Gavin Cooney

Today I delivered Session 4 of my five-part webinar series, Applying AI Tools in the Classroom, funded by the British Council Lithuania and hosted by VIKC. This session focused on how AI tools can support and enhance reading comprehension through personalised resources, differentiation, and interactive activities that save time while increasing engagement. We explored a variety of tools that allow teachers to generate reading materials, create quizzes, and design interactive learning experiences linked to real-world contexts. Diffit We began with Diffit, a flexible tool for creating differentiated reading materials. I demonstrated how to generate reading texts from custom topics, YouTube videos, and online articles, then adjust the reading level to suit different learners. We also explored how to generate vocabulary lists, summaries, and a range of question types. The new “Book Mode” was of particular interest, allowing users to generate resources based on specific book chapters. Participants had the opportunity to try it out and were impressed by how quickly they could produce customised materials. Twee Next, I introduced Twee, which is especially useful for ESL and EAL learners. I showed how to generate reading texts and accompanying tasks, such as multiple-choice and gap-fill questions. We discussed which features are freely available and the benefits of checking and editing AI-generated content for accuracy before use. Quizizz AI and Questionwell We then looked at how to create quizzes directly from PDFs or custom text. Quizizz AI offers quick generation, translation, and explanation features. Questionwell allows users to generate multiple-choice questions from a topic or text and export them directly to Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, Kahoot, Quizizz, and other platforms. We discussed editing, rewording, and adapting quizzes for different contexts. ChatGPT and Google Earth One of the highlights of the session was using ChatGPT to generate a KML file for a Google Earth project. I shared an example based on ten places to visit in Vilnius, each with its own reading prompt and quiz question. We discussed the value of using virtual geography tools to enhance reading tasks and support intercultural understanding. OpenStreetMap We also explored how to use OpenStreetMap for creating interactive reading tasks. I demonstrated how to link reading content to real-world map locations, adding a visual and cultural dimension to language learning. While there were some technical constraints, such as pop-up formatting, the potential for engaging activities was clear. The concluding session of the series next week will have a focus on writing.

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📢 Important Announcement: Moodle 5.0 Update – Removal of Chat and Survey Activities Dear Teachers, Please be informed that with the upcoming Moodle LMS 5.0 update, scheduled for early May 2025, Chat and Survey activities will be removed from the Moodle core. This change will affect all MoodleCloud sites, including ours. 🔹 What This Means for You: You will no longer be able to add Chat or Survey activities to your courses. Existing Chat and Survey activities will stop functioning and will be automatically removed after the update. 🔹 Recommended Alternatives: Use the Forum activity for interactive discussions and communication. Use the Feedback activity to collect responses and insights from learners.

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Day 1 of 30 Days of AI in Education Tool: Curipod – Interactive Lesson Design https://www.curipod.com AI is transforming the classroom, and Curipod is a fantastic tool to kick off this journey! What it does: Curipod helps teachers design interactive, student-centered lessons with just a few clicks. Key features: • AI-generated lesson plans and slides • Polls, quizzes, and brainstorming activities • Real-time student engagement tools • Templates for different subjects and levels Why it’s great: It saves teachers hours of planning while making lessons more engaging and interactive. Great for sparking creativity and encouraging participation. Want to explore it further? Quick Start with Curipod:  https://lnkd.in/d_Maai6g Generate Engaging and Interactive Lessons in Seconds with Curipod! https://lnkd.in/dKdndaf9 What is Curipod AI? How to Use It to Create Interactive Lessons  https://lnkd.in/dBQNagTK #AIinEducation #EdTech #AIforTeachers #30DaysOfAI #TeachingWithAI #UAEteachers #DigitalLearning #FutureReadySchools #Curipod

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At UNIwise we’ve learned that finding the right balance between standardisation and flexibility is absolutely essential in supporting workflows for digital assessments and exams - especially when it comes to assessors and the marking process. That’s why our marking tool is built on a foundation of standardisation: unified workflows, dashboard overview, uniform navigation, consistent feedback and rubric mechanisms as well as transparent marking and grade justification. This means assessors can focus on academic judgement, not familiarisation hurdles. Features like single marking tools for all formats, embedded feedback and rubrics, and automatic grade calculation and validation ensure reliability, fairness and easy progress across every assessment. But we also know that every discipline and institution has unique needs. That’s why flexibility needs to be woven into WISEflow as well - enabling custom workflows, discipline-specific integrations, and advanced modules for specialised marking scenarios. Whether it’s coding assessments, geometry visualisation, math calculations or hybrid exam formats, assessors must be given the right tools at their fingertips. How do we get this balance right - when to go for standardisation or to go for flexibility and integrations? Through our partnership. By working closely with our partner institutions, we co-create solutions and decide on the balance so it reflect real academic workflows. As an example - a new flexible add on coming soon decided and co-developed with our partners: AI-assisted grade justification & feedback - helping assessors provide fair, actionable guidance faster than ever! That’s why we try to develop towards the motto: WISEflow - Standardised for reliability. Extended for excellence. Designed for assessors. Let’s connect if you want to learn more or share your experience! #AcademicAssessment #MarkingProcess #WISEflow #EdTech #Partnership #HigherEd #AIinEducation #UNIwise #Monterro

