3.3

Domain-specific ideas for lesson planning, content development and learning activities

Teaching StrategiesLesson PlanningStudent EngagementLearning ActivitiesContent creationAdaptive LearningAI-Enhanced EducationEducational TransformationInnovative Teaching Practices


Welcome to the journey of educational innovation and transformation! In this chapter, we will look at the dynamic junction of artificial intelligence (AI) and pedagogy and how cutting-edge technologies may reshape the landscape of teaching and learning. We begin with a complete study of the various possibilities AI provides in the educational sphere, from lesson planning using chatbots to leveraging the power of AI technologies for content production and building interesting learning activities. Prepare to navigate the regions of linguistic considerations in AI integration, find practical applications through prompts, and comprehend educators' vital position in this emerging educational landscape. As we progress through this chapter, you will acquire insights into the seamless integration of AI and education, arming yourself with the knowledge and abilities to not only adapt to but also influence the future of learning. Prepare to embrace AI's transformational potential in education and discover new levels of creativity, efficiency, and engagement in your classroom.

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you will learn how to:

  • Apply AI-powered chatbots to generate prompts and ideas for effective lesson planning in various subjects.
  • Incorporate AI tools into the process of creating engaging and diverse learning materials, such as quizzes, presentations, and interactive activities.
  • Develop student-centered learning activities that leverage the capabilities of AI to promote curiosity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
  • Modify existing lesson plans to incorporate AI elements, ensuring seamless alignment with curriculum standards and learning objectives.
  • Analyze the effectiveness of using AI in lessons by observing student engagement, learning outcomes, and potential ethical considerations.

Introduction

"It's like a little magic box, right? You open it, and you start playing with it, and it's so immensely powerful and exciting. And so, I feel like it's an instant engagement tool in many, many ways. You can't help but get excited about it because it's so fast, and oftentimes, the results are stunning" (Panke, personal communication, January 4, 2024)

In the realm of education, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the way we approach learning. As a student, I have been utilizing AI for the past year. It all began when ChatGPT was introduced, and everyone started using it for almost everything. It was really amazing to have someone who talks to you, answers all your questions in a logical way, and, most importantly, does things for you. During this time, I have learned how to make the most out of AI to enhance my learning outcomes in my field of study. Initially, ChatGPT's informative responses to my queries quickly captured my attention. What started as a curiosity soon became a game-changer in my academic life. ChatGPT was not just a tool; it became my virtual companion, available around the clock to answer questions, clarify doubts, and even engage in insightful discussions on various topics relevant to my studies.

However, ChatGpt is just the tip of the vast iceberg of this AI world. I have been using other AI tools for other purposes as well. One of the most significant advantages of incorporating AI into my educational routine was its role as a research assistant. I have used it to find relevant material, summarize, organize, and rephrase it. With the vast ocean of information available online, AI algorithms help me navigate research topics efficiently.

AI has also helped me as a teacher. I often use AI tools to make presentations to teach in class. Also, as I have been teaching math, AI's capabilities have been particularly invaluable in helping me explain complex concepts, create engaging visuals, and develop interactive lessons. With my personal experience of using AI for so many things, I have come to believe that AI can really be a game changer in the Education Sector.

In this chapter, I want to share my experience with the educators in my community. As a resident of Chittagong, I have seen that, while this city has a rich educational heritage, in many ways, the schools have yet to fully embrace the technological advancements that have reshaped the educational landscape worldwide. Teachers in Chittagong continue to operate within the confines of traditional teaching methods.

The examples in this chapter allow skeptical and hesitant teachers to begin to explore the possibilities that AI and modern technology can bring to the classroom. The aim is not to replace time-honored traditions but to supplement them with innovative tools. When thoughtfully integrated, AI and technology can strengthen our educational system, improve learning outcomes, and create more engaging and dynamic classrooms.

This chapter is dedicated to teachers in Chittagong schools as it aims to serve as a guide with practical examples of how to create domain-specific content, enhance lesson planning, and develop engaging learning materials.

Methodology

I used a multi-faceted approach to write this chapter, combining interviews with high school teachers and students within my community, consultations with experts, a thorough literature review, and personal exploration of AI tools. The methodology is outlined as follows:

Interviews with High School Teachers and Students: 

The primary data collection involved conducting interviews with high school teachers and students in the community during the months of November and December. Despite some challenges, particularly in obtaining information from older teachers who generally denied the use of AI in the classroom, these interviews provided valuable insights into the prevailing attitudes and practices within my community.

Expert Consultations:

Recognizing the limitations in gathering data from high school teachers, I interviewed three experts in the AI field to gain expert perspectives on the use of AI in education. The interview transcripts are given below.

Interview Section with experts on AI in Education

Interview with Mr. Asef (Transcript)

[Mr. Asef is a lecturer at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna, Bangladesh. To keep things anonymous, his name is kept hidden. Here, I am providing a Transcript of the interview.]

Interviewer: Good morning. Thank you for giving me your valuable time today. Let's jump right in. Do you use AI to create content for teaching in your class?

Respondent: Absolutely! I have been using AI regularly for content creation for teaching in my class. One amazing thing about AI is that it can easily do research and gather information for me. It also helps me generate examples and amplify my ideas. That saves me a lot of time, allowing me to focus on the teaching method rather than panicking about what to teach.

Interviewer: That’s good to know. Can you tell me the names of some AI tools that you incorporate in your teaching materials for creating content?

Respondent: Of course. I have been using quite a diverse set of AI toolboxes. I use Microsoft Editor and Grammarly to refine my writing; they help me detect grammatical errors and sometimes suggest better-written sentences. I use GPTs for crafting examples related to the content. Again, there are a lot of paraphrasing tools, but my favorite one is QuillBot. For visuals, I rely on Microsoft Designer and Bing Image Creator. What’s amazing about them is that they can create eye-catching infographics and conceptual images if you can give them the right prompt. And they are absolutely free.

Interviewer: What about assessments? Do you use AI tools for creating questions or quizzes?

Respondent: Not much. But, yeah, sometimes they help me create scenario-based questions, like I give a specific scenario, and they do the work for me by creating questions based on those. But you need to be very careful about doing so. If you let AI do the whole work, they will create questions on a topic that you didn’t even teach in the class. Your students obviously would not like that.

Interviewer: yeah. I understand. Let’s move on to the next question. In what ways do AI tools enhance your content creation process and lesson planning? Can you give me some examples?

Respondent: yeah. I sometimes use GPT to customize complex calculations for students. I give it specific cost functions and some details, like the strengths and weaknesses of the students, and it generates personalized practice problems. In my "Engineering Economy" class, I took GPT’s help to create interactive spreadsheets with adjustable variables. It allowed students to explore the impact of different decisions on project feasibility.

Interviewer: As most of the teachers mentioned, they find enhancing the engagement of the students a troublesome job. What is your point of view on this?

Respondent: Of course. Sometimes I think to myself how difficult teaching and keeping the students engaged would be if the AI tools weren’t there.

Interviewer: Can you explain, please?

Respondent: Of course. Bing Image Creator is so amazing that it can transform abstract engineering concepts into captivating visuals. I describe the mechanics of a milling machine, and it generates 3D models or even short animations showcasing the tool's operation. In my "Machine Tools" course, these interactive visuals sparked an increase in student questions about specific mechanisms.

Interviewer: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Respondent: Yes. I let AI handle the repetitive tasks while I focus on the finer points of robot programming. AI question generators craft scenario-based simulations, and it frees me the time to design personalized troubleshooting exercises. In my "Robotics" class, AI-generated simulations of malfunctioning robots saved me hours on crafting practice scenarios, which allowed me to provide targeted feedback on each student's debugging skills.

Interviewer: Let’s move on to the next question. Can you tell me how long you have been using those tools?

Respondent: I've been using AI tools for about one year now.

Interviewer: Have you noticed any notable changes in your productivity since incorporating AI into your content creation process?

Respondent: I can say for sure that my productivity has increased. I can create richer content in less time. 

Interviewer: Have you observed any changes in students’ learning outcomes or engagement since incorporating AI-generated content into your teaching?

Respondent: I've observed positive changes in both outcomes and engagement. Students find AI-generated content visually appealing and relatable. I believe they also understand things better now.

Interviewer: How do you stay informed about new developments and advancements in AI tools for education?

Respondent: I stay informed through online communities, publications like EdTech magazine, and attending sessions focused on educational technology. Additionally, I was also introduced to many tools by my colleagues, including YouTube videos and MOOCs.

Interviewer: Do you have any recommendations or best practices for educators considering integrating AI into their teaching methods?

Respondent: For educators considering AI, I recommend starting small and focusing on tools that address specific needs. Choose tools that align with your teaching style and involve students in the process. You will not master the use of AI overnight. Take the time and learn. One more thing: don’t let it overpower you.

Interviewer: Thank you so much for sharing your insights and experiences with us today. I appreciate your time and expertise. Thank you again for being part of this discussion.


Interview with Dr. Stefanie Panke
Watch on Vimeo

Interviewer: So, professor, my first question is, can you tell me the names of some AI tools that you incorporate in your teaching materials for creating content?

Respondent: Yeah, thank you so much. In my work as an adjunct professor at different universities and different programs, graduate programs, For one thing, the Master of Education at the Asian University for Women, but for another thing also the Web Science Program. That is an international master's program organized by Cologne Technical University in Germany. I used a variety of AI tools in concert with other educational technology tools. But what really impressed me was the ability to take, for example, my PowerPoints and my notes pages from PowerPoints and turn those into handouts or even outlines for book chapters and textbook chapters. What also really has improved, I believe, is my teaching. is the ability to create case studies or learning activities quite easily. So sometimes I'm struggling with how to explain a technical concept or a technical idea and then I can just simply ask chat GPT or Bard or Bing. Well, can you give me some ideas on how to explain this? Maybe tell me how you would teach this with Legos or tell me how you would teach this using Post-its. So, I really use it as a creative tool. And then there are also video generative tools. I've particularly leveraged Pictory. I think I'm ready to hit pause on that because, with all AI tools, they can become quite expensive if you move to a monthly subscription fee. And so, I'll probably create a few more videos and then end my subscription for a while. But it has been great for helping students create video content, but also transforming some of my own material into shorter videos in the hope that this will make it easier for students to get into the topic and actually read the assigned readings or read the chapters. And then lastly, for creating multiple choice questions or for creating variants in multiple choice questions. So, for example, you have a set of 10 questions, but you want to make those 30 or 40 questions so you can draw randomly from a pool and make the quizzes more comparable. That is a fantastic tool and time saver. And then, it's also quite useful for creating things like summaries or learning objectives that precede a text or a chapter or a presentation or material. Yeah, those are some of the ways in which I use AI.

