5.1 Lesson Planning with AI
This section explores how AI can support scaffolding learning and the gradual release of responsibility in lesson planning. Scaffolding involves providing temporary support to students as they develop new skills, gradually removing these supports as students become more proficient. The gradual release of responsibility shifts the learning process from teacher-led instruction to student independence.
Subject Matter Expertise
If you wish to get started by reviewing suggestions for course content, you can use AI as part of your search to source and summarize reliable and recent course-related information. Note that all outputs should be verified with another source.
Try this prompt below.
Subject Matter Expertise Power Prompt, adapted from Dr. Phillipa Hardman (2024)
You are a subject matter expert in [topic]. I am a lesson planner. You will:
- Search the research and give me a summary of the most influential and well-cited peer-reviewed research in the last [number] years on [topic]. Verify your results with links to the research.
- Next search the research and give me a summary of the most influential and well-cited peer review research in the last [number] years on [topic] specifically for [learner type] who need to be able to [goal/outcome]. Verify your results with links to the research.
Lesson Planning with AI
The principle guiding this section is that effective learning occurs when students are supported through structured guidance, which gradually decreases as they gain confidence and competence. AI tools can play a crucial role in providing personalized support and feedback, helping to scaffold learning effectively.
You can use Copilot to create or adjust dynamic, adaptive lesson plans that cater to diverse learning needs and styles. Here are some ways that you can use AI for lesson planning.
- Scaffolded learning: Use Copilot to create or revise lesson plans to ensure learning is scaffolded and assessed.
- Review existing college resources: Have Copilot review any teaching resources, such as a PowerPoint slide deck, to review its alignment with lesson outcomes and to provide ideas for active learning and practice.
- Personalization: Use AI to tailor lessons to individual student needs, providing differentiated instruction based on real-time data.
- Feedback: Leverage AI tools to offer immediate, personalized feedback to students, helping them understand their progress and areas for improvement.
- Resource curation: Utilize AI to curate and recommend relevant resources, saving time and ensuring high-quality content.
- Accessibility: Ensure AI tools are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities, by choosing platforms that comply with accessibility standards.
Refer to section 1.3 AI Prompting Skills to learn more about ideas for effective prompting.
College Policy
As per the Student Accommodation Policy, ensure that AI tools used in lesson planning are accessible to all students.
Creating BOPPPS Lesson Plans
This section provides sample prompts for developing BOPPPS (Bridge, Objective, Pre-assessment, Participatory Learning, Post-assessment, Summary) lesson plans using AI. The BOPPPS model is designed to ensure comprehensive and effective lesson planning by addressing all critical components of a lesson. Following these prompts may help you to develop a well-structured lesson plan that facilitates learning and engagement. For a primer on BOPPPS, refer to Creating a BOPPPS Lesson Plan (Faculty Learning Hub).
Prompt Samples for a Whole Lesson Plan
Here is an example of a prompt that can get you started to create a whole lesson, given the scheduling of your class and other relevant course details. Replace the items in brackets with your own course information.
Prompt:
“You’re teaching a course on {topic} at a college in Ontario, Canada. The learners are {learner demographics}. Use the BOPPPS lesson planning model to draft a 2-hour lesson plan on {learning outcome}. The plan should last {timeframe}. Structure the lesson into {#} 50-minute blocks with a 10-minute break in between. The mode of delivery is {mode}.”
Prompt and Re-prompt Samples for Each BOPPPS Section
Bridge:
- Prompt 1: “Create an engaging introduction for [topic]. This introduction should connect students’ prior knowledge with the new lesson content and should be completed in 5 minutes or less. Provide five different activities along with their benefits.”
- Prompt 2: “For the bridge-in, you suggested using [activity].’ List five different examples of the activity that could be used as a lesson bridge. Ensure the scenarios are relevant to nursing, trades, computer science, or education.”
- Prompt 3: “For the activities provided, outline the steps students would take to solve each scenario and the expected learning outcomes.”
Outcomes:
- Prompt 1: “Rephrase the lesson outcomes in a plainspoken way that highlights their relevance to learners.”
- Prompt 2: “For the learning outcomes for this lesson, provide examples of how each outcome can be assessed during the lesson.”
- Prompt 3: “Suggest ways to align the learning outcomes with Bloom’s Taxonomy levels.”
Pre-assessment:
- Prompt 1: “Develop a pre-assessment quiz with AI to gauge students’ existing knowledge on the topic. Ensure all distractors are plausible but incorrect and describe why the answer is correct and the distractors are incorrect.”
- Prompt 2: “Identify five different pre-assessment activities that are not a quiz. Describe for each its key benefits and limitations.”
- Prompt 3: “Create a simple rubric to evaluate the pre-assessment quiz responses and provide feedback to students.”
Participatory Learning:
- Prompt 1: “Design and describe five active learning activities relevant to the topic that promote student participation and collaboration. Include options for participation.”
- Prompt 2: “Suggest modifications to accommodate different learning needs and abilities for each interactive activity.”
- Prompt 3: “Provide a step-by-step guide for implementing one of the interactive activities in a classroom setting as a script to deliver to students, highlighting particular challenging steps or necessary reminders.”
Post-assessment:
- Prompt 1: “Develop a variety of post-assessment formats (e.g., multiple-choice, short answer, project-based) to cater to different learning preferences. Ensure alignment with outcomes and lesson content.”
