Techniques for using artificial intelligence to personalise learning for individuals

Examples of selected pedagogical techniques in education demonstrate specific ways in which AI-based tools and systems can foster active, reflective, and personalised learning. For each tool, the pedagogical potential and key advantages over other options are listed, highlighting its relevance in the educational context.

Note: The selected examples include free or partially free AI tools and systems available for use in educational settings at the time of writing this course. Given the rapid changes in these technologies, it should be noted that their functionalities and availability may change over time, and free versions often have certain limitations regarding the number of uses or access to advanced features.

Guided Socratic Dialogue Using AI

Technique Description:

This technique uses AI to promote critical thinking, argumentation, and reflection through structured dialogue. The system asks thought-provoking questions, guides the discussion, and encourages students to think more deeply about a particular problem or topic. The teacher acts as a moderator who guides and evaluates the argumentative flow of the discussion.

Application method:

As part of seminar teaching in the course Ethics in a Digital Environment, students participate in a dialogue with a virtual assistant who poses challenging questions about the ethical issues of artificial intelligence. After the dialogue, students analyse their positions in smaller groups, compare them with the responses of the AI system, and formulate conclusions jointly.
This approach enables the development of critical thinking and argumentation skills through interactive, guided inquiry.

Pedagogical value:
By using a virtual assistant in a guided dialogue, students develop skills in argumentation, reflection, and ethical reasoning. The system functions as a virtual interlocutor that stimulates thought processes and a deeper understanding of the content. The activity also supports the development of self-regulated learning and empowers students to express and defend their positions in an academic context.

Example of an artificial intelligence tool:

• ChatGPT, with its language model, enables dialogue that adapts to the level and interests of students, imitating the logic of the Socratic approach to questioning and argumentation. The system asks questions of varying complexity, responds to students' answers, and encourages further reflection, making it a highly suitable tool for developing critical thinking and reflective dialogue.
  Unlike traditional digital questionnaires or forums, ChatGPT enables interactive, dynamic, and personalised communication, in which the student is an active participant in the thought process rather than a passive recipient of information.
  Due to its accessibility, flexibility, and linguistic adaptability, ChatGPT is a relevant tool for implementing pedagogical techniques that emphasise dialogue, reflection, and argumentation, especially in higher education.

Adaptive learning based on data analysis

Technique description:

Artificial intelligence analyses data on student learning and automatically adjusts the content, pace, and complexity of the material to meet individual needs. This approach enables personalised learning, providing each student with content that matches their prior knowledge, pace, and learning style, without additional burden on the teacher.
Adaptability is achieved through continuous analysis of student interactions and results, allowing the system to dynamically adjust tasks, difficulty levels, and recommendations for further learning. This leads to more efficient and meaningful learning, with technology actively supporting pedagogical goals.

How to use it:

In education, adaptive learning can be applied in subjects with large numbers of students or those that require gradual acquisition of concepts, such as mathematics, programming, or statistics. The system collects data on task completion, response time, and accuracy, and then uses this data to adjust content and suggest additional activities. The teacher can monitor each student's progress and direct further activities according to their needs.

Pedagogical value:

Implementing adaptive learning helps students develop independence, metacognitive skills, and responsibility for their own progress. Artificial intelligence assists teachers in recognising learning patterns and individual student needs, enabling targeted monitoring and support, and providing students with a personalised learning experience.

Examples of artificial intelligence tools and systems:

• Century Tech — an adaptive learning system that effectively combines learning analytics and pedagogical design. The tool allows real-time monitoring of student progress and automatically adapts content to individual needs, supporting personalised and self-regulated learning.
• DreamBox Learning — an adaptive learning platform focused on mathematics.
• SchoolAI – adapts content and activities according to user progress and provides real-time feedback. The platform combines adaptive learning and interactive communication, making it suitable for higher education. It is available in a free version with basic functionalities, with limitations on the number of users and activities.

Automatic Generation of Quizzes and Knowledge Testing 

Technique description:

Artificial intelligence enables instructors to quickly create personalised quizzes, tests, and knowledge assessment tasks, adjusting content and difficulty to each student's level.

Examples of AI tools and systems:

• Curipod — a tool for creating quizzes and interactive tasks,  
• Quizizz — a platform for creating and managing online quizzes,
• ChatGPT — can generate questions and tasks by topic.

Writing and Feedback Using AI 

Technique description:

Artificial intelligence assists students in writing term papers and research papers by automatically detecting grammar, style, clarity, and plagiarism issues, supporting the development of academic and communication skills.

Examples of AI tools and systems:

• Grammarly — a tool for correcting and improving text,  
• Notion AI — assists in structuring and writing content,
• Copyleaks — a plagiarism detection system.

Summarising and Analysing Scientific Articles 

Technique description:

These tools use artificial intelligence to quickly summarise complex scientific texts and extract key information, significantly facilitating preparation for teaching and research.

Examples of artificial intelligence tools and systems:

• Perplexity AI — a tool for generating summaries and answering questions about texts,
• Elicit — a platform for systematic research and literature analysis,
• Explainpaper — a tool for understanding professional papers,
• Litmaps — for mapping and visually tracking connections among scientific papers within a specific research topic,
• SciSpace AI — for suggesting literature in the field.

Creating Interactive Teaching Materials 

Technique description:

Artificial intelligence supports teachers in creating visually appealing presentations, interactive slides, and infographics that promote engagement and understanding among students.

Examples of artificial intelligence tools and systems:

• Canva AI — a tool for designing presentations and graphics,
• Beautiful.ai — an AI assistant for creating presentations,
• Genially — a platform for interactive content.

