Educational Innovation Erasmus University Rotterdam
Educational Innovation Erasmus University Rotterdam

AI in education

in collaboration with AI experts
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Generative AI can impact education in many ways. On this page, we share inspiration for using AI in your education in a responsible way. You will find five strategies with concrete step-by-step plans, practical examples, and teaching activities for designing more interactive education with the help of AI.

 

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How to use generative AI responsibly

(Generative) AI in education

(Generative) AI is transforming the way we learn, teach, research, and work. It is redefining our world in ways we are only beginning to understand. AI@EUR serves as your launchpad for anything AI-related at our university. We will give you tools, insights, skill development opportunities and support to navigate and leverage AI.

We strongly recommend reviewing the page below first before using AI in your education. Also, please watch the video 'How to use generative AI responsibly'.

Go to AI@EUR

Practical AI strategies to boost your teaching

Explore five ways to use AI for teaching! Do you want to make your education more efficient, interactive, and insightful? This is an opportunity to use AI as an assistant in your classroom. These strategies will help you enhance your teaching experience, save time, better understand student needs and keep your students engaged. AI can simplify and improve your lesson activities, and empower you as an educator. 

At EUR, we are committed to engaging with (generative) AI responsibly. Refer to the usage guidelines via AI@EUR.

Some of these AI strategies require student and/or course data. Therefore, always use (generative) AI tools that are GDPR-compliant. 

The Group Analyser

Do you want a summary of the key insights or questions from a large group of students during your teaching session? ‘The Group Analyser’ uses AI to summarise and analyse student responses, helping you adjust your teaching on the spot.

The Group Analyser

A green funnel

‘The Group Analyser’ is used to gain real-time AI-driven insights into student understanding. You can use AI to break down responses, spot misconceptions, and gauge student comprehension. Let’s explore how you can refine your teaching and keep lessons engaging.

Step-by-step plan

Follow the steps below to collect input from students and have GenAI summarise it in class: 

  1. Create a questionnaire using a platform such as Microsoft Forms.
  2. Insert your desired question and specify the answer type (e.g., open question).
  3. Include a disclaimer in the form, for example: “By submitting this form, you agree to your answers being inserted into [chosen generative AI tool].”
  4. Save the form and copy the link. Then, log in to edu.nl with your ERNA account and create a QR code of the copied link.
  5. Share the link on Canvas or include the QR code on your slides, ensuring it is large enough for students to scan from a distance.
  6. Before the session begins, open the corresponding Excel answer sheet so that students’ responses automatically appear upon submission.
  7. At the start of the session, inform students about the QR code and explain that their input will be collected throughout the lesson.
  8. When ready to analyse responses, copy the student inputs from the Excel sheet, paste them into your chosen GenAI system, and include a prompt specifying what you want AI to generate.
See practical examples to use this strategy

The Fun Maker

Do you want students to get to know each other better and create a safe and inclusive learning environment? AI can assist in creating quick and enjoyable icebreaker activities or help you craft a story or metaphor to introduce a complex concept in an engaging way.

The Fun Maker

A green smiley

‘The Fun Maker’ helps students connect and fosters a safe, interactive learning environment through engaging activities. Are you ready to diversify your teaching, engage students in active learning, and support them through storytelling, metaphors, and more?

Step-by-step plan

Follow the steps below to incorporate icebreakers and storytelling to introduce complex concepts in the classroom:

  1. Define the purpose of your activity - is it to foster connections, create an inclusive environment, or introduce a complex concept? Decide whether an icebreaker, story, or metaphor best suits your class.
  2. Input key details into the AI, such as the number of students, course name, and lesson concept.
  3. Ask AI to generate an engaging and thought-provoking prompt based on the provided details. For example: “Generate five interesting ‘two-truths-and-a-lie’ statements about [subject].” Adjust the output as needed.
  4. Display the AI-generated prompts on a visible platform (e.g., slides, a shared document, or an interactive tool like Padlet). If using AI for storytelling, encourage students to add their own twists to the narrative.
See practical examples to use this strategy

The Practice Partner

Do you recognise that a theoretical model on ‘how to give feedback’ can be easy to understand but difficult to apply? AI can help students practise their communication skills using speech function. After the conversation, they can ask AI for feedback.

