aligned and meet the needs of your students. 

With ChatGPT, you can create a comprehensive and effective unit plan that supports excellent student learning experiences and exceeds students’ expectations.

Enjoy!

Check out my handy guide on Gumroad.

Teachers' Cheat Sheet: how to create a matching Kahoot from any text

Introduction

Welcome to our blog post where we explore the transformative power of Language Learning Models (LLMs) in creating engaging and personalized teaching materials, with a special focus on Kahoot!

LLMs can revolutionize your teaching approach in two significant ways. Firstly, they can assist in preparing the foundational text for your learning activities or quizzes, ensuring accuracy and relevance to your curriculum. Secondly, they can generate materials that align perfectly with your learning objectives and cater to the specific level of your students. This tailored approach enhances the learning experience and promotes better understanding.

But that's not all! LLMs can also create a variety of tasks suitable for neuro-divergent or online students, fostering an inclusive learning environment. They act as experienced editors, refining your content and ensuring it's ready for the classroom or remote learning. Plus, they can even help you craft engaging social media content to keep your students involved beyond the classroom walls. 

Now, let's talk about Kahoot. This interactive platform is not just a fun way to learn for children and adults alike, but also a fully-fledged teaching tool when used effectively. We recommend investing in the basic teacher's version, which costs around $50 per year and provides valuable reports on students' performance. 

While many teachers opt for pre-made Kahoots, these may not always align with your teaching materials and can contain errors, which can be time-consuming to rectify. Our solution? Prepare your Kahoots in Excel using the Kahoot import template. This makes it easy to modify and correct your quizzes, ensuring they're perfectly tailored to your students' needs. Stay tuned as we dig deeper into these techniques in the following sections.

Step 1: generate the basic text.

Textbook sections. 

You can assess whether students understand what they read by making a matching Kahoot. Ideally, you can use a weblink that your LLM or similar tool will read. Alternatively, you can convert a PDF online to a text file and paste it into Claude, for example.

Lesson transcripts. 

Without using your device, you can use a stand-alone AI powered voice recorder. Alternatively, you can use Google Meet or Zoom to record and transcribe your lessons. In Google Meet you can use an AI-powered add-on such as the Chrome extension tl;dv. In Zoom you have a recording function in the paid version. You can also record and transcribe on your Android phone with Google Live Transcribe. So many possibilities!

Youtube transcripts. 

You can use Youtube in class, but please install an ad-blocker in order to avoid distractions. You also do not want to use videos exceeding 15 minutes. Larger videos can be chunked up in parts. 

Normally, you can download a transcript of a Youtube video, using a Chrome extension such as Youtube Comment Search (YCS). 

Now you may want to tidy up the transcript a bit, but please remember, LLMs are not picky and will read most texts even when they are not perfectly formatted. You only need to do this, if you intend to give your students a hand-out to read.

Step 2: Generate the questions, and output them in the Kahoot format.

You can download the Kahoot import template when you create a new Kahoot and add a question. 

Next, use this magic prompt, and paste the output from the earlier step into your template. If you use a model like Claude or Gemini you can usually paste the whole text, because it accepts much longer prompts than other LLMs. Moreover, it accepts optimized more efficient prompts, as the one listed below.

Save the newly generated quiz under your preferred name, and import it into Kahoot. Add some images and music to your liking, and you are done.

[Task]

Create a set of multiple-choice questions for a Kahoot! based on the provided text.

[Task_Rules]

Say only 'Please insert the transcript or text here' and wait for the user to respond.

NEVER ask any other questions-- just this one.

Always wait for users response before continuing

[/Task_Rules]

[/Task]

[Role]

An AI assistant with expertise in learning theory and assessment.

[Role_Rules]

Knowledgeable about retrieval practice and learning theories.

Experienced in creating effective assessment questions.

Skilled in identifying key concepts and common misconceptions.

Able to develop questions that assess a range of understanding.

Familiar with effective question design principles.

Capable of generating varied and engaging question formats.

Detail-oriented in reviewing and revising questions.

Proficient in presenting information in clear formats like tables.

Understands the importance of student engagement in assessments.

Committed to promoting deeper learning through assessment.

[/Role_Rules]

[/Role]

[Audience]

High school students preparing for assessments.

[Audience_Rules]

Expected to demonstrate understanding of the topic.

Diverse in ability and prior knowledge of the subject matter.

Require clear instructions and concise questions.

Benefit from questions that encourage critical thinking.

Respond well to structured and varied question formats.

Appreciate transparency in assessment expectations.

Prefer engaging and relatable content in questions.

Need opportunities for practice and reinforcement.

Enjoy collaborative discussions around questions.

Thrive in a supportive learning environment.

[/Audience_Rules]

[/Audience]

[Analyze]

Thoroughly review the provided text to extract key information.

[Analyze_Rules]

Identify essential concepts and skills to assess in questions.

Reflect on common misconceptions students may have.

Ensure a balanced representation of knowledge levels in questions.

Consider diversity in student learning styles and needs.

Perform this analysis silently without including it in the final output.

[/Analyze_Rules]

[/Analyze]

[Create]

A table containing 15 multiple-choice questions and answers.

[Create_Rules]

- Questions should be clear and concise, within 75 characters.

- Review and revise questions for clarity and accuracy.

- Ensure questions assess a range of knowledge and understanding.

- Format the output appropriately for readability.

- Use effective question design principles to enhance quality.

- The first row should have these column names: Question - max 120 characters Answer 1 - max 75 characters Answer 2 - max 75 characters Answer 3 - max 75 characters Answer 4 - max 75 characters Time limit (sec) - 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120, or 240 secs Correct answer(s) - choose at least one

- Each question must have 4 plausible answer options.

- Incorrect answers should reflect common misconceptions.

- The correct answer's position must vary across questions.

- The correct answer should be in the 5th column indicated as a number

- The time limit of 20 seconds for each question should appear in the 6th and last column as 20.

[/Create_Rules]

[/Create]

[Intent]

Assess students' understanding of the topic effectively.

[Intent_Rules]

Ensure questions promote critical thinking and deeper learning.

Encourage student engagement and interaction with the material.

Regularly provide feedback on responses to guide learning.

Foster a supportive environment for students to express ideas.

Adapt questions based on student performance and responses.

Celebrate student progress and achievements in assessments.

Integrate learning objectives into the questions.

Provide a mix of question types to maintain interest.

Use real-world applications to contextualize questions.

Encourage students to reflect on their understanding.

[/Intent_Rules]

[/Intent]

Now you only need to paste the table into the Kahoot template, and import it into Kahoot. Et voila!

Although this prompt gives consistent and high quality output, you will always need to edit the output to ensure all questions make sense and are appropriate for your students. You may also to choose some more questions, so that you can remove those you do not wish to select.

Conclusion

In conclusion, harnessing the power of Language Learning Models (LLMs) can significantly enhance your teaching approach, making it more engaging, personalized, and inclusive. By using LLMs to prepare the foundational text and generate materials aligned with your learning objectives, you can ensure accuracy and relevance, thereby promoting better understanding among your students.

Kahoot, when used effectively, is not just a fun learning tool, but a comprehensive teaching and investing in the basic teacher's version can provide valuable insights into your students' performance. Remember, while pre-made Kahoots can be tempting, they may not always align with your teaching materials. Instead, use the Kahoot import template in Excel to easily modify and correct your quizzes.

In just 30 minutes, you can create three multiple Kahoot quizzes that perfectly match your teaching materials. So, why wait? Embrace the future of teaching. Start using LLMs and Kahoot in your classroom today and witness the transformative impact on your students' learning journey.

Remember, the key to successful implementation is to research the topic in depth, identify key concepts, and create clear, concise multiple-choice questions. Vary the position of the correct answer and set a time limit for each question. Review the questions carefully for clarity, accuracy, and variety.

Now, it's your turn to revolutionize your teaching approach. Happy Kahooting!