AI Unit and Lesson Design: Creating dynamic unit and lesson plans.

Author: Gerard Alford  

Overview:

AI, used knowingly and well, can produce exciting, creative and curriculum-aligned unit and lesson plans in seconds. It has the potential to deliver real time-savings for our profession. However, in their raw form, AI-generated unit and lesson plans have shortcomings, so systematic checks and customisations are required. 

This practical and hands-on workshop aims to familiarise educators with the innovative use of AI in unit and lesson planning and curriculum development. All teachers will generate AI unit plans, lesson plans and supporting activities for their teaching areas. A particular focus of this workshop will be on the cognitive verbs and ensuring there is sufficient scaffolding with aligned thinking tools and language. 

This workshop will cover professional development learning outcomes including:

  • Generating ChatGPT lesson plans and support materials; capabilities, limitations, checks and aligning to education standards.
  • Initial Foundation Prompt – time, age group, learning objectives and syllabus content.
  • Generative Prompts – re-creation, expansion, creating support materials
  • Engaging Starting Activities: Think:Pair:Share, True / False, A or B +3, Silent Card, Shuffle, AI generated supporting resources.
  • Cognitive Verb Scaffolding – customising the lesson plan with aligned thinking tools, learning tools and appropriate language.
  • Using High Impact Teaching Strategies and / or Lesson Planning Checklist.
  • Customising for consolidation using the 3:2:1:RIQ and Process Success Criteria
  • And much more!


Supporting research (High Impact Teaching Strategies - Excellence in Teaching and Learning, 2017)

  • Scaffolding - planned sequencing, specific steps / activities - effect size 0.53
  • Direct Instruction - explicit teaching practices, modelling - effect size = 0.59
  • Cooperative Learning – small group, high participation – effect size = 0.59
  • Setting Goals – Lesson Intentions and Success Criteria - effect size = 0.56

Note: An effect size of 1.0 would improve the rate of learning by 50% and would mean that, on average, students receiving that treatment would exceed 84% of students not receiving that treatment.