- Prompt 2: “From what you have suggested, rank the best based on the mode of delivery or the degree to which I, as the professor, can determine how and how much students learned during the lesson.”
Summary:
- Prompt 1: “Generate a concise lesson summary, highlighting key points and takeaways.”
- Prompt 2: “Create a simple image, acronym, or rhyme that can accompany the lesson summary, reiterating key points.”
Faculty can refine and enhance their lesson plans through multiple iterations by re-prompting. This process encourages deeper thinking and better outputs from Copilot.
Try This! Creating Your BOPPPS Lesson Plan
Use Copilot to draft your lesson plan. Follow the instructions below. What ideas might be helpful for you?
- Draft Your Lesson Plan: Create a complete BOPPPS lesson plan using the prompts above. Follow the structure for each component (Bridge, Objective, Pre-assessment, Participatory Learning, Post-assessment, Summary) to ensure a well-rounded lesson.
- Review and Refine: Revisit the prompts to refine specific sections. For instance, if the bridge activity needs enhancement, use the re-prompting section to generate additional ideas.
- Finalize and Implement: Use the AI-generated suggestions to finalize your lesson plan. Implement the plan in your classroom and adjust it based on student feedback and engagement.
By following these steps, you’ll develop a robust BOPPPS lesson plan that supports effective teaching and student learning.
Ideas for Instructional Strategies and Activity Design
AI can be used to select instructional strategies that can optimize your chances of achieving the defined learning outcomes for your course. Copilot can also generate ideas and encourage creativity by suggesting a range of possible learning activities for a specified learning objective. Your prompts will need specific inputs, but they can help inspire new ways of designing lesson activities.
By providing the learning outcome and topic for the lesson, you can request:
- An individual activity that achieves the outcome
- A pair activity that achieves the outcome
- A small group activity that achieves the outcome
- A reflection activity that achieves the outcome
You may even request Copilot to provide you with some “wildcard tasks” that you may have been unlikely to have considered but will achieve the outcome!
Scenario Power Prompt, adapted from Dr. Phillipa Hardman (2024)
You are an expert in instructional design, specifically in generating scenarios to support the learning process.
Based on the exemplar below, generative 5 [scenario types, e.g., customer service scenarios] that will help learners to develop [specific skill].
For each scenario, you must:
- Describe the scenario (give context)
- Write the question(s) that learners should answer in relation to the scenario
- Specify learning outcomes for the scenario and related questions
- Define success criteria for learner responses to the scenario
- Optional: Provide ideas for using AI to respond to the scenario in ways that will support (but not replace) learning
[insert exemplar scenario to frame AI’s output regarding length, style, tone, etc.]
Try This! More Prompting Participatory Activities
Use Copilot to enhance your lesson plan with active learning. Copy and paste the prompt(s) below into Copilot. Add search string elements, where applicable. What ideas might be helpful for you?
Enhance your lesson planning with engaging, active learning strategies. These prompts will help you integrate effective participatory activities into your lesson slide deck, ensuring alignment with learning outcomes and maximizing student interaction.
Give Me Activities Based on My Lesson Slide Deck
Prompt 1: Summarize in 200 words the principles of active learning and its connection to adult learning. List several examples of active learning activities suitable for adults at the college level.
Prompt 2: Carefully review the uploaded slide deck for the class, noting the lesson outcomes. Suggest active learning activities that align with the outcomes and slide content. Tailor suggestions to <mode of delivery> to maximize participation and accessibility. Include the suggested timing for the activity.
Prompt 3: You suggested “Jigsaw: Divide content into segments, assign each segment to different groups, and have them become experts on their section before sharing with the whole class.” Provide instructions for how a teacher would facilitate this activity. Include the timing for each step.
Develop Content-Focused Bridge-in Activities
Start your lessons with engaging bridge-in activities to connect with students and introduce new topics effectively. These prompts will help you create and refine activities that capture student interest and prepare them for the lesson.
Example Prompt 1: Provide me with ten brief bridge-in activities on <topic>. The activity should be brief, content-related, and related to students’ interests and knowledge.
Example Prompt 2: Rate the bridge-in activities on AI in education. Which ones are best, in your opinion? Describe why.
Example Prompt 3: For your top 3 suggestions, locate or create some resources to assist me with delivering this bridge-in. I would provide a brief script for each that I would say to students to provide them with specific instructions to complete the task.
Anticipate Responses to Your Lesson Plan
Prepare for effective and responsive teaching by anticipating potential challenges and strategies. These prompts will help you refine your lesson plan and manage classroom dynamics.
Prompt 1:
“Copilot, please review my lesson plan and provide feedback on which activities will likely be effective in class. Also, identify potential challenges that students might face with these learning activities and suggest strategies to address these challenges.”
Prompt 2:
“Copilot, analyze my lesson plan to identify any sensitive issues or difficult topics that may arise during class. Provide strategies for managing class discussions, handling off-topic conversations, and supporting students struggling with the content.”
Prompt 3:
“Copilot, review my lesson plan to anticipate potential technology-related challenges students may encounter. Suggest strategies for addressing technical difficulties, lack of familiarity with the tools, and ensuring equitable access to technology.”
Prompt 4:
“Copilot, evaluate my lesson plan to ensure cultural responsiveness and inclusiveness. Identify any areas where students might encounter unfamiliar terms, examples, or backgrounds. Suggest ways to situate the lesson within global, philosophical, historical, or cultural contexts to help students understand cultural values or norms that may be at play.”