Interviewer: So, what was the name of the last tool that you mentioned for activities?

Respondent:  So, the. primary tools that I've been using are text-based tools or text-generative tools, video-generative tools, and image-generative tools. I'd say the most; the majority of my time is probably spent on text-generative tools such as ChatGPT Bing or Bard. And I typically move around between those. Then, for video generative tools, I chiefly worked with Pictory, but I am also now exploring a new tool called HeyGen. And it is really, really fascinating because it can translate video content. So, I can say something in German, and it can automatically translate it into English. It can also pick up your speech pattern and your accent. It can create naturally looking and sounding videos from text scripts, which is amazing. Lastly, I use image-generative tools, oftentimes just to make my course pages look more interesting and add a little bit of visual appeal to the course material. For that, I tend to use the Bing Image Generator. I've also played with Dali. I think the results are somewhat similar. And Bing Image Generator is free. So, I like three. And so that has been very, very helpful, also for creating strong visual metaphors. So if you. When creating good PowerPoint slides or just strong visuals for your course material, I think that's a great option.

Interviewer: So, I'll move on to my next question. My next question is, do you use AI tools for assessing a student's work or performance, or if you are using them? So, in what ways have they enhanced the assessment process?

Respondent: Yeah. I have not done that yet. And I'm kind of hesitant to do so because it just doesn't quite feel right. I have done this not only to assess student work but also to do peer reviews for journal articles. So, I didn't. So, I used it to, for example, I didn't like, or I didn't think one section of an article was strong. So, I was going to criticize it. But then I was like, maybe that's just me. Then, I also wanted to create a positive response or some positive feedback. And so, I use that to say, OK, please generate a positive response and affirming response for this. And then also, please, the AI tool, point out the ways in which this could be improved. And then, I cross-checked that against my own judgment. And I think that could potentially be a good way to review student papers. However, I do feel that. AI oftentimes tends to be very repetitive in its patterns and language patterns. So, I worry that it gets more and more and more boring and less and less and less original. So oftentimes, it's tricky to get good output out of it. So sometimes, it amazes you with sparks of creative genius, and sometimes you're like, this is just terrible. So, while it can really save time, it can also sink a lot of time. Depending on how fast you are, reading and then giving feedback can be both a help and a hindrance. I will say it is fantastic since I'm not a native English speaker, and most people I work with are non-native English speakers. If I want to make sure that things are grammatically correct and don't have any spelling errors, vocabulary mismatches, or misuse of words, I can use a tool like ChatGPT as a strong copy editor. So that was fantastic. Thank you, Professor. So, my next question is like, do you use AI to create learning activities for students, like to enhance that engagement in the class? Most definitely, to plan learning activities. I have not used it yet live in class to incorporate a learning activity. And I would be interested, maybe I'll find some ideas in your chapter about how to do that. But you can certainly use AI to role-play. So, it might be a great way to create engaging learning activities where every learner has AI-led conversations based on a set of problems that are agreed upon or that are used across, and then everybody can share their experiences. I can see that works well. I haven't tried it out yet. Okay, Professor.

Interviewer: So, my next question is, like, can you tell me some of the challenges that you have been facing while incorporating AI tools?

Respondent:  I think the biggest challenge is that, especially if you work with students who are less experienced writers, they let AI take over. And then suddenly, everything you get from your students is AI-generated, and they think it's great. And you think, oh, I would much rather read what you think. I really don't care about what Shad GPT thinks. I want to know what you think about this. And so, there's a huge danger that it takes over people's thoughts and their own voice because it sounds, in a way, it sounds more professional. You know, it sounds like it never says; it feels like it cannot say anything wrong. it always hedges, oh, well, on the one hand, and the other hand. And so, you don't get an actual argument anymore. You don't get an actual opinion anymore. And that's something I've been struggling with navigating, and I've been struggling with teaching. The other big challenge is, especially when I use it for copy editing tasks, you can very clearly specify, oh, I want this to be edited very lightly, only grammar, maybe light style, remove repetitive words or remove incomplete phrases or sentences, but otherwise leave it as is. And if you have a longer text, it'll just go on and generate something completely new and completely different. So, you have to be fairly diligent and work almost paragraph by paragraph or section by section so that you have control over the output. You retain strong control over the flow of the information so that it doesn't become overly generative, that it just does the work that you wanted to do and not something else. Professor, thank you.

Interviewer: So, my next question is, have you noticed any notable changes in student engagement or outcome after you have started using AI in your classroom?

Respondent: Yeah, for one thing, it's like a little magic box, right? You open it, and you start playing with it, and it's so immensely powerful and exciting. And so, I feel like it's an instant engagement tool in many, many ways. You can't help but get excited about it because it's so fast, and oftentimes, the results are stunning. And that's a plus side to student engagement. And the minus really is that then suddenly, everything you get sounds like chat GPT. And you feel like, Okay, maybe we just have my AI talk to your AI. So you lose that actual human interpersonal aspect of teaching and learning that I feel is what makes it all worth it. So it's a bit of a double-edged sword, I'd say.

Interviewer: Okay, Professor. So my next question is like, Do you have any recommendations or best practices for educators who are considering integrating AI into their teaching methods?

Respondent:  I think a playful approach is probably really, really good. So, I would take a class or take a lesson or do something that I always wanted to do. Still, you never had the time to do so and recognize that suddenly you will have the time to recognize that you have this 24-hour unlimited patient assistant that can help you write summaries and create handouts. summarize readings, create questions, create sample answers, create sample solutions, provide better feedback, and do all these things in a very, very short turnaround. So, in a way, it really levels the playing field for teachers who have a lot of resources, who work in a large department, have their own. staff or have their own lab, have their own assistants, and for programs who are much less resourced but have teachers who are just as engaged. And on the K-12 level, this is the difference between schools with a lot of resources, with well-organized parent-teacher association that does a lot of fundraising, and schools who don't have any of that. But again, who have teachers who would want the same outcomes in the classroom, who wants the same quality of material, the same quality of lesson planning and engagement. So I think this really, really can give you additional time if that's the one thing that I think is oftentimes a limiting factor for educators to try out new things. They're like, oh, I don't have time for that. And with this, you probably do have time. And you probably can create something amazing that you feel really proud of and that you will want to share with your students. And then the other part is, now that you've yourself had that experience, maybe you can enable that for your students as well and turn them into, you know, just recipients of AI infused content, but also creators of content, make them explain things through AI conversations through AI tools and ask them, well, how should we use AI in this class for teaching and learning purposes? And maybe they'll come up with ideas that amaze you.

Interviewer: Okay, Professor. So my last question is like, there are some educators who are still hesitating to adopt AI in the classroom. So is there any specific strategies that you would recommend to ease the integration process? There are some educators who are not willing to adopt AI, just thinking about the challenges.

Respondent: Yeah, I can totally understand that some educators are very hesitant to use AI tools. I do think this is not one of those technologies where you, on the long run, will have a choice to completely ignore it. I think it'll become such an important part of your information ecology that it's like ignoring the internet. It just doesn't work. And the other part is that the more you are versed in understanding AI and generating AI output, the more you're able to recognize patterns, the more you're able to recognize, OK, this is AI generated, but it's done very, very well. Or this is AI generated, and somebody spent exactly 20 seconds on this and copied and pasted the answer. So the difference between those two, or this is completely, this seems to be written completely without AI. So the difference between these two these things, these types of output that you will see in your student work, I think is an important skill set for educators. The other part is that you probably want students... Well, on the one hand, you want students to obtain foundational skills. And writing and thinking through writing and thinking through oral debate and discussion and expression, thinking through actually spending time reading and deciphering the thoughts of in a scholarly article. All those are foundational skills that if you don't do them by hand or without assistive technologies, you will probably miss out on core principles and core foundational skills. However, you also then need to understand, okay, how can this work easier with technology, faster with technology, because that is the world that you will enter in the workforce. And I don't think we should create a world especially in higher education. In K-12s this might be different, but especially in the lower grades I think there is something to be said of keeping technology doing maybe more hands-on and less technology-mediated activities. But for older students and in tertiary education and higher education or vocational training, you just need to understand, okay, these are the tools that will define your work context. So you need to enter the workforce with the skills and the skill sets that will allow you to leverage these productively. And again, at the same time, it's a question of balance. It's a question of diet or information diet to also have like hands-on activities of writing by hand, of drawing by hand, and of using those inputs to organize your thoughts and clarify your thoughts, and then move on to the technology. So is there anything you want to add, Professor? I think just in general, maybe the encouragement to think about AI critically and creatively and don't think that somebody has it all figured out and you can know so much more than you do because with many of these tools... people are at the same level, they are all just beginners, and they're all just now beginning to understand what this means for education, what this means in a classroom. And you are going to be the expert on your own practice as a student or as a teacher. You know your classroom, you know your environment, you know the constraints of the situation and the context of your learners. and your own ideas are really valid and really important. I also feel like this is a moment where we really need to build community of teachers and students to come up with ideas that come out of education and that are not solely driven by a technology.

Interviewer: Okay professor, thank you so much.

 


Interview with Dr. Todd Cherner
Watch on Vimeo
See The Transcript Of The Interview

Interviewer: So, my first question is, can you share some details about your current projects or initiatives that are related to AI for teachers? My professor mentioned that you are currently working for AI for teachers. So, I wanted to know about some of the projects or initiatives that you are currently working on. Yeah.

