Last week I (Vicki) wrote a blog about using AI in the A-Level classroom - I decided to ask Suzanne Thorne to write something about how she uses AI in her GCSE Geography classroom, as whenever we catch up I am always amazed at the fantastic and creative ways she is using AI in her classroom.

Over to Suz...

Although access to Artificial Intelligence tentatively started in the mid-2010s, it was not until the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 that AI really reached into our daily lives more noticeably. We had lived with AI-enabled features in our apps and in websites for a number of years, but finally we had freely accessible OpenAI tool at our fingertips. For me the Christmas of 2022 was spent exploring the potential of this new technology and how it could impact my teaching. And I now use it daily to support planning, report generation, and administration.

A word of caution

AI is trained as a Large Language Model (LLM) on vast data sets to recognise patterns and predict text. These models learn language structures, semantics and context patterns so predict the most likely word sequence based on the input and patterns learnt from their data sets. It is not perfect. It does not understand meaning but generates text by predicting the next most likely word. It will not evaluate the reliability of its sources with stereotypes and inequality around cultural power structures baked into the design. An early example was Microsoft’s chatbot ‘Tay’ launched on Twitter (now X) in 2016 which had to be switched off as it began tweeting racist, sexist, and offensive content, as it had been designed to learn from its interactions with users. Furthermore, the web is dominated by certain groups with more power so despite companies evaluating the safety of their large language models they can show prejudice and bias to certain degrees. As geographers we should be wary of this flaw.

Check GDPR!

When using any AI platform, you must ensure that you work within the general data protection regulations. This will require removing students names so they are not identifiable and if you are asking students to use AI then you should ensure that you, your department, or your school as an organisation, has completed a data protection impact assessment (DPIA). Be aware that some AI sites have age restrictions, for example Microsoft Copilot has an age restriction of 13+ years old. Some schools may manage accounts for under-13s through admin settings, but always check school policy.

Now we have got the boring 'beware of AI' stuff out of the way, let me share some of the many ways that I have used AI in the classroom...

Writing model answers

I often get AI to write model answers or create extended responses which can be used by students critique and work out how AI hasn’t answered it correctly – this serves a dual purpose as it teaches students that AI doesn’t often understand how Geographers write. It has substantially reduced the amount of AI generated responses handed is as their own work!

Changing the reading age of text

Text can be altered to fit the age range but a word of caution it will home in on the geographical terms and remove these in the first instance. Prompts need to ask it to retain geographical language.

Creating analogies

Considering how abstract concepts can be made more concrete through analogies. We often need to use analogies to support delivery of abstract concepts and AI can sometimes deliver some great examples – but not always!

Generating an AI image as a hook

I often do this when thinking about the future or representing multiple concepts. I will always use a real photo/ image where one exists but for considering the future e.g. Urban futures or dimensions of sustainability, AI can create some good visual images which can elicit good discussions.

Creating a narrative hook

‘Storytelling, and the use of narrative, is a powerful way of conveying geographical information.’ (Geographical Association)

This must be approached carefully as there is a danger of perpetuating stereotypes, cultural misrepresentation or lack of cultural sensitivity. I only use it to create stories which represent UK-based experiences; for example, I have used ChatGPT to create a diary entry for a resident of Medmerry discussing the before and after of the coastal realignment scheme.

Creating up-to-date data sets

One of the aspects of geography I love is the dynamic nature of our subject, but that comes with its drawbacks as I aim to always use current data in my lessons. Once ChatGPT was able to draw data directly from verifiable sources in 2023, I began to use it to search for data sets e.g. ‘Create an Excel spreadsheet of GNI per capita for African countries in 2024 from a verified source and name the source’. It will create an Excel data sheet ready for you to download and use. Always cross-check the source (just because it comes from a current website that still requires evaluating as a reliable source) and sample a few countries to ensure it has collated these correctly. It can also create CSV files for ArcGIS but from experience doesn’t always get these right and requires extensive prompting.

Creating worksheets and activities

I have used diffit.com to create worksheets, particularly useful for altering the age range and difficulty of the text. The activities linked to the worksheets offer some useful active learning tasks. It will adapt a reading passage, summarise it, identify the key vocabulary and create definitions, build MCQs, short answer question and open ended questions.

