Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Tune In: What could we use an LLM for at school?

20 minutes

Find Out: To AI or not to AI

20 minutes

Take Action: Ethical AI design

15 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

identify specific school environment use cases for the healthy use of LLMs
design an AI tool to support this scenario.

Success criteria

Students can:

design and build RAG datasets for an LLM’s use in a specific scenario
create guardrails for an LLM that considers data privacy and user safety.

While this lesson is signposted as 60 minutes, it would be most effective to teach it over several lessons. The Take Action activity to design an AI tool is analogue but has scope to be completed digitally – see the Teacher Content Information for further suggestions.

Tune In: What could we use an LLM for at school?

Step 1

If you have completed Lesson 1 (Introducing Large Language Models) and your students still have some misunderstandings, you may like to start with this retrieval of prior knowledge as an opportunity to address these. Otherwise, commence the lesson from Step 2.

Divide the class into quadrants and ask students to turn and talk to create a definition for one of the following terms:

Generative AI (Generative AI refers to AI systems that can create new content, such as text, images, videos or music, based on patterns they have learned from existing data. Rather than simply recognising patterns or classifying information, generative AI uses its training with a dataset to generate new outputs. For example, a generative AI like ChatGPT can create text in response to prompts, while a model like DALL-E can generate images from textual descriptions.)
Predictive AI (This form of AI predicts likely outcomes. The AI detects patterns within the dataset and uses this to predict what will come next.)
Large language model (A type of artificial intelligence that is trained on massive amounts of text data to generate human-like responses. It learns the structure, meaning, and relationships between words by processing vast amounts of written content, such as books, articles, and websites. The result is a system that can predict and generate text that sounds natural, making it capable of tasks like answering questions, writing essays, summarising text, or even having conversations.)
Machine learning (A broad method used in AI that focuses on creating systems that automatically learn and improve from experience. Instead of being programmed to perform a specific task, a machine learning model is trained on data, and it learns patterns and insights from that data. It is used in the development of recommender systems and other predictive models. Older AI systems did not use machine learning.)

Allocate 1 term to each group and give them 3 minutes to write a one-sentence definition.

Bring the class back together once groups have created their definitions. Write these definitions on the board. Check with the class to see if they agree with these definitions and modify if needed.

Step 2

Explain to students that they will explore how large language models (LLMs) can assist them at school. Before starting the activity, ask students to turn and talk to discuss the risks posed by using LLMs – prompt students to draw on what they learnt in the previous lesson (e.g. profiling, errors, privacy).

Outline that students will use their knowledge of LLMs from the previous lesson to examine 2 example tools and identify potential risks with using these tools. Provide each student with the LLM Student Worksheet. Complete Example A together as a class. Ask students to work in pairs to complete example B.

Step 3

Explain that now that we’ve identified the data collected, potential risks and guardrails for an AI essay planning tool and a new student helper tool, students will consider more ways to use a large language model at school.

Present students with this sentence stem on the board: ‘What if we used a large language model at school to build a…?’

Model an example and write it on a sticky note, e.g. ‘What if we used a large language model at school to build a virtual teacher to replace all of our teachers?’

Distribute 1 sticky note to each student and ask them to complete the question with their idea. For this activity, no answers are off the table! Student suggestions could include:

What if we used a large language model at school to build a…

homework helper that explains concepts for specific subjects
essay feedback assistant that explains how to improve an essay
auto-essay writer that does it for you
smart summary tool that reads long texts and provides the key ideas
revision quiz generator to help practice for tests
scheduling tool to help with timetables and due dates
excuse generator for when you miss class or don’t submit an assignment
friendship chatbot that tells you how to get people to like you
group assignment partner, so we don’t have to work with other people
criteria sheet checker to provide us feedback on our work before submitting it.

Learning support: If your students need some help getting started, you could assign them to one of the following user groups – students, teachers, admin staff, parents and families. Ask students to consider this specific user group’s needs, particularly regarding information. How could an LLM meet these needs?

Step 4

Once students have listed their ideas, draw or display the Impact of AI Axis on the board.

