3 unexpected ways AI-generated lessons keep surprising us
Thomas Courtley
Education Specialist
As announced recently, we are working on a targeted beta programme for teachers. We are seeing how artificial intelligence can support you with lesson material, or in coming up with engaging ideas for the class.
A touch of magic every day
Our beta programme team and test group have been busy gathering data and insights. Together, we are experimenting with teacher-centred AI integrations, and guess what? Every day we are surprised by a new AI-generated quiz, lesson structure, teacher tip, or suggestion.
While it is evident that AI can go nowhere near replacing the interaction between student and teacher, it can support and inspire you in a number of unexpected ways. After testing quiz and poll-generating options, we have moved onto testing entire lessons created with the help of AI.
There have been many mind-blowing ‘aha’ moments, and some bumps along the road (OpenAI is also working in a beta environment). Teachers and educators have been busy experimenting with prompts to create engaging lessons, or define formative classroom activities. Everybody has gathered insights and learnings, but some things keep truly surprising us! Like a touch of magic.
1. Sometimes shorter prompts are more inspiring
At the beginning of our beta programme we soon realised that the better the prompt, the better the AI-generated quiz or lesson suggestion. Our biggest behind-the-scenes discussion was, and still is, how to inform teachers on what a good ‘lesson’ or ‘quiz’ prompt looks like. We need to instruct AI effectively to enable it to create what we need. This remains to be very important, and we will certainly talk about it more in the future.
After many attempts at creating lessons with didactic value, we have also noticed that short, generic prompts can inspire AI to create some really great lesson ideas!! The result might not be a lesson you would normally teach, but something so different as to puzzle you, and sometimes inspire you. Our own educators, with years of teaching experience, were inspired by the AI-generated suggestions, quizzes, notes, and even lessons!
2. OpenAI can be a great tool to summarise
When our Head of Education at LessonUp typed “create a lesson about Greek mythology...”, he didn’t think much about it. It was one of the many lesson prompts he is trying out during our ongoing beta programme. Nevertheless, he was in for a surprise! OpenAI created a LessonUp lesson with one profile per God - simple and inspiring. It takes OpenAI one single minute or less to assist you in creating such an overview.
Summarising is not something most people excel at. Even if you are good at it, you might not enjoy doing it as it implies reading, scanning, selecting, and processing. If OpenAI can help you with creating an engaging summary of each God, why would you spend time on it? You could use your time for more important things, such as connecting and interacting with your students.
3. Interesting teacher notes with practical reminders
Our amazing tech team has instructed OpenAI to create one teacher note per slide.
Sometimes they are practical tips on what you could say to your students, or reminders about something you might forget. The notes give clear, hands-on examples of what you could do during your lessons. As always in LessonUp, you are in charge.
Sometimes the generated teacher notes have surprised us with totally unexpected ideas! They act like a thoughtful assistant with your best interest in mind, and that of your students. They are professional, helpful, often interesting reminders of what you could do while teaching 'that' specific slide. AI might inspire you with fresh, unexpected ideas to try out during your classes!
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