Respondent: So, two of them, I'm thinking about best practices for prompting AI. So like, how do you help teachers prompt AI? I think right now, you know if you can get into AI, okay. But then how do they use it? And I think some of that goes to building their AI literacy. And I'm reading about that and thinking about different strategies around that. But I think before you start using the AI tools, you must build AI literacy. And then I think part of that AI literacy is getting the people in there to start prompting the different tools and things of that nature. So, I have been thinking about how do we prompt AI? Cause there's a lot of different ways out there. And, like, what's useful to teachers? Like, do they really need to know the chain of thought and tree prompting methods? Or can they get by with something that's not as technical, you know? So, I think about that a lot. The second thing I think about is, you know, how can we use AI to create cool products? You know, so one of the things that my students do is we are attempting to write children's books using AI to where AI actually writes the children's books, and then we edit the children's books, and then it generates images to go with the content, and then you know you can take that content and continue to manipulate it into something that's engaging, but it takes out the illustrator and the author of the children's books and replaces it with AI. And personally, I do not know if that's a good thing. There's a lot of me that's like, maybe this is not a good thing. It's like there is a human element to writing stories, but with AI, that changes. But then, like, what's the difference between AI writing a study guide versus AI writing a children's book? Because if it writes a study guide, then AI is identifying the information kids ought to know, not the teacher. you know, the same thing. Like, do you really want a machine writing about human experience and a children's narrative? That also becomes a question mark. So, I guess those are some of the things that I'm working on, but I also have some concerns about them. Yeah, thank you for answering that.

Interviewer: The next question is like, so you are working for, like, you are working on the, like, how teachers can use AI. So, what are the primary challenges that you think teachers face?

Respondent: So, the first thing I think that they face is, it's one more thing to do. It's one more technology, and there's probably, I know, a lot of teachers who are like, I'm good. You know, like I've had enough of these technologies. Like, so I think there's just this overwhelming, they feel overwhelmed, right? And so, I'm just like. I think that's the first challenge. I think the second challenge is knowing which tools to use and which tools may not be used. The third is there's equity, there's costs. So, there are paid-for products and not paid-for products, which I think are challenging. Access is clearly an issue. I think that goes back to cost, but like how are they to do it? And then, do teachers know how to use the AI? The odds are probably not. And then, I mentioned which AI tools to use, but right now, everybody's hot on ChatGPT, which is great. It's a wonderful tool, but there's a whole bunch of other tools out there. And I often say chat GPT is kind of like the Coke of AI. There are a lot of different types of soda out there, not just Coca-Cola. There are a lot of different Ais out there, not just chat GPT, but sometimes we just call it chat GPT, like we call it Coke. So, I think there's that. Obviously, I think there are privacy concerns. I think there are data-sharing concerns. I think there are misuse concerns. So onward and onward and onward. So, I think there's a lot of those types of things that are problematic.

Interviewer: Yeah. So, I have conducted some interviews with some of the teachers in Chittagong, but I have seen that like most of the teachers do not even like using AI; like my interview revealed that they are not even introduced to AI, especially the high school teachers. So, one of the constraints that they face is that technology, like they are not...that technologies are not available or resources like mobile phones or laptops are not readily available to them. So how do you think we can address this problem? Like, is there any?

Respondent: You know, so a couple of things on that. A, I don't think that's unusual. The adoption rate of AI in the United States is also very slow. And I think you get people who are fast movers who are using it a lot more compared to people who are not, you know? But again, you know, I tell people all the time, like, pretend it's 1996 and you just saw a website for the first time, you know? Like that's essentially where we are. And then you're like, you know, those websites existed in different ways before, and AIs existed in different ways. Gen AI and generative AI are different. And people at some point will start engaging with it, or they won't, you know? And if they don't, that's okay for a time, but eventually, they'll become outdated and surpassed by people who do. So, I'm like, you're in a paradigm shift, and it's not unusual for people in a paradigm shift not to adopt the new paradigm quickly or at all. And so, I'm like, you're just at the beginning of a paradigm shift. Like it's, it is okay. It is okay. But, and the big but is that, you know, eventually it's not going to be like, it's like not preparing people to use a laptop or not preparing people to use different software programs like Microsoft Word or Google Chrome or whatever it is that we're using Google Drive, excuse me. So, I'm like, some of that stuff's just going to get aged out over time. I mean, that's just natural. So, I was saying that it will take some time, but people will eventually adopt the AI tools. Well, they're either going to adopt AI, or someone that can use AI eventually is going to take their spot, probably. I mean, you know, I mean. I'm just thinking about all the different jobs that are out there. And I'm like, I mean, the person who cleans my teeth, she's using AI to find plaque on my teeth now, you know? And so, I'm like, what do you mean they're not using AI? I think there's some training that needs to happen. And I think there are a lot of concerns around AI, but more people will eventually use it than not. And I think we're just getting to that point.

Interviewer: So, my next question is, can you provide some examples of AI applications that have shown positive results in the educational context? I mean, for teachers.

Respondent: No, no, I cannot. And I don't say that to be haphazard, but I haven't seen any teachers start using it well yet. I think the teachers are starting to learn it for themselves. And I think for people to go in there and be like, hey, you're not using AI, why not? They need time to learn about it. I'm like, it's like, I mean, I'm supposed to be an expert in the field, and I'm still learning about AI. So, when you say are people using generative AI well in K-12 classrooms or secondary classrooms? The answer is probably not yet. I'm like, people need time to learn it. The research isn't there for it. Best practices have not been adopted. I mean, we still can’t essentially say if a paper has been written by AI or not. We might have hunches, but I mean, I don't know. So, I think all in all, a lot of times, that's going to have to happen before we can use it well. And I mean, think about this too. Think about social media, right? Social media came out. Everyone was all the, it was the jam. All the teachers wanted to use social media. People were on Twitter, and they were on Facebook. I mean, heck, they were on Myspace trying to do all that stuff. And then, you know, look what happened. So social media comes out, and wow, it's affecting our children, it's affecting our teenagers, there are body issues, there's cyberbullying, there's misinformation. People are getting hurt by social media. They don't know how to do that. And I'm like, it's not like those things aren't going to happen with artificial intelligence. And so maybe slowing down and thinking about what we're doing and what this represents is good. Also, I think the way that some of this AI stuff was created was completely illegal and completely did not do any copyright. Chat GPT is getting sued by the New York Times, a big newspaper, because the New York Times did not want them to train Chat GPT on the articles from their newspaper. To me, that's super reasonable. You know, as a researcher, I can't do stuff without permission, but you're letting a private company come in and just ignore copyright. I'm like, they should get sued. And the New York Times is suing them. So, I'm like, how far do you want them to go when there are all these questions out there? So no, no, I don't think teachers are using it well, and nor do I think they should be using it well. I think they should be learning it, and I think they should be approaching it with caution.

Interviewer: Yeah, so, Like, students are already using AI. So, if the teachers, I think, are not using AI, they will be like, lagging.

Respondent: I mean, as you know, it's an interesting one. Like, I have a niece, and she is blatantly using cat GPT to cheat, you know, and that's how she's like, write me an essay about this. And then she's turning that in. Yeah. And I'm like, is that the best way to use this tool? Is that what you really want to be doing? Because I'm like, yeah, it might, in the short term, get you a passing grade. And even that's questionable because the teacher should be able to be like, I think that's chat GPT. So, I'm like, that's questionable. But what happens when that student uses it in the long term? Who continues just to write their essays for them? Eventually, they're going to be asked to think on the spot. Eventually, they're going to have to use some critical thinking ability or some creativity, and they're not going to have that resource available to them. So, I think there could be a deficit of skill development if they're using this. I think there's, I think there could be a deficit of skill development. And I think that needs to be considered. And I think students who are using that to complete assignments without considering that, hey, I'm not developing all the skills that I should, I think they're going to end up paying dearly for it in the long run. And there's part of me that hopes they will be paying dearly for it in the long run. Like cheaters shouldn't win. If you cheated and you did all your stuff with ChatGPT, Great for the short term, but I hope you get in serious trouble later because you did not, you were not acting ethically. And I hope the people who act ethically and do the work prosper. But that's just my mindset on it.

Interviewer: Yeah, thank you so much. I have one last question, which is like, yeah, what strategies or programs do you recommend for preparing teachers to use? AI in the classroom? Like are there any specific programs?

Respondent: Oh, I think what people need to do is learn a prompting strategy that works for them. You know, like I have mine, other people have theirs, but I think they need to learn a prompting strategy. That's the first. The second thing that I think that they need to do is practice using chat G or not chat GPT. See, I'm guilty of it. They need to practice using some different pieces of AI. Yes, chat GPT is one of them. But I'll tell you, my favorite piece of AI is called perplexity.ai. You know, I just saw the new one that came out, pica. Art, P-I-K-A dot art. And I'm like, now it's making text of videos? I mean, the video's only like three seconds, but like now you're seeing that. And so, I'm like, they need to start building their familiarity with these different tools and things of that, but I think that's the place to start. I mean, I think, I think it's, I think chat GPT represents a big challenge, or generative AI presents a big challenge. And I think the institutions that prepare teachers, the institutions where teachers work, the schools, all that, everybody's part of this, you know? And I'm like, the cat's out of the bag. It's not going to go away. I think there's bad government on it. I think there are bad policies on it. And I think it's, I think there are elements that are very scary. So, I mean, there's work that needs to be done. There are more questions than answers right now. And I think that's an okay place to be, but they also release the technology. So, people are going to be using it. And so, I'm expecting some bumpy years ahead because of this. Yeah, I think you are cool.

Interviewer: Thank you so much for being here today.


HIDDEN CONTENT




Literature Review:

Next, I did a comprehensive literature review to understand the existing research landscape on the utilization of AI by teachers. However, as anticipated, the literature revealed a scarcity of studies in this specific domain. As mentioned by Dr. Cherner, "There are more questions than answers right now."

Personal Exploration:

Considering the limited data obtained from interviews and the paucity of research in existing literature, I conducted my personal exploration of AI tools. This involved hands-on exploration of various AI tools, reading articles, and leveraging instructional content from YouTube videos.

By amalgamating insights from interviews, expert consultations, literature reviews, and personal exploration, I made sure that this methodology ensures a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the current landscape of AI usage in high school education within my community.

