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How Can AI Help Teachers With Lesson Planning?

Using artificial intelligence to create lesson plans

Despite being in the early stages of artificial intelligence adoption in schools, teachers are already taking advantage of the range of software available to tackle those often time-consuming tasks that can swallow up hundreds of hours over the course of a year. 

Language learning models (LLM) such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini can create comprehensive lesson plans and course content in a matter of seconds with the right prompts, offering the user focused instruction, and even has the ability to grade students’ work. Meanwhile, applications such as SlidesAI, which can be integrated with Google Workspace, can rapidly produce engaging slides and presentation material for lessons. Using written prompts, the AI model can generate any number of visually appealing images, tables, and infographics, displaying them instantly as needed.

Accessibility and personalisation of lesson planning

With the average classroom made up of a wide variety of abilities and learning speeds, artificial intelligence has the power to meet the needs of all students, irrespective of their physical or cognitive capabilities. Through AI-driven text-to-speech software and translation tools, learning materials can be converted to assist non-native English speakers, students with disabilities, or those with speech impairments; tailoring content to suit the needs of all learners, creating a more inclusive and flexible educational experience across the classroom.

Meanwhile, bespoke lesson plans can be constructed to meet the learning styles of each individual student. Difficulty levels and pace can be set and adapted to match each child’s ability—and, through student data analysis, another AI-assisted tool, lesson plans can be adapted within minutes to meet the ever-changing needs of learners. 

Elsewhere, real-time data can provide educators with insights into student performance, helping teachers to identify where students might be falling behind and allowing them to address the challenges without disrupting the learning dynamics of the classroom. By understanding each child’s strengths and weaknesses, AI can offer practical solutions to support individual students.

How to write an effective prompt for Language Learning Models

Perhaps the biggest challenge for educators new to the world of language learning models is the ability to write effective prompts from which to create valuable and engaging education material. For LLMs such as ChatGPT, the key to a good prompt is clarity, conciseness and contextual relevance to help the language model understand exactly what is being asked. This, in turn, will lead to more accurate and germane responses. 

Using broad prompts such as ‘Create a lesson plan about the Second World War’ for example, will garner much less successful results than drilling down into the specifics of your request. ‘Create a one-hour lesson plan that focuses on the causes and effects of Germany’s invasion of Poland in the build-up to the Second World War’ will immediately direct the focus of the response. Also, look to incorporate as much detailed information about your class as possible; specifics such as the age, skill level, and interests of your students. This can enable more customised and relevant content generation.

Introducing roleplay elements into your prompts can produce dynamic learning experiences. Through character simulations, interactive storytelling, and problem-solving scenarios, lessons can become more engaging and relevant for students. To further diversify your teaching, request content in various formats to meet the varied learning styles of your students, ensuring that each child has access to material that resonates with them. It’s also important to remember that language learning models have the ability to improve through iterative prompting, so it’s always better to refine and adjust your prompts rather than start from scratch if you don’t get the desired result.