The Practice Partner

Two speech bubbles next to each other

Practical skills can be easy to understand but difficult to apply. ‘The Practice Partner’ allows AI to help students practise communication skills through speech-based real-life scenario simulations. You can set up a situation, apply theoretical models, and assign AI a role to provide feedback on tone, clarity, and structure.

Step-by-step plan

Follow the steps below to use AI as a practice partner to refine communication skills: 

  1. Select a practical skill that is relevant to your course (e.g., giving feedback).
  2. Instruct students to provide clear AI prompts, describing the situation, challenge, or theoretical model they want to practise.
  3. Encourage students to assign AI a specific role, for example: “Act as a sceptical manager reviewing my project proposal.”
  4. Enhance the AI prompt by adding specific requests, such as: “Ask challenging questions to improve my critical thinking.”
  5. Engage in a simulated conversation with AI, ensuring an interactive and realistic dialogue.
  6. Request AI feedback at the end of the session. For example: “Can you evaluate my tone, structure, and clarity? How can I improve?”
  7. Encourage reflection - students can write a short reflection based on their practice session, including AI-generated feedback.
See practical examples to use this strategy

The Sparring Partner

Do you want your students to think first, but use AI as well? Do you want them to experience that AI is not always ‘right’ and that its output needs to be evaluated critically? Let students use AI as a sparring partner, first creating a draft themselves and then checking their answers with AI.

The Sparring Partner

A pair of green boxing gloves.

Want to help students think critically and assess AI-generated responses with a sharp eye? ‘The Sparring Partner’ challenges them to develop their own ideas first, then compare and critique AI’s input. Is AI’s output correct and applicable, or not? This approach enhances analytical skills, creativity, and engagement in the teaching and learning process.

Step-by-step plan

Follow the steps below to use AI as a sparring partner to encourage critical thinking and assess AI-generated responses: 

  1. Clearly outline the activity, including tasks, problems, or questions.
  2. Ask students to draft their own responses first before using AI.
  3. Have students input their responses into GenAI and request feedback. For example: “AI, my topic is about [insert details], I responded with [insert response]. What do you think of my response and can it be improved?”
  4. Encourage students to critically evaluate AI’s response, checking for accuracy, reasoning, and differences from their original answers.
  5. Inform students to refine their original response based on the their analysis, incorporating AI’s strengths while improving upon its weaknesses.
  6. Facilitate reflection and peer discussion, allowing students to reflect on the learning process and share insights from their AI interactions (e.g. they can review each other’s work considering both original response and AI response). 
See practical examples to use this strategy

The Time Saver

Do you want to save time while maintaining engaging, high-quality teaching materials? AI can help streamline your preparation! Upload your lecture or presentation, prompt your needs, and let AI create your cases, challenges, cartoon scenarios, quizzes, riddles, and more.

The Time Saver

A digital clock indicating it is five minutes past five o’clock.

‘The Time Saver’ helps you create captivating teaching materials without consuming too much time. Use AI to generate cases, challenges, cartoon situations, formative quizzes, and ‘odd one out’ riddles. Simply upload your lecture or presentation (if shareable) and prompt AI for what you need.

Step-by-step plan

Follow the steps below to use AI efficiently to save precious time and energy while maintaining high-quality teaching materials:

  1. Determine your teaching needs - which skills or knowledge areas need reinforcement?
  2. Select a suitable GenAI platform (e.g., Erudite, Pictory, Canva) and upload your lecture or presentation.
  3. Provide additional context to AI, such as key themes or concepts.
  4. Ask the AI to generate relevant teaching materials or activities, such as:
    • Interactive quizzes on Mentimeter
    • Case studies that integrate theoretical models with real-world examples
    • Short stories using metaphors to explain complex concepts
  5. Review AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and alignment with lesson objectives.
  6. Implement the materials or activities in class to engage students in active learning.
  7. Gather student feedback and adjust the difficulty or focus of AI-generated content based on their responses.
See practical examples to use this strategy
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