Using Generative AI for Curriculum Design

Establish the Purpose of the Course

Before utilizing AI tools, clarify the instructional purpose behind your lesson. Lesson plans should not exist solely to satisfy compliance requirements; they serve as the foundation for meaningful, standards-aligned instruction.

AI can generate lesson components quickly, but effective planning requires thoughtful input. Instead of accepting the first response an AI provides, approach the process with a commitment to quality and relevance. Ask yourself:

• What do my students need to learn?
• How does this course connect to larger program goals, learning outcomes, or standards?
• What outcomes, knowledge, or skills will have the greatest impact on student growth?

When you provide clear objectives and context, AI can generate more relevant and meaningful materials. Rather than accepting the first draft AI produces, refine its output to ensure it aligns with your vision and the unique needs of your students.

Begin with the Standards

Effective lessons begin with the standards. Standards define the proficiency levels students must achieve and establish the necessary rigor for the lesson. AI can support this process by deconstructing complex standards into clear, teachable goals.

Once the key learning goals are identified, refine them to ensure they promote higher-order thinking and can be assessed effectively. AI can revise goals using frameworks like Bloom’s Taxonomy to emphasize analysis, evaluation, and creation.

Provide Context on the Lesson

Begin by asking an AI to draft a course outline or syllabus based on your subject, goals, and duration of the course. For example, provide the AI with the course title, key topics to cover, number of weeks, and assessment types, and ask it to generate a syllabus. You might get a rough weekly breakdown of themes, readings, and assignments in seconds. Use this AI-generated syllabus as a starting point – it’s much easier to refine or rearrange an existing outline than to start from scratch.

Create Course Materials and Reading Lists

See Creating Course Materials with AI.

Create Assessments and Quizzes

See Creating and Revising Exam Questions.

Enhance Interactive Learning Experiences

Curriculum design isn’t just about content – it’s also about how students will engage. AI can assist in brainstorming interactive elements to include in your course. For example, you could ask an AI to “suggest some engaging in-class activities or projects for a unit on [Subject]”. Educators have used AI to come up with simulation ideas, debate prompts, or collaborative project outlines. Some advanced uses include creating role-play scenarios: an AI can generate a script where it “acts” as a historical figure or an industry expert for students to interview (see Assign the Model a Job), bringing variety to the learning experience. Others have explored AI-generated educational games; with the right prompt, an AI might outline a simple game or puzzle related to your content. For example, an instructor asked an AI to simulate a student peer in a discussion, which was then used to pose questions to the class, stimulating critical thinking in an interactive way.

When planning your curriculum, you can incorporate these AI-inspired activities to make the course more dynamic. Just ensure any AI-driven activity is feasible and aligns with your learning goals (you’ll know your class constraints better than the AI).