Generative AI Prompt Strategies for Rapid, Customizable Lesson Plans
Here's a structured method for using GenAI to develop complete lesson plans within minutes. It explores prompt frameworks, iterative refinement, and subject-specific adjustments.
The Instructional Challenge: Time-Consuming Lesson Planning
As faculty, we often invest significant hours in crafting detailed lesson plans—balancing objectives, activities, and assessments while aligning with pedagogical frameworks. Course preparation can be one of the most time-intensive tasks for higher education instructors. As faculty navigate increasing instructional demands, generative AI offers a viable solution: the rapid generation and refinement of full lesson plans tailored to course needs.
As you prepare for your fall courses, this is the perfect time to experiment with GenAI and boost your course planning process.
Prompting Foundations: A Structured, Iterative Approach
I strongly argue that prompt engineering is not about writing “perfect” queries—it is about designing an effective collaboration with the AI. So, I'm going to walk through my iterative process for designing lesson plans. I use my prompting framework to make sure I don't overlook key elements. Start broad to encourage ideation, then refine for clarity and alignment.
Core Elements of Effective Prompting (based on my prompting framework):
Broad Purpose: “Design a 60-minute lesson plan.”
Context and Audience: “For a first-year undergraduate biology course.”
Guidelines and Frameworks: “Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to align objectives.”
Response Conditions: “Include a warm-up, two main activities, and a formative assessment.”
Roleplay: “You are an instructional designer with expertise in active learning.”
Feedback Loop: “Evaluate this plan for cognitive alignment and student engagement.”
From Generic to Specific: Prompt Customization in Stages
To generate a robust lesson plan, consider layering your prompts. Here is a scaffolded sequence:
Stage 1: Broad Template Generation
"Design a comprehensive 60-minute lesson plan for undergraduate students on the topic of climate change. Include objectives, an activity outline, required materials, and assessment methods."This yields a workable baseline and generates a full plan in a single response. However, you can also opt to deconstruct the task into sequential prompts—requesting objectives, activities, and assessments individually.
I like to chunk things down. I just feel I have more control that way. It's like a jigsaw puzzle. I get different pieces, I move them around, try other pieces, till it makes a picture I like.
Stage 2: Contextual Refinement
"The course is 'Environmental Policy,' part of a 200-level curriculum. Learners are political science majors with no prior science background. Adjust the activities to include policy analysis rather than lab-based experiments."If you have course objectives to adhere to, provide that as context. Or any institutional guidelines you need to adhere to can also provide context.
Stage 3: Learning Objective Alignment
"Align each activity with Bloom’s Taxonomy. Ensure there is at least one activity in the ‘Apply’ and ‘Evaluate’ levels."You can use Bloom or any other framework (Miller’s pyramid, etc) that works for your context.
Stage 4: Pedagogical Tone and Delivery Format
"Design this as a flipped lesson. Students will watch a 10-minute video before class. In-class time should emphasize peer discussion and case-based decision-making."Stage 5: Feedback and Iteration
"You are an expert curriculum committee member. Review this lesson plan for clarity, feasibility, and student engagement. Provide 3 concrete suggestions for improvement."Remember: Experimenting is part of the fun. See what different types of lesson plans GenAI can generate for you. You might not use all the suggestions, but you now have ideas you can explore for other classes.
Subject-Specific Tweaks: How to Customize by Discipline
STEM Courses
Ask for lab activities, simulations, or problem sets.
Emphasize quantitative assessments.
"Include a collaborative lab simulation using PhET tools and a post-lab reflection."Humanities
Prioritize discussion prompts, critical reading, and reflective writing.
"Include a guided Socratic seminar and a one-page reflective essay."Professional Programs (e.g., Nursing, Law, Education)
Incorporate scenario-based learning, roleplay, or field case studies.
"Design a lesson for nursing students using a patient scenario. Include ethical considerations and clinical reasoning checkpoints."Key Takeaways
Generative AI can rapidly produce structured lesson plans when guided by layered, contextual prompts.
You should begin with wide prompts for ideation, then refine using instructional goals and student context.
Incorporating roleplay and critique into prompts enhances alignment and quality.
Subject-specific customization ensures relevance and applicability across disciplines.