Simulations and Ethical Discussions with AI Avatars 

Technique Description: 

By using AI avatars and simulations, students engage in realistic scenarios and discussions about ethical challenges, which develop critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Examples of AI Tools and Systems: 

• Synthesia — a tool for creating video avatars, 
• D-ID — generates realistic avatars and video simulations, 
• ChatGPT — moderates and leads ethical discussions.

Lecture Recording and Summarisation 

Technique Description: 

AI tools automatically transcribe and summarise lectures, making it easier for students to access key information and organise material.

Examples of AI Tools and Systems: 

• Otter.ai — automatic transcription and summarisation of speech, 
• Fireflies — records and analyses meetings and lectures, 
• Notion AI — assists in organising and summarising content.

Increasing Accessibility and Inclusiveness in Teaching 

Technique Description: 

AI tools make teaching more accessible for students with special needs (e.g., dyslexia, concentration difficulties) and adapt content to different learning styles and language needs.

Examples of AI Tools and Systems: 

• Immersive Reader — facilitates reading and understanding of text, 
• Read&Write — supports learning and reading.

Artificial Intelligence-Based Simulations for Interactive Learning 

Technique Description: 

This technique uses artificial intelligence to create realistic, interactive simulations that allow students to apply theoretical knowledge in a safe, controlled environment. Simulations can include real-life scenarios, complex problems, or ethical dilemmas, with AI avatars or virtual agents conducting dialogue and responding to student decisions.

Examples of AI Tools: 

• Synthesia — AI-powered video avatar creation for simulated situations, 
• Mursion — an AI system for virtual simulations with interactive characters, 
• Unity ML-Agents — an AI tool for simulation and training development, 
• D-ID — generates realistic video avatars for simulations.

Virtual Experiments Based on AI 

Technique Description: 

This technique uses AI and computer simulations to let learners conduct experiments in a virtual environment. AI can adjust parameters, monitor experiments, and provide real-time analysis of results. This enables deep understanding of theoretical concepts, risk-free experimentation, and access to experiments that would otherwise be expensive, dangerous, or technically demanding.

Examples of AI Tools and Systems: 

• PhET Interactive Simulations — free interactive simulations for science and math, 
• Labster — virtual laboratory simulations with AI support for STEM subjects, 
• PraxiLabs — 3D virtual laboratories with customisable experiments, 
• SimuLab — tools for simulating chemical and physical experiments.

Artificial Intelligence Support in Solving Problems and Tasks 

Technique Description: 

Virtual assistants help students understand concepts and find solutions through customised explanations and examples. This support enables better understanding and independent learning.

Examples of AI Tools: 

• ChatGPT – helps with understanding theory, solving tasks, and writing papers, 
• Wolfram Alpha – a tool for calculations and analysis of mathematical and scientific problems, 
• Perplexity AI – provides concise, clearly explained answers to questions.

Artificial Intelligence-Powered Simulations and Avatars 

Technique Description: 

AI-powered avatars and simulations enable the creation of authentic dialogue situations, communication skills training, argument analysis, and critical thinking development through realistic interactions between users and virtual characters.

Examples of AI Tools: 

• Synthesia – creates videos with AI avatars that simulate conversation and discussion, 
• D-ID – creates videos in which an avatar leads a conversation, 
• ChatGPT – moderates and encourages dialogue and analysis.

Artificial Intelligence-Powered Drawing and Visualisation in Teaching 

Technique Description: 

Visualisation through drawings, diagrams, mind maps, or infographics helps students structure information, connect ideas, and better understand complex concepts. AI tools can automatically generate or assist in creating visual representations based on text or ideas, encouraging creativity and critical thinking through content organisation.

Examples of AI Tools and Systems: 

• Canva AI – enables easy creation of visual materials such as diagrams, infographics, and presentations with AI support, 
• MindMeister – supports the creation of mind maps to organise and analyse ideas, 
• DALL·E – generates images and illustrations from textual descriptions, useful for creative tasks and visualisations.

Learning programming supported by artificial intelligence

Description of the technique:

Artificial intelligence tools for learning programming help students understand code, automatically correct errors, suggest solutions, and explain concepts in a simple manner. These tools enable interactive learning through examples, exercises, and personalised tasks, encouraging independent exploration and the development of logical thinking.

Examples of artificial intelligence tools and systems:

• GitHub Copilot – an artificial intelligence assistant that helps with coding by suggesting ready-made code fragments and solutions,
• Replit – an online development environment with AI support for automatic code completion and interactive tutorials,
• CodeSandbox – a tool for creating web applications with AI suggestions and project sharing,
• LeetCode – a platform for learning programming through problem solving, with AI assistance explaining solutions.

Artificial intelligence support in statistical calculations

Description of the technique:

Artificial intelligence tools help students understand and perform statistical analysis by automating calculations, visualising data, and explaining results in an understandable way. These tools can also interpret statistical tests, suggest appropriate analysis methods, and assist in preparing reports, thus facilitating the learning and application of statistics in research.

Examples of AI tools and systems:

• IBM SPSS Statistics – statistical analysis software with AI capabilities for automatic interpretation of results,
• Jamovi – a free and open statistical program with a simple interface and AI support for analysis,
• Statwing – an AI tool for simple statistical analysis and data visualisation,
• Google Sheets AI –  a spreadsheet add-in that uses AI to analyse data and perform statistical functions.

In addition to the above, there are many other educational activities for which AI tools and systems can be used.