Dr Leon Furze

Just over a month ago I launched a free 4-week email course on Practical AI Strategies for educators. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with over 700 participants completing the first round. Participants commented on the value of the bite-sized lessons and the practical approach, and many provided feedback along the way.

In this short post, I’m going to give a summary of the key points and frequently asked questions based on participant feedback.

What participants found useful:

• The bite-sized chunks of lessons that can be squeezed into a busy day
• Compilation of information into a single, easy-to-understand module
• Links to deeper content on AI ethics
• Explanation of different AI platforms and their possibilities
• The iceberg analogy for understanding AI capabilities
• Practical applications like using AI for lesson planning and assignment design

How participants are applying the course content:

• Generating lesson prompts through role plays
• Creating questions for specific segments of course content (e.g., marketing plans for business subjects)
• Designing group projects differentiated to students’ own concerns
• Exploring AI tools for assignment design and rubric creation
• Incorporating AI into workflow for educational programs

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can we make AI-generated outcomes more student-friendly?

A: This requires a balanced approach and relies on your expertise as an educator. While AI can provide a starting point for some feedback, for example, it’s important to combine AI-generated content with your professional judgement and knowledge of individual student needs.

Q: Do I need to set up an account with each of the AI platforms mentioned?

A: While it can be useful to explore different platforms, it’s not strictly necessary to create accounts for all of them. I recommend starting with one or two that seem most relevant to your needs and using them for at least a few weeks with some consistency before trying others. Many platforms offer limited free access, allowing you to try them before committing to an account with more features or more ‘credits’ for chats and prompts.

Q: How do you store effective prompts for future use?

A: Organising and storing effective prompts has always been problematic, since ChatGPT’s “history” feature is basically useless. I recommend creating a digital note or spreadsheet where you can save your prompts by subject, purpose, or AI platform. Some educators use note-taking apps like Notion or even create a personal “prompt library” document such as a Google Doc. The key is to find a system that works for you and allows easy retrieval when needed. Personally, I just use Apple’s built in Notes app.

Q: What should I do if an AI platform “locks up” or stops responding?

A: This can happen for various reasons, including high server load or issues with specific prompts. If you encounter this problem:

1. Try refreshing the page or starting a new conversation
2. Break down complex prompts into smaller, simpler requests
3. Check if the platform has any known issues or downtime by searching online for “is [service] down?”
4. Consider trying a different AI platform for that specific task

Q: Can you provide some student prompt ideas for identifying bias in AI?

A: Here are a few basic ideas:

• Ask the AI to describe a ‘typical doctor’. Analyse the response for gender or racial assumptions, or for obvious “guardrails” or safety features.
• Generate two job applicant profiles with identical qualifications but different names suggesting different ethnicities or gender. Ask the AI to ‘hire’ one and examine its reasoning.
• Request a summary of a historical event from different cultural perspectives. Compare the responses for bias.

I’m really excited to see the first group of educators engaging so deeply with the AI tools and considering their ethical implications. Thank you to everyone who has completed the course so far, and I look forward to seeing the next cohort as they work through over the coming weeks!

If you haven’t joined the course yet, you can sign up here.

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