Student and Teacher Perceptions of AI 

My interview with the high school teachers was about how they use AI in teaching, content creation, and other areas. However, as mentioned earlier, the outcome was not robust because almost all of the teachers stated that they do not use AI. Then, I tried to look through some literature to see if the situation was the same throughout the country. However, few studies on the use or perception of AI by teachers have been conducted, which is a very unfortunate situation for our country because, in my opinion, if you are not using AI and taking advantage of the digital world, you are lagging. That's when the idea of writing a chapter on how teachers can effectively use AI struck me.

One of the teachers I interviewed said he sometimes uses AI to generate examples on various topics that he cannot think of on his own. He also mentioned using AI to create visual presentations for his students, but he didn't mention using AI for lesson planning, grading students' papers, or asking exam questions. When asked why, he explained that our education system has yet to be fully digitalized, and students must still take their exams on paper. It's nearly impossible to convert them into soft copies for AI analysis. When asked why she does not use AI in her classroom, another high school teacher explained that she does not own a laptop. She also stated that this is a common scenario for almost all high school teachers who are not of this generation; they either do not have a laptop or do not know how to use computers. Another high school teacher claimed that Bangladeshi teachers, including herself, continue to use traditional teaching methods. Nothing is taught to students outside of textbooks, which is why, despite having her own laptop and using it for her own purposes, she never felt the need to use AI for teaching purposes. When I asked Dr. Panke regarding her use of AI in the assessment process of student papers, she replied, “I have not done that yet. And I'm kind of hesitant to do so because it just doesn't quite feel right.”  However, she mentioned extensively integrating AI tools into her teaching methods. According to her, she primarily utilizes text-generative tools such as ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard, as she appreciates these tools' capacity to transform PowerPoint notes into handouts or outlines for book chapters. She leverages AI to generate case studies and learning activities and seeks assistance in explaining technical concepts by consulting AI models like ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing. She mentioned the use of video-generative tools, specifically Pictory and HeyGen, which aid in creating video content, translating spoken content, and maintaining visual appeal in course materials. Additionally, she uses image-generative tools like Bing Image Generator and Dali to enhance the visual aesthetics of course pages, offering a range of visual metaphors. She also finds value in AI for efficiently generating multiple-choice questions and variants, thereby saving time and improving quiz comparability (Panke, personal communication, January 4, 2024).

Again, Shirin (2022), in one of her studies, assessed Bangladeshi teachers' familiarity with and perceptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. She found that most teachers (97%) had limited to decent knowledge about AI, with only 7% claiming to know a lot about it. When tested on AI-related statements, 71% of teachers provided 60% accurate answers. Regarding AI-assisted educational tools, 35% were unsure if they had used them, 21% had never used such tools, and 43% had previously utilized them. Teachers were then asked about their perspectives on employing AI in education. In terms of positive aspects, 92% believed AI could save time in finding teaching materials, while 78% thought it could assist in administrative work. Concerning negative aspects, 57% felt that learning to use AI would require effort, and 43% doubted AI's ability to replace human teachers. Teachers expressed that students prefer human interaction over machines. She also explored the impact of teachers' experiences on their responses. Those with over ten years of experience (21%) and a Ph.D. from a different country showed more use of technological tools. While 32% were unsure if their tools used AI, 50% believed they did, and 7% thought otherwise. In the discussion, the study noted that most teachers perceived their AI understanding as limited or basic. However, their positive attitude towards AI in education aligned with the belief that it could aid in resource finding, lesson planning, and homework evaluation. Despite minimal concerns about job replacement, teachers worried about the time and effort required to learn AI. They expressed reservations about AI's ability to perform tasks accurately and its potential impact on human-to-human contact in education. Teachers' concerns align with FATE principles, emphasizing fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethics in AI technology adoption (Shirin, 2022).

There is no literature on students' perceptions of teachers using AI in the classroom. My interview with the students gave me some useful insights. One student, for example, stated that she would be pleased if teachers used AI to grade their papers because AI would provide an honest assessment of the paper. She stated that teachers in her school frequently act partially when marking students because they tend to give higher grades to students who already have higher grades. Another student expressed her desire for teachers to use AI for lesson planning because she dislikes the traditional teaching method. She had seen some YouTube videos of how teachers in Western countries taught their students, and she liked the method. She would like to see the same methods used in her classroom. Another student liked the concept of personalized learning and would like to see it used in the classroom. Finally, one of the students stated that she would like to have some learning activities inside the classroom because it would make the classrooms livelier.

Finally, as the global educational landscape evolves, the incorporation of AI presents a significant opportunity for significant advancements. The perspectives of both teachers and students shed light on existing barriers and the potential benefits of incorporating AI into Bangladeshi classrooms. By addressing issues such as technological access and resistance to change, educators can use AI to create more dynamic, personalized, and engaging learning environments, preparing students for a digital future. My chapter is dedicated to those teachers who want to increase their productivity in teaching but don’t know how to do so. By providing some ideas on how teachers can plan their lessons, create relevant content, and generate some ideas for learning activities inside the classroom, my chapter aims to empower educators to integrate AI into their teaching practices effectively. In a landscape where traditional teaching methods are predominant, this chapter seeks to bridge the gap between teachers' aspirations for increased productivity and the practical implementation of AI tools.

Now, in this chapter, we’ll look at some of the ways teachers can leverage AI in their classrooms.

AI Prompts for Lesson Planning

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Lesson planning is the systematic process that teachers undertake to outline and organize the instructional activities, materials, and strategies for a particular teaching session or unit of study, involving careful consideration of learning objectives, curriculum standards, and the diverse needs of students. In this new era of AI, traditional teaching methods no longer are feasible for several reasons: 

The Teacher's Struggle:

Mußmann et al. (2020), in one of their studies, found that teachers work 48.5 hours a week on average. However, of these 48 hours, only a mere 35% is devoted to direct teaching, while a significant chunk is allocated to preparation, follow-up, travel, and other non-teaching activities. This discrepancy not only impacts the quality of lessons but also raises stress levels, making it imperative to explore innovative approaches that can alleviate the burden on educators (Mußmann et al., 2020; Pender et al., 2022).

The Pandemic Paradigm:

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the education sector into a new era in which digital tools and strategies are no longer optional but required. As we all know, the effectiveness of lesson planning is inextricably linked to the quality of classroom delivery and students' learning opportunities. As the digital realm grows in prominence, there is an urgent need to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into the educational landscape to support and enhance the critical process of lesson planning (Pender et al., 2022).

In response to the challenges described, AI emerges as a game-changing solution for teachers struggling with lesson planning through a process named AI-enhanced lesson planning. It is the process of utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to streamline and improve the various aspects of lesson planning, including but not limited to concept explanation, example generation, and assessment design, with an aim to alleviate the time burden on educators, allowing them to focus more on direct teaching and student engagement.

The Power of AI in Example Generation for Enhanced Concept Understanding

One of the most challenging aspects of teaching, as we all know, lies in effectively conveying complex concepts to students of varying backgrounds and learning styles. Traditionally, teachers have relied on a combination of textbooks, diagrams, and real-world examples to illustrate concepts, but this approach often falls short of providing the depth and breadth of examples necessary for a comprehensive understanding on the part of the student. However, when presented with new and difficult topics, providing numerous instances helps students comprehend things better. If students are just given one example, they may concentrate on the surface features of that example rather than the underlying concept. Multiple instances of a single topic may assist students in decontextualizing the idea from the example, resulting in improved retention and comprehension (Mollick & Mollick, 2023). This is when the idea of AI can come to use. AI models, particularly large language models like ChatGPT and Bing AI, possess the remarkable ability to generate a vast array of examples tailored to specific concepts and student levels. This capability revolutionizes the way teachers approach concept explanation, enabling them to provide a more comprehensive and engaging learning experience for their students. Imagine a biology teacher seeking to illustrate the intricate process of photosynthesis. By providing a concise prompt that specifies the concept and targets the student level, the teacher can instruct the AI model to generate a multitude of examples. Within seconds, the AI model produces a rich tapestry of examples, encompassing various plant species, diverse environmental conditions, and real-world applications of photosynthesis. Similarly, a mathematics teacher seeking to deepen students' understanding of fractions can utilize the AI model's example-generation capabilities. By providing a prompt that outlines the concept and difficulty level, the teacher can generate a plethora of word problems involving fractions, ranging from beginner to intermediate levels. This abundance of examples allows students to explore the concept from multiple angles, fostering a deeper grasp of fractional relationships and their practical applications.

AI Prompt for ChatGPT/Bing:

Example Prompt:

"I would like the AI to assist in creating a set of diverse examples for a complex concept—[insert concept]. (If using Bing) please research this concept using reputable sources. The examples should be clear, straightforward, concrete, dynamic, and engaging in style. My target audience is [specify students' level]. Provide several examples that cater to different difficulty levels within this audience. Ensure the examples cover various aspects of the concept, fostering a deep and comprehensive understanding."

Prompt: "I would like the AI to assist in creating a set of diverse examples for a complex concept—cell division. My target audience is 8th-grade students. Provide several examples that cater to different difficulty levels within this audience. Ensure the examples cover various aspects of the concept, fostering a deep and comprehensive understanding."

Result: 

Cell Division Examples for 8th Graders:

Catering to Different Difficulty Levels:

  1. Easy Level:

    • Pizza Analogy: Imagine a pizza being cut into equal slices. Each slice represents a daughter cell formed after cell division. The original pizza dough (parent cell) has divided its ingredients (organelles) equally among the slices. This analogy emphasizes the basic concept of cell division resulting in two identical daughter cells.
  1. Moderate Level:

    • The Sock Drawer Challenge: Divide your sock drawer into two sections. In one section, imagine all the socks are the same color (representing chromosomes). Now, shuffle the socks and pair them up again, but this time, each pair has one sock from each original pile. This simulates chromosome replication during cell division, where each chromosome duplicates to form sister chromatids.
  1. Advanced Level:

    • The Mitosis Maze: Create a maze with five checkpoints: Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase. Each checkpoint represents a stage of mitosis, where the cell undergoes specific changes to divide. Students can trace the path through the maze, understanding the sequence and key events of each stage.