Explain to students that they’re going to assess how ‘healthy’ their AI tool idea is by considering its purpose, privacy, and whether the tool supports or replaces learning. Model placing your example sticky note on the axis, thinking aloud about your reasoning.

Divide the class into small groups of 4–5 students and distribute one A3 copy of the Impact of AI Axis to each group.

Ask students to work in their groups to decide where the AI tool belongs on the impact axis. Prompt students to justify their placements using the following questions:

Who benefits from this tool?
What opportunities would be lost if we used this tool? What opportunities would be gained?
What could go wrong with this tool? What could make it safer?
Is there a scenario where we change something about this tool, and it changes location on the axis?

There is a list of AI tool examples that students may suggest, along with where they would sit on the axis, in the Teacher Content Information.

Bring the class together and invite each group to share their decisions and reasoning. Consolidate the discussion by highlighting the importance of understanding potential risks and identifying guardrails to develop a healthy relationship with using AI tools.

Find Out: To AI or not to AI

Step 1

Remind students that in Lesson 1, they examined a variety of tasks and whether an LLM could perform them safely (appropriateness, data collection and privacy), and what makes a healthy information ecosystem and tool to use. Reiterate that just because you CAN do something, it doesn’t mean that you SHOULD – connect this point to the previous activity about the impact of AI. Explain that we will build on these activities to explore the ethical boundaries of using LLMs.

At this point in the lesson, you may want to recap the meaning of ‘ethical’ and in the context of AI use.

Pose the question to the class: ‘Should you use an LLM to write an essay?’ Allow students some quiet thinking time to individually consider this question.

Divide students into groups of 3–4. Ask each student to bring their LLM Student Worksheet to their group and to look at page 3. Randomly distribute one AI Scenario Card to each group.

Explain to students that there is a situation where ‘Lucy used AI to write her essay’, and their job is to determine if it was an acceptable use of AI, based on Lucy’s context. Instruct students to work in their groups using their scenario card about Lucy to answer the questions on page 3 of their Student Worksheet. Highlight that students should discuss the questions before recording their answers:

What was Lucy’s reason for using AI?
What did Lucy miss out on or skip by using AI instead of doing the work herself?
Do you think that this use of AI helped Lucy learn, or did it take away an opportunity for learning? Why do you think that?
What are the risks of using AI this way?
Do you think this was an ethical use of AI? Why/why not?
How could you change the scenario to make the use of AI more ethical?

Learning support: There are 8 cards, presenting different scenarios in which Lucy used AI to write her history essay. Scenarios 2 and 8 are the most suitable for students needing learning support.

Allow groups adequate time to complete the activity and then bring the class back together to discuss responses. Ask students to raise their hands if they thought Lucy’s use of AI was acceptable. At this point, inform students that each group had a different scenario where Lucy used AI to write her history essay.

Use the questions below to prompt students to share their ideas.

In your scenario, was Lucy’s use of AI acceptable? Why did you decide that? (List the acceptable and unacceptable scenarios on the board.)
What risks did you identify in your scenario? (Record this list of risks on the board.)
What could we put in place to make the use of AI safer and more ethical? (Link these answers to the risk students addressed. If the answer solves for multiple risks, link the answer multiple times.)

Learning extension: Does your school have an AI policy? Students could critically review it, rewrite it or create their own by drawing on their understanding of what makes AI use safe and ethical versus harmful and unethical.

Step 2

Review the list of solutions to the risks students generated in the previous activity and identify which involve providing the AI system with system-level prompts.

Remind students that system-level prompts can form the basis of guardrails to promote safe and ethical AI use. (To further elaborate on what system-level prompts are from Lesson 1, explain that they are instructions written by the developers of an AI tool. They guide how the AI behaves overall. For example, how it should respond, what tone to use and what it should avoid, such as unsafe or harmful content. These are always ‘on’ in the background.)

Learning support: To demonstrate this in action, open a text-based Gen AI tool and enter this prompt: ‘Explain your guardrails on producing responses about [children/disabilities/religion/violence/women] (choose 1 word)’.

Ask your students and facilitate a class discussion:

How do guardrails protect the user?
How do guardrails protect the AI tool?
How do guardrails help to build a healthy AI ecosystem?