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Tech firm expands digital learning reach “The addition of the adaptiVLE team’s deep expertise in Moodle development and customer delivery enhances Titus capacity to deliver even more dynamic, engaging and impactful learning experiences.” Bradford-headquartered Titus has bought Skipton-based adaptiVLE Ltd, a specialist in Moodle development and support. The acquisition enhances Titus’s open-source expertise and expands its ability to deliver dynamic, scalable and tailored learning solutions for organisations across multiple sectors. The deal also boosts Titus’ headcount and reinforces its commitment to open-source, community-driven learning technology. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eVcVHUxc Sebastian Francis Lewis Carr

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#MoodleBasedLMS   We built a Moodle-based custom LMS with multitenancy and concurrent user support for a leading provider of curated online learning programs. With the help of AWS-based hosting, we successfully enabled effective support of 500 concurrent users. IOMAD integration helped with multitenancy support. Read the success story to learn more: https://lnkd.in/dz4aZpeM   #Moodle #LMSCustomization #CustomLMSDevelopment #LMSDevelopment #IOMADInteration #UserSupport #MultitenancySupport

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New implementation resources for school leaders are out now! More free, easy-to-use resources for primary and secondary schools, adding to AERO’s existing implementation suite. What’s in this release? A new interactive implementation tool! 👇 - The tool will guide you step-by-step to discover activities in all four stages of a deliberate and structured approach to implementation: Explore, Prepare, Deliver and Sustain - Click on each link to learn what’s involved and access supporting resources Resources to support establishing an implementation team 📝 - Guidance on how to form and maintain an implementation team that meets your school’s needs - A briefing module, step-by-step practice resources, meeting agenda template with discussion points and more - A video snapshot of Mount Hutton Public School leaders sharing their experiences building and operating an implementation team Access the collection and interactive tool: https://lnkd.in/gRQTJRqf #AERO #evidencebasedpractice #evidencebasedteaching

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AI in Education: New Guidance for Schools from Department for Education The DfE have just released several new resources focused on supporting the integration of AI into education. This includes: • support materials for school and college leaders • modules to help all staff understand and use AI effectively and safely. The resources aim to cover everything from understanding AI basics to safe and practical use cases. Links found in the comments.

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The Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit (HECVAT) team has launched HECVAT 4. The new version is better than ever with new and updated artificial intelligence and privacy questions, training materials for institutions and solution providers, and more. https://buff.ly/3QdUsBr

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Another interesting article from Dr John H Howard on Innovation Ecosystems and the differing roles of integrators and intermediaries that are essential to a thriving system, and their differences from and interactions with governance models. There's a lot to unpack in the article, but if you take one thing from it then it is "innovation systems need systems integrators" coupled with "systems integration is not governance". This is a key observation and one that we don't always appreciate. Helping these systems integrate and work better together to the benefit of the system and its members is a key role of these integrators, and that can be helped or hindered by governance. It would be interesting to hear from others about where we are doing this well in Australia and where we could do better. Thoughts? Mariella Smids Callum Benson Ingmar Wahlqvist Robyn Ward https://lnkd.in/g2XN237Z

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What does outstanding computing education look like in the age of AI? 🤔 We've just released a new series of Pedagogy Quick Reads exploring this vital question. Focusing on three aspects of AI in computing education, these short guides offer practical insights and new strategies for your classroom practice. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eCUz7iHR #Computing #ComputingEducation #AI

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Enhance Teaching Quality and Gain Recognition through TELAS: Apply for your course or program to have a TELAS Peer-Review Are you looking to enhance the quality of your online or blended learning? The Technology Enhanced Learning Accreditation Standards (TELAS) offers a rigorous, evidence-based framework to review and improve the design of digital learning, whether at the unit, course, program, school, or institutional level. Coordinated by Elaine Huber, Dr Chris Campbell, PFHEA, Lisa Jacka, Lisa Bugden TELAS reviews provide valuable, structured feedback and benchmarking aligned with national standards. Reviewed learning packages receive a TELAS digital badge, which can support promotion, award applications, or internal quality assurance processes. Most importantly, the process helps ensure that students benefit from a more coherent and high-quality learning experience. We currently have capacity in our review schedule. If you’re curious about how TELAS could be applied in your context or would like to explore a School or institution-wide approach please contact us on admin@telas.com for a conversation with the TELAS team.

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We are pleased to announce the integration of #CloudLibraryApp into the SOLUS Library App, delivering a more seamless digital reading experience for patrons. Key features of the integration include: 🔵 Real-time item availability and hold status 🟢 Borrowing directly within the SOLUS Library App 🟠 Unified search results across physical and digital collections 🔵 Automatic syncing of checkouts This integration is now available for all library partners using the SOLUS Library App and subscribed to CloudLibrary in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and England. ⤵️ Read more. #OCLCnews --- #OCLC #PublicLibrary #PublicLibraries #Library #Libraries #Librarian #Librarians #LibraryLife #LibraryLove

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