Video Lesson: Artificial Intelligence as a Partner in Creating Digital Learning Materials

Welcome. In this video lesson, we speak with Professor Markus Schatten, PhD, a full professor at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb, who actively integrates artificial intelligence into teaching. Professor Schatten is also the head of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and his extensive academic and teaching experience gives him valuable insight into the application of AI in education. We will explore how AI tools can support the creation of digital learning materials, with emphasis on real-world experiences, benefits, challenges, and the responsible use of technology in education. What is the role of artificial intelligence in higher education today? The role of artificial intelligence in higher education today is primarily to support teachers in the development of materials, data analytics, administrative tasks, and learning personalization. On the other hand, students get the opportunity to receive feedback and new learning resources in real time. Can artificial intelligence truly be a partner in teaching or just a tool? Artificial intelligence is primarily a tool. From a legal perspective, AI cannot be a co-author of a scientific or professional paper. Likewise, any creation generated exclusively by AI, at least for now, cannot be protected. The reason is that AI does not have a legal personality as humans do. Consequently, AI is a tool that enables teachers to perform their work and students to learn and acquire new skills and competencies. Which tools do you use, and what are their main advantages? I mainly use large language models such as ChatGPT, data analytics tools, tools for generating multimedia content and applications, and, more recently, some AI agents capable of automating certain tasks. The main advantages are that I can focus my time on other aspects of my work. It simplifies my job and speeds up processes that would otherwise require significant time. What does AI save the most—time, energy, or creative effort? AI primarily saves time. If used in a high-quality and efficient way, it can lead to the creation of excellent solutions that I would otherwise not be able to produce in such a short time. It allows me to work faster and more efficiently, and to concentrate on more complex tasks. What challenges and limitations have you encountered? Most challenges are related to ethical issues such as bias in AI tools, legal questions including data privacy and academic integrity, and how to prevent misuse of the tools. There are also technical challenges, such as the reliability and accuracy of data, since AI can generate convincing yet incorrect content. Lastly, there are integration issues—how to incorporate these systems into existing ones, and whether good tools are available for solving specific problems. Do you encourage students to use AI tools in learning or creating assignments? Absolutely, but with transparency and clear guidelines. I believe it is very important for students to learn how to use AI in their work, but not as a shortcut or replacement for their own creativity and critical thinking. It is equally important that everything generated by AI can also be produced manually, so that students can evaluate and verify the accuracy of the AI-generated results. How do you imagine the future role of teachers? I see teachers primarily as mentors and guides who will be able to open new, unexplored areas of knowledge for students and support them on their individual learning paths. Their role will be more focused on facilitating learning, solving increasingly complex problems, and developing critical competencies such as critical thinking and creativity. Thank you to our interviewee for these valuable insights. As we have heard, artificial intelligence can be a powerful partner in creating digital learning materials, but its value depends on our purposeful and responsible use. We hope this lesson has given you ideas on how to incorporate AI tools into your teaching context in a way that prioritizes pedagogical goals and student needs. In the remainder of this course, you will have the opportunity to explore specific tools, examples, and strategies that will help you more effectively plan, create, and adapt your digital learning materials.