Covering Various Aspects of Cell Division:

  • Growth and Repair: Explain how cell division helps organisms grow and repair damaged tissues. Use examples like skin cells continuously dividing to replace dead ones or plant stems growing taller due to cell division at the tip.
  • Types of Cell Division: Introduce mitosis (for growth and repair) and meiosis (for reproduction) and their differences. Use analogies like mitosis being like making copies of a recipe book (chromosomes) for two kitchens (daughter cells), while meiosis is like creating a new recipe book with ingredients from two different books (parents) for a new kitchen (offspring).
  • Regulation and Control: Briefly touch upon how cell division is controlled by checkpoints and proteins to ensure proper timing and prevent errors. Use the analogy of a traffic light regulating the flow of cars (molecules) to explain checkpoints.

Enhancing Understanding:

  • Interactive Activities: Encourage students to participate in activities like building cell division models using pipe cleaners or play Mitosis bingo to reinforce key terms and stages.
  • Visual Aids: Utilize animations, diagrams, and videos to visually represent complex processes like chromosome movement or spindle fiber formation.
  • Real-world Applications: Discuss the importance of cell division in various fields like medicine (regenerative therapies), agriculture (plant breeding), and cancer research.

Remember:

  • Adapt the difficulty level and examples based on your students' prior knowledge and learning pace.
  • Encourage questions and discussions to foster a deeper understanding of the concept.
  • Make learning fun and engaging!

By using diverse examples, catering to different learning styles, and incorporating real-world applications, you can help your 8th-grade students gain a comprehensive and meaningful understanding of cell division.

 

AI-Powered Explanations: Illuminating Complex Concepts with Diverse Perspectives

Fostering a deep and lasting understanding among students is dependent on the effective explanation of complex concepts. However, instructors often face difficulties in explaining complex ideas clearly and engagingly. Moreover, producing multiple explanations of a concept is a complex and time-consuming task due to various factors such as student knowledge, unfamiliarity with concepts, needing background information, attention to new terminology, context, and cognitive load, and the need for instructors to access their own knowledge and deconstruct it for accessibility (Mollick & Mollick, 2023). AI models have the remarkable ability to generate multiple explanations for complex concepts while catering to a diverse range of student needs and learning styles. Consider a biology instructor attempting to explain the complex concept of photosynthesis. The instructor can instruct the AI model to generate a variety of clear and coherent explanations by providing a concise prompt that specifies the concept, preferred writing style, and target audience. The AI model generates an array of explanations in seconds, encompassing various points of view, real-world applications, and historical perspectives. Similarly, a mathematics instructor looking to improve students' calculus understanding can use the AI model's explanation generation capabilities. The instructor can generate an infinite number of explanations for calculus concepts, ranging from intuitive analogies to rigorous mathematical proofs, by providing a prompt that outlines the concept and difficulty level. This abundance of explanations allows students to investigate the concept from various perspectives, fostering a better understanding of its underlying principles and practical applications.

AI Prompt for ChatGPT/Bing:

Example Prompt:

"I'd like the AI to assist in creating a set of explanations for a complex concept—[insert concept]. (If using Bing) please research this concept using reliable sources. The explanations should be clear, coherent, and engaging, catering to diverse student needs and learning styles. My target audience is [specify students' level], and I'd appreciate explanations that consider their familiarity with the concept. Provide multiple explanations that encompass various perspectives, real-world applications, and historical insights. This will help in offering a comprehensive understanding of the concept to the students."

Example in Google Bard for biology, 8th grade

Prompt: "I'd like the AI to assist in creating a set of explanations for a complex concept—photosynthesis. The explanations should be clear, coherent, and engaging, catering to diverse 8th-grade student needs and learning styles. My target audience is 8th-grade students, and I'd appreciate explanations that consider their familiarity with the concept. Provide multiple explanations that encompass various perspectives, real-world applications, and historical insights. This will help in offering a comprehensive understanding of photosynthesis to the students."

Result: 

Photosynthesis Explanations for 8th Graders:

Catering to Diverse Needs and Learning Styles:

  1. The Sun Chef Analogy: Imagine plants are tiny sun chefs! They use sunlight as their main ingredient, water from the soil as their secret sauce, and carbon dioxide from the air as their flour. Through a magical process called photosynthesis, they whip up their own food (glucose) and release oxygen as a delicious, fresh-air bonus. This playful analogy emphasizes the key ingredients and outcomes of photosynthesis in a relatable way.

  1. The Leaf Lab Experiment: Set up a mini "leaf lab" with students. Let them observe water-filled celery stalks with leaves placed in sunlight and colored water. After a few hours, discuss how the celery stalk "drank" the colored water, demonstrating water uptake. Explain how leaves use tiny "factories" called chloroplasts to capture sunlight and use it to combine water and carbon dioxide, creating glucose (similar to the colored water moving up the celery stalk).

  1. The Historical Detective Game: Divide students into groups and present them with historical snippets about scientists who unraveled the mysteries of photosynthesis. Let them piece together the timeline of discoveries, from Priestley's "oxygen party" to Engelmann's bacteria experiments and Calvin's cycle. This fosters critical thinking and connects scientific progress to the concept.

Encompassing Various Perspectives:

  • Plant Power: Highlight how photosynthesis makes plants the ultimate self-sufficient heroes, fueling not just themselves but also entire ecosystems. Discuss herbivores, carnivores, and decomposers as part of the interconnected food chain supported by photosynthesis.
  • Green Guardians: Explain how plant-based fuels like bioethanol and biodiesel offer renewable energy alternatives, reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Connect photosynthesis to environmental issues like climate change and the importance of protecting forests.
  • Beyond Earth: Talk about the possibility of using photosynthesis-inspired technologies for future space exploration, like growing food on Mars or building self-sustaining human habitats.

Real-world Applications:

  • The Green Thumb Challenge: Encourage students to design their own miniature ecosystems in jars with plants, water, and sunlight. Observe how the plants thrive and discuss the importance of maintaining balance in these ecosystems.
  • The Photosynthesis Detective: Ask students to identify examples of photosynthesis in action in their everyday lives, like freshly cut grass releasing a "grassy" smell (produced during respiration) or algae blooms in ponds contributing to oxygen levels.

Historical Insights:

  • The Priestley Puzzle: Discuss Joseph Priestley's discovery of oxygen, sparking the search for the source of this "dephlogisticated air." Encourage students to imagine themselves as scientists conducting similar experiments.
  • The Green Pigments: Explain how chemists like Engelmann and Tswett unlocked the secrets of chlorophyll, the green pigment essential for capturing sunlight in plants. Connect this to discussions about light and color.

Remember:

  • Tailor the explanations to your students' existing knowledge and learning pace.
  • Use visuals like diagrams, animations, and videos to bring concepts to life.
  • Encourage interactive learning through experiments, games, and open-ended discussions.
  • Make the learning process fun and engaging!

By providing diverse explanations, incorporating real-world applications, and exploring historical context, you can help your 8th-grade students develop a deep and well-rounded understanding of photosynthesis.


Assessing Student Learning

Assessing student learning is a delicate dance in the shifting terrain of education, combining the measurement of knowledge acquisition with the promotion of deeper comprehension. Traditional assessment approaches, like standardized exams and written assignments, give useful data, but they sometimes lack the depth and complexity required to properly comprehend the complexities of student learning. AI offers a transformational answer, providing instructors with a strong tool to probe into the depths of student comprehension. AI models, especially huge language models such as ChatGPT and Bing AI, have a remarkable capacity to summarize and analyze massive volumes of student replies, extracting significant insights that would otherwise be concealed. Consider an English instructor attempting to assess the efficiency of a recent Shakespearean sonnets class. The instructor may tell the AI model to discover common themes, trends, and misunderstandings by giving it a collection of student writings on the subject. Within seconds, the AI model generates a detailed analysis, demonstrating important ideas understood by students, showing possible misconceptions, and recommending areas for more training. A science instructor, for example, may use the AI model's analytical skills to measure student knowledge of a complicated biological subject. The instructor may develop a complete assessment of student knowledge by supplying AI with a collection of student laboratory reports, indicating areas of strength and weakness. This data enables the instructor to adjust following classes to individual student requirements, resulting in a more successful learning experience.

To assess the understanding of the topic, the instructor can create an array of questions using ChatGPT or Bing. The questions could be: Can you explain the main concepts we covered in this lesson/unit? How would you describe [key concept] in your own words? What are the fundamental principles behind [specific topic]? Provide an example of how you can apply what you've learned in a real-world scenario. How would you use this knowledge in a practical situation? Can you relate the concepts we discussed to current events or issues? What are the strengths and weaknesses of [a particular theory, concept, or argument]? Compare and contrast different approaches to [topic]. How might this information change in different contexts?

The instructor can ask the students to submit their responses in document or pdf formats. He, then could upload their responses collectively in ChatGPT. Next, he could use AI tools to identify key themes, trends, potential misunderstandings, etc.

Example:

"I'm an English instructor seeking to assess student comprehension after a recent Shakespearean sonnets class. I have a collection of student writings on the subject and want the AI to analyze them, highlighting common themes, trends, and potential misunderstandings. My students are at [specify educational level], and I'm looking to understand key ideas they've grasped, potential misconceptions, and areas that may need further clarification or training."

However, this approach has its own shortcomings. When one of my interviewed experts, Dr. Panke was asked whether she uses AI to assess student papers in the classroom, she replied, she is kind of hesitant to do so as it doesn’t feel right. Her concern revolved around the potential for AI to make the educational experience more monotonous and less original. She highlighted the unpredictable nature of AI output, noting that while it occasionally impresses with creatively insightful results, there are instances where the generated content is perceived as subpar. She emphasized the dual nature of AI, which serves as both a time-saving tool and a potential time sink. AI systems fail to grasp the full context of a student's work, including the nuances of the assignment, the student's intent, and the specific requirements set by the instructor. They may also not be able to evaluate creativity, originality, and critical thinking skills. These aspects often require a deep understanding of human expression and may be difficult for AI to assess accurately. However, despite the challenges, AI tools can be invaluable in assessing student papers in so many aspects. For example, Dr. Panke suggested that AI can be particularly valuable in assisting individuals who are not fluent in English, potentially aiding in language-related challenges. She mentioned, “I used AI to do peer review for journal articles. For example, I did not like, or I did not think, one section of an article was strong. So, I was going to criticize it. However, then I was like, maybe that is just me. And then I also wanted to create a positive response or create some positive feedback. Thus, I use that to say, OK, please generate a positive response and affirm the response for this. And then also, please, the AI tool, point out the ways in which this could be improved. And then, I cross-checked that against my own judgment. And I think that could potentially be a good way for reviewing student papers” (Panke, personal communication, January 4, 2024).


Harnessing AI for Distributed Practice: Nurturing Long-Term Learning

Distributed practice, or letting students practice content numerous times over several weeks or months, is essential for creating resilient and adaptable knowledge (Mollick & Mollick, 2023; Pomerance et al., 2016). It is a strong learning method that enables students to review and reinforce topics at regular intervals. However, adopting distributed practice may be difficult for instructors since it requires the design of various practice materials as well as the precise scheduling of spaced practice periods. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers a game-changing approach, allowing instructors to easily incorporate dispersed practice into their classes. AI models, especially huge language models like ChatGPT and Bing AI, have an extraordinary capacity to produce quizzes and questions targeted to certain themes and periods. Consider a history teacher who wants to enhance pupils' comprehension of significant historical events. The instructor may direct the AI model to build a series of tests that spread out practice across many weeks by giving it a certain subject and a particular time interval. Each quiz focuses on a different component of the material, enabling students to gradually review and strengthen their understanding. A language arts instructor, for example, who wants to improve his or her pupils' grammatical skills may use the AI model's question-generation capabilities. The instructor may construct a range of practice tasks that reinforce the subject at various degrees of complexity by giving AI a grammatical notion and a chosen difficulty level. This customized approach guarantees that pupils get the practice they need without becoming overwhelmed or bored.

One of the ways to use AI chatbots for distributed practice is following:

Or, it can be done another way:

Content Creation with AI-Tools

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In the evolving landscape of education, the role of teachers has undergone a profound transformation. The advent of digital education, coupled with recent global events, has propelled educators into the role of designers, creators, and orchestrators of immersive learning experiences. The rising cohort of educators will distinguish themselves through their adeptness and knowledge of digital content creation tools, which they will utilize to furnish students with captivating and enlightening educational encounters. Furthermore, they will be capable of seamlessly integrating these digital artifacts into a conceptually dense learning trajectory that is grounded in cutting-edge research and pedagogical principles in various fields. While traditionally, teachers were supposed to deliver content made by someone else, today, the use of AI has made teachers capable of creating their own content that is associated with their own unique learning experiences. This makes sense since instructors are best positioned to anticipate and react to their students' specific needs and learning requirements (Stahl & Fradale, 2021). So, in this section of the chapter, I’ll discuss some of the ideas that will help educators in Bangladesh move beyond the traditional pre-made content and make their own unique content tailored to the unique needs of students inside the classroom.

Digital Content Creation Tools

Canva

Canva has a free feature for teachers that teachers can make use of just for free. All they need to do is go to Canva for teachers and register and verify themselves as teachers. To create presentations for their classes teachers can find a template of slideshows that can be customized by going to Canva's homepage, selecting templates, clicking on search in the category bar, and selecting the education category and resource type as presentation. After selecting a template, they can click on customize to add a fully editable copy to their Canva account. They can customize the template by changing the text, fonts, colors, and images. Additionally, one suggestion would be to use Canva's styles page to quickly make bulk changes to the entire presentation. Finally, they can also modify the specific slides to fit their needs while editing the presentation. Again, to create lesson slides using Canva, they need to click on elements such as shapes or text boxes and add borders or fully customize them. They can also create duplicate slides, add examples, insert additional slides from other templates, and customize fonts and colours. Additionally, there are different types of present modes, including the present button, escape, or the present full-screen button at the bottom. 

To enhance their presentation, there are features in Canva where they can find the perfect element suitable for their class. All they need to do is go to the element tab once they have started creating their presentation. Then, they have to search for the education topic they are about to teach and explore the element types such as photos, audio, graphics, etc. They need to click on their chosen element to insert that element. They can also customize the elements they have inserted. 


Canva for Education can also be used to create a classroom poster. First, the teachers need to visit the homepage and select the "create" button. They can search for specific designs or choose suggested designs, such as the "classroom poster" option, and edit them according to their specific needs. Pages can be added or duplicated and viewed in grid or thumbnail mode. They can also explore template marketplace for more education-inspired designs, which are organized by type and subject, and filters can be used to refine the search. Canva also gives the viewer the opportunity to customize the templates with the "customize this template" button.

(Create a Design | Getting Started With Canva for Education Course, 2022)

Canva provides another very exciting feature for creating worksheets. To use this feature, teachers need to search the worksheet using the search button. They can find hundreds of featured templates that they can customize later to fit their individual needs. If they don’t want to use the templates, they can create their own design by clicking on the “create a design” button. They can use the elements option to insert different shapes or texts. They can also change the text and fonts, as well as the background colour and clip art elements, to make the most of Canva's features.

(Canva Tutorial for Teachers - How to Make a Worksheet on Canva, 2021)
Another game changing feature offered by Canva is Canva Magic Write which is an AI text-to-image generator. Magic Writer can offer prompts and suggestions based on different topics, helping teachers break away from traditional methods and keep students engaged. Magic Write can be used as a group activity. Students can input keywords related to their learning objectives, and the AI can present diverse ideas for projects, discussions, or writing assignments. Magic Write can also assist educators in drafting worksheets, quizzes, or even scripts for educational videos, with the opportunity to focus on tailoring them to your specific teaching style and student needs.


Another game-changing feature offered by Canva is Canva Magic Write, which is an AI text-to-image generator. Magic Writer can offer prompts and suggestions based on different topics, helping teachers break away from traditional methods and keep students engaged. Magic Write can be used as a group activity. Students can input keywords related to their learning objectives, and the AI can present diverse ideas for projects, discussions, or writing assignments. Magic Write can also assist educators in drafting worksheets, quizzes, or even scripts for educational videos, with the opportunity to focus on tailoring them to your specific teaching style and student needs.

CURIPOD

Another very interesting but free AI tool for content creation is Curipod. This AI tool allows instructors to build interactive classes in minutes. Students may investigate many subjects, and the AI capability assists in the generation of personalized courses adapted to their learning requirements. Teachers just enter a subject, and a ready-to-use lesson with text, photos, and activities such as polls, open-ended replies, word clouds, and more is created. There are even activities to include that emphasize SEL check-ins (Poth, 2023).

Curipod Homepage
Curipd homepage

Teachers can enter their topic or learning objectives, and Curipod would suggest engaging lesson plans with activities, assessments, and multimedia elements, adapting to cater to different student needs and learning styles, enabling differentiation, and ensuring everyone grasps the concepts. So, teachers no longer have to spend hours planning from scratch, as Curipod allows them to focus on refining content and adding their personal touch while saving valuable time. Additionally, teachers can add polls, quizzes, word clouds, drawing tools, and more to their lessons, keeping students actively involved and enhancing understanding. Again, videos, images, audio clips, and online resources can be easily added to their presentations, making them visually appealing and dynamic. Curipod also enables real-time collaborative activities like shared whiteboards and group quizzes, encouraging teamwork and communication among students.

Watch a tutorial on how to create your own lessons using AI (Creating a Lesson in Curipod, n.d.)


EduAide.Ai

Eduaide.Ai is another AI-assisted lesson-development platform that offers instructors over 100 different resource categories from which to generate high-quality educational materials. It provides the capacity to instantly translate created information into more than 15 languages. Educators may build a syllabus, provide discussion prompts, utilize the "teaching assistant" for assistance in making personalized education program plans, compose letters, and even prepare a list of allowances for pupils. Eduaide.AI includes a content generator, a teaching assistant, a feedback bot, a free-form chat feature, and an assessment builder (Poth, 2023).

Let's see some of its features and explore how it truly is a game changer.

Content Generation:

2. Resource Curation and Recommendation:

3. Collaboration and Community:

Other AI tools to be used for content creation, as mentioned by Dr. Panke:

Text Generative Tools:

ChatGPT, Bard, Bing: These text-based AI tools can be utilized for generating content, creating explanations for technical concepts, and offering ideas for teaching approaches. They assist in turning PowerPoint notes into handouts, outlines for chapters, and generating text-based summaries or learning objectives (Panke, personal communication, January 4, 2024).

Video Generative Tools:

Pictory, HeyGen: Pictory is used for creating video content, while HeyGen stands out for its ability to translate video content, pick up speech patterns and accents, and generate natural-looking videos from text scripts. These tools can be employed to make educational videos, translate content, and enhance the visual appeal of video materials (Panke, personal communication, January 4, 2024).

Image Generative Tools:

Bing Image Generator, Dall E: These tools are employed for making course pages visually interesting and adding visual appeal to course materials. They are particularly useful for creating strong visual metaphors, enhancing PowerPoint slides, and improving the overall visual quality of educational content (Panke, personal communication, January 4, 2024).

Content Transformation Tools:

AI tools can be utilized for transforming existing content, such as PowerPoint presentations and notes, into various educational materials like handouts, outlines, or book chapters. This enhances the efficiency of content creation and adaptation for different purposes (Panke, personal communication, January 4, 2024).

Language Translation Tools:

 HeyGen: HeyGen, known for its translation capabilities in video content, can be particularly useful in a multilingual classroom environment, allowing for the creation of content in one language and translating it automatically into another (Panke, personal communication, January 4, 2024).

Ideas for AI-Powered Learning Activities

Watch on YouTube

In the preceding sections, I talked about how educators might use AI for lesson planning and content development. However, one crucial component that I have not yet explored is the problem of holding students' attention and keeping them engaged while presenting AI-crafted information. Educators have the daunting responsibility of leading varied students, each with their own personality, aptitude, and learning preferences. As the digital ecosystem continues to impact educational expectations, students are increasingly looking for a mix of activities, rewards, surprises, and comedy to keep them engaged in their studies (Ellen Sharma Memorial, n.d.).

The common perception is that learning goes beyond memory or passive knowledge acquisition. In an age dominated by digital resources, the focus is on teaching skills and information that can be applied to real-world issues. The traditional strategy of rote learning is no longer sufficient; instead, effective learning procedures are required to ensure that students not only absorb material but also understand how to apply their new skills and knowledge in real-world circumstances. An important method is to engage students via active engagement in the learning process. Knowledge and skills gained via activities that completely engage students in the learning process are more likely to be recalled and effectively applied. To do this, educational practices should shift toward effectiveness-based learning, focusing on well-designed learning activities that assist critical learning tasks (Ellen Sharma Memorial, n.d.).

Integration of instructional games into the curriculum is one example. A well-designed educational game may perfectly connect with the educational system's learning objectives while providing an interesting and polished experience reminiscent of commercial games. Educators may create an atmosphere in which students are not only passive users of knowledge but active players in their own learning journey by combining instructional aims with the fun qualities of a game.

My interviews with teachers underscored the pervasive concern about student engagement, revealing that many educators, particularly in my country, lack formal training in this critical aspect of teaching. Recognizing this gap, I turned to research and personal experience to explore how AI can be a valuable ally in enhancing student engagement, both inside and outside the classroom. In this section, I will introduce educators to a selection of AI tools that have proven intriguing for planning and creating dynamic learning activities.



AI image creator

Teachers often encounter the challenge of explaining abstract concepts, fostering creativity, and teaching writing skills to their students. In addressing this challenge, the use of AI image creators emerges as a valuable and accessible resource. The process becomes remarkably straightforward with the assistance of AI tools, including but not limited to Microsoft Bing’s image creator, Canva’s new AI image-generating toolMicrosoft Designer , etc. These tools empower teachers to discover relevant images that can catalyze imaginative storytelling effortlessly. Educators can leverage AI image creators by simply crafting prompts that they believe will inspire compelling narratives, or bring abstract concepts to life, and use them inside the class. Additionally, teachers can integrate chatbots like ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing, or Google that can help them craft the prompts.

Visual Concept Exploration 

Teachers can utilize the AI image creators to generate images that represent abstract or complex concepts related to the curriculum. For example, if teaching about historical events, scientific processes, or literary themes, they can input keywords like "revolution," "photosynthesis," or "hero's journey" into the AI image creator.

Activity Steps:

Generate Relevant Images: Use the AI image creator to generate visuals associated with the chosen keywords.

Class Discussion: Project the images in class and initiate a discussion. Ask students to analyze and interpret the images, connecting them to the concepts they represent.

Concept Application: Challenge students to apply their understanding by creating a short explanation or narrative for the generated images, linking them to the content they have learned.

Vocabulary Integration: Encourage students to incorporate relevant vocabulary words into their explanations, reinforcing language skills and content comprehension

This activity would encourage critical thinking and analysis while fostering a deeper understanding of abstract concepts through visual representation.

Enhancing Creative Writing with AI-Generated Story Prompts

Teachers can enhance creative writing skills and critical thinking through the use of AI-generated images. This activity would not only hone creative writing skills but also cultivate critical thinking as students analyze, interpret, and transform visual stimuli into compelling narratives. 

Activity Steps

Image Generation:

Image Showcase and Selection:

Setting the scene:

Character Creation:

Plot Development:

Writing Session:


Photomath- A curse or a blessing?

Many students nowadays know the AI tool- Photomath, which can solve any math problem scanned from a picture. Many teachers hate this tool as students might become overly reliant on it, potentially hindering the development of essential problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, or use Photomath without fully understanding the underlying concepts, leading to surface-level comprehension rather than deep learning. I have some ideas that can help teachers turn this curse into a blessing. Here are some ideas!

Collaborative Problem-Solving:

  • Activity:
    • Assign group problem-solving tasks where students work together to solve complex math problems using traditional methods.
    • Once completed, have each group use Photomath to check their solutions and compare the AI-generated steps with their manual approach.

Real-world Application Challenges:

  • Activity:
    • Present students with real-world problems that require mathematical solutions.
    • Instruct them to use Photomath as a tool to check their calculations and verify the correctness of their solutions.

Peer Teaching and Learning:

  • Activity:
    • Organize peer teaching sessions where students take turns explaining mathematical concepts and solving problems.
    • Integrate Photomath as a supplementary tool, allowing students to cross-check and validate each other's work.

Exploring Error Analysis:

  • Activity:
    • Provide students with math problems purposely crafted with common errors.
    • Challenge students to use Photomath to identify and analyze errors, discussing why the AI may have struggled with specific types of mistakes.

Homework Verification and Reflection:

  • Activity:
    • Assign a set of homework problems for students to solve independently.
    • Use Photomath as a self-checking tool, allowing students to review and reflect on their own solutions.

AI-powered Chatbots

AI-powered chatbots such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing, or Google Bard are versatile tools that can significantly enhance the learning experience within the classroom. These chatbots, fueled by advanced natural language processing capabilities, offer educators a unique and efficient way to create interactive and tailored learning activities. The process involves teachers giving clear instructions and specifying the educational needs to harness the full potential of these tools.

Example prompt:

"Please create a learning activity for 12th-grade students to understand the transformer architecture of ChatGpt. Please use hands-on activities. Give me an example that uses LEGOs and another one that uses paper and cardboard. Please tell me how long the activity will take and specify the learning objectives."

Learning Activity: LEGO Transformer Workshop

Materials:

  • LEGO bricks of various shapes and sizes
  • Colored markers
  • Whiteboard or large paper
  • Printed information about the Transformer architecture (optional)

Duration: 90 minutes

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand the Components: Students will be able to identify and represent key components of the Transformer architecture using LEGO bricks.
  2. Explain Functionality: Students will articulate the purpose and function of each LEGO element in the context of the Transformer architecture.
  3. Collaboration and Communication: Foster teamwork, collaboration, and effective communication skills among students.

Instructions:

  1. Introduction (15 minutes):

    • Briefly introduce the Transformer architecture, explaining its relevance in natural language processing and AI.
    • Provide an overview of the key components: encoder, decoder, self-attention mechanism, etc.
  2. LEGO Representation (45 minutes):

    • Divide students into small groups.
    • Assign each group a specific component of the Transformer architecture (e.g., encoder, decoder).
    • Instruct them to use LEGO bricks to represent the assigned component.
    • Encourage creativity in design but ensure that the representation aligns with the functionality of the Transformer.
  3. Assembly and Presentation (15 minutes):

    • Each group assembles their LEGO representation.
    • After assembly, groups present their LEGO Transformer components, explaining how each part contributes to the overall architecture.
    • Encourage questions and discussions among groups.
  4. Interactive Whiteboard Recap (15 minutes):

    • Summarize the key points on a whiteboard or large paper.
    • Discuss how the LEGO models collectively represent the Transformer architecture.
    • Relate LEGO structures to the actual components of ChatGPT.
  5. Reflection and Discussion (15 minutes):

    • Facilitate a reflective discussion on the challenges faced and lessons learned during the activity.
    • Discuss the importance of collaboration and accurate representation in understanding complex architectures.

Assessment:

  • Assess students based on the accuracy of their LEGO representations and their ability to articulate the functionality of each component during presentations.

Learning Activity: Paper and Cardboard Transformer Model

Materials:

  • Cardboard sheets
  • Colored markers
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Printed information about the Transformer architecture (optional)

Duration: 60 minutes

Learning Objectives:

  1. Physical Representation: Students will physically construct a model that represents the key components of the Transformer architecture using paper and cardboard.
  2. Understanding Functionality: Students will comprehend the functions of each cardboard element in the context of the Transformer architecture.
  3. Problem-Solving and Creativity: Encourage creative problem-solving as students design and build their Transformer models.

Instructions:

  1. Introduction (15 minutes):

    • Introduce the Transformer architecture and its significance in natural language processing.
    • Provide an overview of key components: encoder, decoder, self-attention mechanism, etc.
  2. Cardboard Construction (30 minutes):

    • Instruct students to design and construct individual components of the Transformer architecture using cardboard and paper.
    • Encourage them to be creative in representing the functionality of each component.
  3. Assembly and Presentation (15 minutes):

    • Assemble individual components into a complete Transformer model.
    • Each student presents their component, explaining its role in the architecture.
    • Discuss similarities and differences in the designs.
  4. Discussion and Comparison (15 minutes):

    • Lead a discussion on the challenges and successes encountered during the construction.
    • Compare different students' interpretations and designs.
    • Discuss how the physical model relates to the actual ChatGPT architecture.

Assessment:

  • Evaluate students based on the accuracy of their representations, their ability to explain the functionality of each component, and the overall coherence of the assembled Transformer model.

Note: Adjust the duration and complexity based on the students' familiarity with the Transformer architecture and their proficiency in hands-on activities.

AI Literacy

When I am talking about the uses of AI in reshaping the way we teach, it becomes important to talk about the challenges teachers might face while incorporating AI tools. Dr. Cherner, in his interview, spoke about such challenges. According to him, there's a sense of overwhelming for teachers, viewing AI as an additional technology task on top of their existing responsibilities. Another challenge involves the difficulty in discerning which AI tools to use, leading to potential confusion. Equity issues arise due to the presence of both paid and unpaid AI products, introducing cost considerations. Access, as mentioned by him, becomes a notable challenge, tied closely to financial constraints. Again, he noted that many teachers may lack the necessary knowledge to effectively utilize AI. 

“And then, do teachers know how to use the AI? The odds are probably not. And then, I mentioned which AI tools to use, but right now, everybody is hot on ChatGPT, which is great. It is a wonderful tool, but there is a whole bunch of other tools out there. Moreover, I often say chat GPT is kind of like the Coke of AI. There are a lot of different types of soda out there, not just Coca-Cola. There are a lot of different Ais out there, not just chat GPT, but sometimes we just call it chat GPT, like we call it Coke.” (Cherner, personal communication, January 4, 2024)

Finally, Privacy concerns, data-sharing, and potential misuse further contribute to the complexity of integrating AI into education.

The importance of AI literacy becomes evident in Dr. Cherner's observation. Comparing ChatGPT to the "Coke of AI," he draws attention to the diverse landscape of AI solutions often overlooked, underscoring the significance of AI literacy for educators, urging them to explore and comprehend the breadth of available AI technologies beyond prevailing trends.

However, AI literacy is not confined to practical understanding of AI tools. It extends beyond that.

“AI literacy is a multifaceted concept that goes beyond a mere understanding of AI technologies. At its core, AI literacy involves having the skills and competencies required to use AI technologies and applications effectively.”(Crabtree, 2023)

Thus, teachers need to develop AI literacy skills in not only practical aspects but also in technical and ethical aspects. This is because, without such skills, there may be an urge among teachers to misunderstand the power of AI, considering them as conscious or thinking machines. This may lead to an overreliance on AI, potentially hindering creativity. It is very important to remember that AI cannot do what human brains can do. Again, ignorance about AI literacy may lead to overestimation of AI capabilities without understanding its limitations, leading to fear and anxiety about the future of AI. Teachers, in turn, may feel that AI is bad or evil, resulting in a desire to hide it from students (Velander et al., 2023). However, it is very important to remember that “the cat is out of the bag. It is not going to go away.” (Cherner, personal communication, January 4, 2024) From the statement, it becomes clear that cultivating AI literacy is not an option but a necessity for teachers to navigate the evolving landscape of education and empower students to thrive in the AI-driven future. Because if they do not, someone else will come and take their places.

Now let’s look at some of the ways teachers can develop AI literacy:

 

Conclusion

Throughout this chapter, I delved into a diverse array of topics, commencing with the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in content creation and extending to the development of captivating learning activities. The potential impact of these AI tools on the future of education is substantial, holding the promise to revolutionize the educational landscape. Notably, these tools have the capacity to liberate a significant amount of time for educators, enabling them to redirect their efforts toward other critical aspects of teaching. The transformative potential extends beyond time-saving, fostering an environment that nurtures creativity among students and enhancing their engagement with the learning process.

However, it's essential to recognize that the integration of AI in education comes with its own set of challenges and considerations. As we explore the vast possibilities offered by AI, we must remain vigilant about ethical concerns, privacy issues, and the need to maintain a balanced and inclusive educational experience. Striking a harmonious balance between technological advancements and ethical considerations is crucial for harnessing the true potential of AI in education.

Another barrier is the paucity of technology in schools, which is particularly acute in Bangladesh. This shortcoming is a serious impediment to the potential seamless integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the transformational advancements it may offer. The lack of proper technical infrastructure not only restricts the accessibility of AI tools, but also hinders educational institutions' ability to reap the entire range of benefits that AI may provide. Addressing this dilemma is a collaborative effort involving a variety of parties, including government agencies, educational institutions, and the commercial sector. Initiatives must be launched to bridge the technology divide, ensuring that schools have the appropriate infrastructure to accept AI-driven instructional tools.

As we investigate the tremendous potential of AI and its revolutionary influence, an obvious truth emerges: AI technologies, notably chatbots, perform best when employed in English, causing hurdles when used to Bangla or other language environments. One possible solution would be for instructors to first use AI in English and then take on the chore of translating themselves. Although this may require an initial time investment, the eventual familiarity and expertise gained in the process can be quite rewarding. Furthermore, for individuals interested in using AI in Bangla, a thorough grasp of language selection and appropriateness is required. Teachers need to exercise caution carefully, determining when to use English or Bangla based on the situation and intended goals. This methodical approach guarantees that the use of AI stays successful and effortlessly fits with the language preferences of the learning environment.

In essence, mastery of AI does not happen overnight; it requires a lengthy process of acclimatization and practice. It takes time and hands-on experience to become skilled in AI implementation, which cannot be accomplished with a short read or video training. Educators, with dedication and familiarity, have the ability to transform Bangladesh's educational environment through the judicious use of AI tools. Recognizing the importance of this shift, the government can play a critical role in providing educators with training, providing help when uncertainty occurs, and promoting a supportive atmosphere for the integration of AI into the educational system.

Activities

Share your ideas and engage in collaborative learning:


References

Canva Tutorial for Teachers - How to Make a Worksheet on Canva. (2021, March 18). [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved December 15, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RQkr58IRMo&autoplay=1

Crabtree, M. (2023, August). What is AI Literacy? A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners. https://www.datacamp.com/blog/what-is-ai-literacy-a-comprehensive-guide-for-beginners

Create a design | Getting Started with Canva for Education course. (2022, December 15). [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved December 15, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQzdCz6KTt8&autoplay=1

Creating a lesson in Curipod. (n.d.). [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved December 15, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea0TA4TIelY

Ellen Sharma Memorial. (n.d.). Importance of Activity-based Learning for modern education. Ellen Sharma Memorial. Retrieved December 17, 2023, from https://ellensharmaschool.com/blogs/importance-of-activity-based-learning-for-modern-education/

Micah. (2023, August 18). Eduaide Ai [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved December 15, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG23bez1AOs

Mollick, E. R., & Mollick, L. (2023). Using AI to Implement Effective Teaching Strategies in Classrooms: Five Strategies, Including Prompts (SSRN Scholarly Paper 4391243). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4391243

Mußmann, F., Hardwig, T., Riethmüller, M., Klötzer, S., & Peters, S. T. M. (2020). Arbeitszeit und Arbeitsbelastung von Lehrkräften an Frankfurter Schulen 2020. Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Kooperationsstelle Hochschulen und Gewerkschaften. https://publications.goettingen-research-online.de/handle/2/92407

Pender, H.-L., Bohl, L., Schönberger, M., & Knopf, J. (2022, May 14). An AI-based lesson planning software to support competence-based learning. Eighth International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Eighth International Conference on Higher Education Advances. http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/HEAD/HEAd22/paper/view/14599

Pomerance, L., Greenberg, J., & Walsh, K. (2016). Learning about Learning: What Every New Teacher Needs to Know. In National Council on Teacher Quality. National Council on Teacher Quality. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED570861

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Glossary Items

Lesson Planning: Lesson planning is the systematic process that educators undertake to outline and organize the instructional activities, materials, and strategies for a particular teaching session or unit of study. It involves careful consideration of learning objectives, curriculum standards, and the diverse needs of students.

AI-Enhanced Lesson Planning: The process of utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to streamline and improve the various aspects of lesson planning, including but not limited to concept explanation, example generation, and assessment design.

Distributed Learning with AI: Distributed learning refers to an educational approach that involves spacing out the practice and reinforcement of content over extended periods, often weeks or months, to enhance long-term retention and adaptability. When combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI), educators can leverage AI models, such as ChatGPT and Bing AI, to generate quizzes, questions, and practice materials tailored to specific themes and time intervals. 

Digital Content Creation Tools: Software applications or platforms designed to assist educators in producing and customizing digital educational materials, including presentations, posters, worksheets, and other multimedia content. These tools often feature templates, design elements, and collaborative features to enhance the creation of engaging and personalized learning resources.

Canva for Education: A specialized version of the graphic design platform Canva, tailored for educators. Canva for Education provides teachers with a range of templates and tools to create visually appealing presentations, posters, and worksheets for classroom use. The platform supports the customization of content to align with specific learning objectives and teaching styles.

Magic Write (Canva): An AI-powered text-to-image generator within Canva's suite of features. Magic Write offers prompts and suggestions based on different topics, assisting educators in creating engaging content. It can be used collaboratively in group activities, where students input keywords related to their learning objectives, and the AI generates diverse ideas for projects, discussions, writing assignments, and more. Magic Write helps break away from traditional teaching methods, promoting creativity and student engagement.

Curipod: An artificial intelligence (AI) tool designed to assist educators in swiftly creating interactive and personalized lesson plans. Curipod generates ready-to-use lessons with text, images, and various activities such as polls and open-ended questions. This tool enables teachers to input topics or learning objectives, and it responds with dynamically created content, enhancing engagement and catering to diverse learning needs.

EduAide.Ai: An AI-assisted lesson-development platform that offers educators a comprehensive set of resources and tools. EduAide.Ai features AI-powered content generators for lesson plans, quiz and worksheet creation, resource curation, and recommendation. It also includes collaboration features, a teaching assistant for personalized education plans, a feedback bot for automated feedback, and a free-form chat for real-time communication between educators and students.

Active Engagement: The involvement of students in the learning process through interactive and participatory activities, ensuring they are not passive recipients but actively contribute to their own learning experience.

Educational Game: A specially designed game with educational objectives that aims to teach specific concepts, skills, or knowledge in an engaging and enjoyable manner, often integrating elements of play and competition.

AI Image Creator: An artificial intelligence tool that generates images based on user inputs or predefined parameters, commonly used by educators to illustrate abstract concepts, spark creativity, and enhance learning experiences.

Surface-level Comprehension: The understanding of information at a basic or superficial level without a deep grasp of underlying concepts, often associated with relying on tools like Photomath for solving problems without a full understanding of the mathematical principles involved.

Hands-on Activities: Learning experiences that involve direct interaction with physical objects, materials, or tools, providing students with practical, real-world applications of theoretical concepts to enhance understanding and retention.

Tanny Das
Tanny Das is an aspiring educator and research enthusiast currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Education at the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh. She completed her Bachelor’s in Economics with a deep commitment to understanding economic principles and fostering holistic development. Her professional experience includes serving as a Research and Reporting Assistant with ESA, Japan. She is currently engaged as a Research Assistant with Stanford University Graduate School of Business, working on a Tech Adoption project in Bangladesh. Tanny Das is deeply immersed in the realm of economic research with a dual focus that reflects her commitment to addressing societal challenges. One facet of her research centers on sustainable development, particularly exploring the nexus between human capital and global economic dynamics. Again, she harbors a profound interest in Education economics, a field at the intersection of education and economics. She wants to contribute to the development of effective educational policies that promote equitable opportunities and address socio-economic disparities. Her aspiration to contribute to societal well-being is evident in her dedication to addressing economic disparities and promoting inclusive economic growth. Tanny Das emerges as a promising professional with a passion for education, economics, and research, driven by a commitment to making a positive impact on societal challenges.

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