An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.
When ChatGPT first came out in 2022 it hit the education sector like a sudden whirlwind – whipping up a flurry of emotions, such as fear, excitement and uncertainty, as it tore its merry way through one teachers’ meeting after another. Around about that time I wrote a blog post that aimed to inform teachers about what generative AI could already do – and the list was impressive even then. From scoring a Level 5 on an IBDP Mathematics exam to outwitting plagiarism detection software – it seemed as though the fine arts of classroom instruction, assessment and active engagement would be bent out of shape forever.
Fast forward to today, and that whirlwind has been tamed to gentle breeze. The anticlimax has been deathly in its silence, and I am personally of the opinion that AI’s ‘saturation point’ is quickly approaching. People simply don’t want fake stuff (such as fake photos in ads, or blog posts written exclusively by AI), but people DO want the time-saving and cognitive offloading features that AI can provide. Even as far back as 2022, for example, the World Economic forum published the results of a major study which found that 60% of adults around the world agreed that AI products and services would make their lives easier, but just 50% said that they’d trust companies that use AI as much as those that do not. One year later, in 2023, The University of Queensland partnered with KPMG to conduct their own global study of people’s trust in AI. They found that:
- 61% of respondents were ambivalent or unwilling to trust AI
- 55% were comfortable with the use of AI at work to augment and automate tasks and inform managerial decision-making, as long as it was not used for human resource and people management purposes.
You can download the full report from the University of Queensland, here.
What is 100% certain is that whilst we’re still sailing on the open ocean of AI, we can harness certain tools to enhance the learning experience, streamline administrative tasks, and provide personalized education. So, in today’s blog post, I will share ten practical ways teachers can incorporate AI into their classrooms, complete with examples and tips for immediate implementation.
Let’s address the elephant in the room first: ChatGPT
It is my observation that ChatGPT is currently being utilized in a ‘skeleton before the meat is added’ way across the education sector:
- ChatGPT can quickly generate student written reports, upon providing the system with a lengthy prompt (e.g. student names, genders and overall attainment). These reports are often incomplete and lack context, however, and teachers often need to revise the reports afterwards before final publication. PLEASE CHECK your school’s policy on using ChatGPT for report writing before you proceed – you may come across privacy issues. ChatGPT does ‘learn’ from user inputs, which technically means that the prompts and feedback you share with it are not confidential, as the model uses that information to develop itself.
- Students can use ChatGPT to generate ideas for projects and assignments, as well as the core elements of any written work they need to produce. This will, of course, need to be modified afterwards.
What has become clear about ChatGPT since 2022 is that it’s not (currently) as clever as we all thought it would be. Common issues/mistakes that arise include:
- Lack of original tone and prosaic/robotic like syntax
- Web references and links generated by ChatGPT 4o that are incorrect/do not link to the desired site upon further inspection
- Misunderstanding of the original prompt, which often requires further prompt revisions by the user
- Image generation is particularly problematic, and the average non-IT professional will still find it difficult to generate photo-realistic images of themselves and others using ChatGPT, even when reference images are provided
Let’s finally get into the ten AI tools that teachers should try out.
#1: Personalized Learning
AI can help tailor educational content to meet the individual needs of each student. Tools like DreamBox and Smart Sparrow adapt lessons based on student performance. For example, a math teacher can use DreamBox to provide customized exercises for each student, ensuring that advanced learners are challenged while those struggling receive extra support.
#2: Intelligent Tutoring Systems
Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) like Carnegie Learning and ALEKS offer one-on-one tutoring. For instance, a teacher might assign ALEKS for homework, allowing students to receive immediate feedback and explanations on math problems they get wrong, thereby reinforcing learning.
#3: Automated Assessment and Feedback
AI-powered grading tools, such as Gradescope and Turnitin, save teachers countless hours by automating the grading of assignments. A practical example is using Gradescope to quickly grade multiple-choice quizzes or written assignments, providing students with detailed feedback while freeing up the teacher’s time for other tasks.
#4: Live Quiz Apps
AI can increase student engagement through interactive platforms like Kahoot! and Quizlet. For example, a history teacher can create a Kahoot! quiz to review key concepts before a test, making the review session fun and competitive, which helps students retain information better than they might otherwise. I’ve written a separate blog post listing and describing my favourite live-quiz apps which you can read, here.
#5: Analysing student data and making predictions
Predictive analytics tools, such as BrightBytes, analyze student data to predict outcomes and identify students at risk of falling behind. A teacher could use BrightBytes to track student performance throughout the semester, identifying those who need additional support early on and implementing targeted interventions. In theory, the system could also be used to determine predicted grades for students applying to universities, although I wouldn’t recommend only using this tool. Predicted grades are notoriously difficult to pin-down and can be a point of great contention and controversy depending on the dynamics that are at play in your school. Always use assessment data and your professional judgement, coupled with AI if you wish, you make the best predictions you can.
#6 VR and AR tools
AI-powered VR and AR tools like Google Expeditions and Nearpod bring immersive learning experiences into the classroom. For instance, a geography teacher can use Google Expeditions to take students on a virtual field trip to the Grand Canyon, providing a visually engaging way to learn about geological formations. This great blog post by Jennifer Snelling at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) lists 23 brilliant AR and VR tools that teachers can use in the classroom (well worth a read!).
#7: Language translation
AI-based language translation tools, such as Google Translate, facilitate communication in multilingual classrooms. Additionally, language learning apps like Duolingo use AI to personalize lessons. For example, an ESL teacher can use Google Translate to help non-native speakers understand complex instructions, making the classroom more inclusive. For more tips on how to engage EAL/ELD/ESL students specifically, then this great blog post contains some useful advice.
#8: Admin
AI can streamline administrative tasks, allowing teachers to focus more on teaching. Tools like IBM’s Watson Education can handle scheduling, student attendance, and other administrative duties. A practical use case is using Watson Education to automatically generate class schedules based on student preferences and availability, reducing administrative workload.
#9: Collaboration and communication
AI-powered communication tools, such as Microsoft Teams and Slack, can be used to enhance collaboration among students and teachers. A teacher can create a Microsoft Teams channel for a group project, allowing students to share resources, communicate in real-time, and collaborate on assignments effectively.
#10: Professional Development
AI can also support teachers’ professional development. Platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning use AI to recommend courses and resources based on individual interests and career goals. For instance, a teacher looking to improve their coding skills can use LinkedIn Learning to find and enroll in relevant courses, keeping their skills up-to-date.
Did I use AI to help me write this blog post?
I have to admit, yes, I did. But most of this blog post was written by me. I used ChatGPT 4o (which you need a paid subscription for) to do the following:
- Write my references in Harvard style
- Come up with the ten ideas for using AI in the classroom, to which I added my own thoughts
So, even I am guilty of succumbing to the temptation of using AI to save me time and energy. However, I do think that you, as my readers, deserve more than just a ChatGPT generated blog post every week, which is why I will only ever use generative AI to provide the ‘skeleton’. I must add the ‘meat to the bones’. Perhaps that’s what we should be training our students to do, too?
Bibliography and references
- World Economic Forum. (2022). Survey shows people trust AI technology – here’s what companies need to do next. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/artificial-intelligence-ai-technology-trust-survey/ [Accessed 16 June 2024].
- ISTE. (n.d.). 23 resources for bringing AR and VR to the classroom. Available at: https://iste.org/blog/23-resources-for-bringing-ar-and-vr-to-the-classroom [Accessed 16 June 2024].