Creating a Geography Chatbot

I used dante-ai.com to support students with GCSE by ‘training’ a chatbot to answer questions students may ask on urban issues and challenges. They could use this as a go-to resource in their revision if they couldn’t find information or wanted guidance on how to answer a longer mark question. The ‘training’ sounds complex, but it isn’t it just involves a bit of time uploading all of our resources e.g. scheme of work, booklet, knowledge organisers and all the lesson PPTs. This means that whenever a student asks a question the chatbot draws on the information I have added and so is specific to the data or examples we have used in class. For example, asking what percentage of people in Lagos who have access to piped water supply will offer the same answer as their class resources and not draw on the entire internet for conflicting information. As it has had model answers uploaded, along with the glossary and key terms, it is much better at framing answers around the syllabus rather than other OpenAI websites.

Creating scripts for AI-enabled video content

I have subscribed to Pictory AI which creates videos from text. You can try it for free and have some free attempts. Pictory AI can create a script for you with some prompting, but I prefer to use Microsoft Copilot to upload my lesson content such as my lesson plan and resources I have created and ask it to create a script for a video on a specific aspect of the lesson I want as a clip. This ensures the script stays true to the spec language, uses the correct geographical terms and frames it in context of the rest of the lesson. The script is generated in Copilot and then added to Pictory AI where it does the magic and transforms the script into a video selecting what it has decided are appropriate images/ video clips to illustrate the ideas in the script. Spoiler alert – it does get it wrong sometimes! This can be easily fixed as there is a function to upload your own images (which can be sourced from their bank or uploaded from the internet) to swap out those it has got wrong. I have found this a great method of delivering content which is very text heavy and demands a lot of reading, especially for example some of the more detailed case studies. Students can access the videos again at home as I upload them to a private channel on YouTube and share the QR codes with them.

Creating quiz content

I use the AI functions in a number of educational websites to create content such as quizzes which will be auto marked and give pupils instant feedback. Edpuzzle.com allows you to take videos and will use AI to create questions which it creates if the clip has an attached script. Seneca will take text (maybe copied and pasted from worksheets) and will create a summary overview for students to read before creating short answers question; mostly MCQs and gap fills for students to complete after reading the summary. Quizziz.com (now Wayground.com) will also allow you to create quizzes, flashcards, lessons, and passages for comprehension.

Generate session content for Geography Club

Curipod.com has been a great website to generate session content for our Geography lunch club. We often use topical content and will base our session around awareness days, e.g. World Bee Day. Curipod.com rapidly creates content and has a number of functions including giving instant feedback to written responses and interactive polls - I have also used it to deliver whole school staff CPD to collect teacher votes or comments in real time.

Google Notebook

NotebookLM.googlehas some applications for considering evaluating geographical issues. It is straightforward to use and involves uploading a resource e.g. text you may be using in class, news article or similar and will generate a podcast style discussion between two people. This can be used as an audio, and I insert the QR code into our booklets. We have found it useful for some students where accessing large amounts of text is challenging and this is a great way to open up discussion. There are features to ask for geographical vocabulary to be retained (many AI sites remove this initially and replace with alternatives), sometimes it obliges, and sometimes it doesn’t!

Understanding misconceptions

This is an important part of lesson planning to support students build correct schema. However, as experts it is sometimes difficult to put ourselves in the position of novice learners so AI can be used to ask common misconceptions around a particular geographical concept or topic. Some of the ideas it offers are valid (although some are rather strange!) and can be incorporated into teaching and pre-empting these misconceptions.

Generating questions

This is simple and fast using AI. You can prompt to create increasing difficulty of questions using different command words or generating MCQs or True/ False questions for quick check for understanding for the lesson.

Delving deeper into topics

At A-Level we do use Microsoft Copilot to delve deeper into some of the topics as questions arise. It acts as a more sophisticated search engine although I am heavily caveating this that whatever information generated, I am clear that this needs to be cross-referenced and corroborated by a verified online source. Teaching students to be critical and evaluative in the use of AI is an important skill to be embedding. And of course this can be really useful in terms of challenging your more able GCSE students.

Supporting SEND

I have also used AI to take a text and adapt to be more suitable for a dyslexic reader. It will bold key information, break the text into bullet points and more manageable chunks, alter language to be simpler (if prompted to do so – but remember to request retaining geographical terms) and makes sentences more concise where necessary.

And finally, Magicshool.ai has some applications for a variety of uses. It even creates geography jokes to punctuate lessons. I am not sure where that fits in Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction, but I am sure a cheesy geography joke is always welcome somewhere in a lesson!