Take Action: Ethical AI design

Step 1

Explain to students that their task is to now design their own AI tool, based on an LLM, that

is an ethical use of AI
is helpful and not harmful
promotes thinking and learning.

Revisit the list of possible tools the students drafted in the ‘Tune In’ phase of this lesson. As a class, refine this list to only tools that meet the above criteria. If students have a new idea for a tool that fits these criteria, add it to the shortlist.

Step 2

Once the shortlist of AI tools is finalised, explain to students that they will plan how to develop one of these tools. Divide students into groups of 3 or 4. Assign each group a tool from the shortlist.

Learning support: Alternatively, a list of potential AI tools for students to design is available in the Teacher Content Information.

Provide each group with the AI Tool Design Worksheet. Inform students that they will use the worksheet to scaffold the design of their tools, which includes templates for:

User stories: who uses the tool, when, where and why.
Knowledge base: additional information provided to the tool.
Guardrails: system-level prompts on what the tool can and cannot do.
User experience (UX): how the user will interact with the tool.

Elaborate on and discuss the instructions for each of these design components.

This is where your knowledge of your students comes in. If your cohort needs more support with key concepts, you may start by selecting a tool students are already familiar with (such as NSW’s EduChat). You could have your students explore the tool and ask it questions to fill out the worksheet and find out how it was designed. In this case, we would recommend an additional lesson or two after this one to give students time to plan and design their own tool before moving on to Lesson 3.

Step 3

Allow groups time to discuss their assigned AI tool and address any misunderstandings or questions. Then, direct groups to start designing their tool by answering the template questions in their worksheet to write their user stories.

Learning support: Before students start creating their user stories, model completing one with the template and thinking aloud about their reasoning.

Once each group has agreed on their user stories, they can discuss roles and responsibilities and move on to the rest of the design phase. They may choose to allocate the workload in different ways.

Assign a scribe (to take notes), a manager (to keep track of time and resources) and a researcher (to investigate what the group doesn’t know), and work through each component as a group.
Assign 1–2 members to each component (knowledge base, guardrails, user experience) and work in a jigsaw-style, coming together at the end to adjust the design based on group member feedback.

Learning support: Before students start the remaining components (knowledge base, guardrails and UX), model completing each one using the templates and thinking aloud your reasoning. Connect each component back to ethical design and use, safety and risk minimisation, and to what creates a healthy information ecosystem.

Students will likely need additional time to work on their design, research, seek feedback and refine their ideas.

Learning extension: Students can take their AI tool design to the next level by building and testing a prototype and refining their ideas based on testing. Systems such as Microsoft Co-pilot, Google NotebookLM, and Playlab.ai provide functionality that allows students to build and test their own tools. Make sure you check with your school’s AI policy and IT team to see which options are available to you.

Step 4

Once students have completed the templates in their worksheet, provide each group with the AI Tool Elevator Pitch to collate and prepare their final design.

Explain that each section of the elevator pitch draws on information the students collected in the AI Tool Design Worksheet.

Welcome Screen: taken from the user experience page.
Meet our AI: include the name of the AI, the persona and the problem the AI solves.
Meet our users: for your primary and secondary user stories.
UX Design: taken from the Wireframe drawing on the user experience page.
Guardrails: use Guardrails 1 and 2.
‘If I can’t answer, I’ll say’: Taken from Guardrail 4
‘If I’m concerned about safety, I’ll say’: Taken from Guardrail 3.
Knowledge Base: Taken from the knowledge base table.

Show students page 2 of the AI Tool Elevator Pitch as a worked example to guide students before they work on their own.

Keep students' elevator pitches! Students will refer to this in Lesson 3.

Reflection

Ask students to reflect on their process of designing (and building) an ethical AI tool: ‘Which part of the design process was most enjoyable? Why? What was tricky for you? What elements of design had you not considered before?’

Facilitate a class discussion with students to elicit:

What information do you think we should provide to users about gen AI tools?
How should we communicate to users of our tool about the LLM and how it works?
Why should we share this information?

Designing an AI Tool

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions

Success criteria

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills Required

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Information

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson

Designing an AI Tool

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions

Success criteria

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills Required

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Information

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson