AI in Education: Use Cases, Challenges & Tools (2025)

AI in Education: The Summary

• How to Use AI in Educational Settings
  • Expand Your Use of Video
  • Offer Personalized AI Tutoring
  • Further Applications of AI
  • Don't use AI for Grading
• The Challenges of AI in Education
• The Best AI Tools for Education
  • ChatGPT & Copilot
  • Synthesia
  • MagicSchool
  • Diffit

My Background in Education

I bring a diverse background in education, spanning childhood and corporate learning.

I began my career as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher with Teach for America and KIPP Delta, focusing on academic growth and mentoring new teachers.

I later designed professional development programs for NYC educators and have been developing enterprise and branded learning solutions in organizations such as General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby's Institute of Art.

Ho‎w to Use AI in Educational Settings

Ex‎pand Your Use of Video

Video Drives Better Information Retention

Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it on a video, compared to 10% when reading it in a text document.

Video-based learning has been shown to enhance comprehension and retention compared to traditional text-based methods. Most recently a 2024 study in the American Journal of Educational Research that evaluated instructional methods found that video-based approaches significantly improved students' skills more than text-based or traditional lectures.

Younger generations are increasingly consuming video content in their spare time. Integrating video into educational materials aligns with the media consumption habits of today's learners.

Creating Educational Video Content is Traditionally Expensive and Slow

Creating high-quality video content often involves significant costs and time investments, which can make it less accessible compared to other mediums.

The video production process typically requires specialized equipment, skilled professionals (e.g., videographers, editors, and voice-over artists), and post-production work, including editing and sound design.

For example, a 5-minute educational video can take hours—or even days—to script, record, and refine. Additionally, traditional video production may necessitate physical locations, actors, and costly reshoots if updates or revisions are needed.

These factors drive up both the time and financial resources required to produce compelling videos, posing challenges for educators and organizations with limited budgets or tight deadlines.

AI Enables Efficient Educational Video Content Creation

Using AI tools such as Synthesia allows educators to quickly transform written content into engaging, professional-grade videos featuring customizable AI avatars. These videos can be tailored to specific student needs, localized into over 140 languages, and updated effortlessly—making them ideal for dynamic learning environments.

By automating the video production process, Synthesia allows educational institutions to create a large volume of content quickly.

For example, Bolton College produced over 400 AI-generated videos with Synthesia, achieving an 80% time savings in content creation.

Scalable Learning Resources

Synthesia supports the development of extensive online course materials. The International University of Applied Sciences in Germany utilized Synthesia to generate over 28,000 learning videos, facilitating education for more than 100,000 students. 

Language Localization

Synthesia's capability to produce videos in over 140 languages and accents enables educators to localize content effectively, broadening their reach to students in various regions without the need for traditional video production resources.

Of‎fer Personalized AI Tutoring

How to Integrate Generative AI

I had the chance to help incorporate generative AI into our after-school English and Math programs, working with 800 first-year senior secondary students in computer labs twice a week. Each session began with a brief introduction to the week’s topic, whether it focused on grammar, writing or math, to provide context and direction.

The core of our program used Microsoft Copilot, powered by ChatGPT, as an AI learning tool. My role was to guide and oversee the students’ interactions with the technology, much like conducting an orchestra. I started each session by providing a tailored prompt related to the lesson, which set the stage for the students to explore the topic further with the AI. It was exciting to see how the tool offered instant feedback and encouraged students to engage with language and math in new ways.

Throughout the sessions, I stayed actively involved, mentoring students as they worked. I moved around the room, offering suggestions, helping them fine-tune their prompts, and ensuring they were making the most of their interactions with the AI. At the end of each session, we reflected together as a group, discussing what they had learned, any obstacles they encountered, and strategies for improving their use of the tool in future lessons.

This approach empowered students to take ownership of their learning while I provided support and guidance. Watching their confidence grow as they improved their skills was incredibly rewarding. The experience demonstrated the power of AI to create a more interactive, personalized, and engaging learning environment.

How Does AI Tutoring Benefit Learners?

• Personalized Learning: AI tutors adapt to individual student needs, offering tailored guidance, instant feedback, and customized learning paths to address gaps in knowledge effectively.
• Scalability and Cost-Effectiveness: AI makes high-quality tutoring accessible at scale by automating repetitive tasks and generating customized learning materials, reducing reliance on one-on-one instruction.
• Enhanced Student Engagement: AI fosters interactive and engaging learning experiences through tools like simulations, mock debates, and adaptive exercises, promoting critical thinking and active participation.
• Equity and Accessibility: AI has the potential to democratize access to high-quality education, but equitable implementation is essential to bridge gaps in technology access for underserved communities.

AI-Driven Tutoring in Nigeria: A Case Study

• A pilot program in Edo State, Nigeria, showcased the transformative potential of generative AI as a virtual tutor, especially in resource-constrained educational environments.
• Personalized Support: AI was used in an after-school program to provide students with immediate feedback and tailored guidance based on their individual performance.
• Improved Outcomes: Students who participated in the AI-supported program achieved better results in their end-of-year exams compared to their peers, highlighting the effectiveness of AI in bridging learning gaps.
• Scalable Learning Solutions: The program showed promise for addressing educational challenges in resource-constrained settings by offering scalable, cost-effective tutoring solutions.
• Student Engagement: The application of AI fostered interactive learning, helping to keep students motivated and engaged with the material.

Fu‎rther Applications of AI

Generating Custom Learning Materials

I love how AI can help create reading passages at just the right difficulty level for my students. It’s also been useful for generating interactive review questions and developing vocabulary lessons with contextual examples.

Math Problem Generation

Teachers use AI to create diverse math problems or quick exercises for tutoring sessions.

Interactive Learning

One activity I’ve tried is having students compare AI-generated answers to their own research. It’s a great way for them to evaluate the reliability of information. Some of my colleagues have also used AI tools to generate creative outputs like artwork, which adds a fun and interactive element to lessons.

Administrative Tasks

I use AI for drafting emails, creating syllabi, writing letters of recommendation, generating quizzes, and brainstorming project ideas, saving me time for direct student interaction.

My‎‎ Thoughts on AI & Grading

As a teacher, I’ve given some thought to using AI for grading essays, but I’ve ultimately decided against it. Here’s why:

Accuracy

I’ve noticed that AI struggles with accuracy when it comes to nuanced grading. I ran a few test cases using my rubric, and the AI gave passing grades to essays that were clearly incomplete or didn’t meet basic standards—like lab reports missing entire sections.

This makes me doubt its reliability for evaluating student work fairly.

FERPA

I’m also concerned about privacy. Under FERPA, we have a responsibility to protect student data, and I’m not confident about where their essays might end up if I upload them to an AI platform. Even if we remove names and identifying details, there’s still a gray area about whether using AI in this way fully complies with the law. It’s a risk I’m not willing to take.

Ethics

If we’re telling students not to rely on AI to do their work, how can we justify using it to grade their efforts? My students took my class to learn from me, not from an algorithm. It feels wrong to hand off such an important part of the teaching process to a machine. My feedback is part of the learning experience, and I can’t see AI providing the same depth or understanding that a human educator brings to the table.

Ultimately, grading is more than just assigning a score—it’s an opportunity to provide meaningful feedback and connect with my students on their progress.

For me, using AI for this would feel like I’m taking a shortcut at their expense, and that’s not a compromise I’m willing to make.

Th‎e Challenges of AI in Education

Cheating and Assessment Challenges

One of the biggest hurdles I’ve faced is how AI complicates traditional assessments and increases the risk of cheating.

Students can use tools like ChatGPT to generate polished essays or solve complex problems, making it harder to gauge their true understanding. Even with AI detection software, slight edits can render content undetectable.

This has pushed me to rethink how I design assessments to ensure they measure original thought and genuine comprehension, rather than just a student’s ability to use AI effectively.

Overreliance on AI Tools

I’ve noticed that some students start to lean too heavily on AI for tasks like writing or problem-solving.

While these tools are helpful, I worry they might bypass the opportunity to develop critical thinking or creativity. There’s a risk that students might see AI as a crutch rather than a support for their own learning journey.

Equity and Access Gaps

Not all my students have the same access to technology, and this has created disparities.

While some students can fully leverage AI tools at home, others don’t have the devices or internet access to use them. It’s heartbreaking to see how this can widen the gap between those who have resources and those who don’t.

Data Privacy Concerns

As I’ve explored AI tools in the classroom, I’ve also become aware of the data they collect. I worry about student privacy and whether their information is truly secure.

It’s important to have clear policies in place to protect their data, but these aren’t always straightforward or transparent.

Th‎e Best AI Tools for Education

Ch‎atGPT & Copilot

As a teacher, ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot has been a revelation in my day-to-day work. Aside from using it in AI tutoring programs as I explained above, I also use it to generate quizzes, adapt reading materials for different grade levels, and even brainstorm new ways to engage my students.

Microsoft Copilot has the advantage of being embedded in tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. ChatGPT seems more popular in general though. I’ve learned to approach both tools critically—some outputs can be a little off or overly generic, so I always tweak the final product. It’s not perfect, but the time it saves me is worth the occasional adjustments.

Sy‎nthesia

Synthesia is a great tool for creating engaging video content. I use it to generate short instructional videos featuring AI avatars that explain complex topics in a clear and visually appealing way.

I often create training videos with an avatar that narrates the core lessons in simple terms, and my students love it.

It’s particularly helpful for ESL learners since I can choose avatars that speak in multiple languages or accents.

The time it saves compared to filming and editing videos myself is a huge win, and the polished look of the videos makes them feel professional and keeps my students engaged.

Ma‎gicSchool

MagicSchool has been a reliable and versatile tool for my teaching practice.

One of its best features is its ability to scaffold assignments and adjust reading levels for my diverse group of students, particularly ELL learners. I use it to simplify complex texts and generate comprehension questions, which makes the materials more accessible to all students.

It also shines in creating rubrics for personalized projects, saving me a significant amount of prep time. The spiral math review generator has been a great addition, offering a quick way to create practice problems tailored to specific skills.

I’ve found that it requires thorough proofing to catch occasional errors, particularly in math-related content. It doesn’t replace my expertise, but it streamlines routine tasks and gives me more time to focus on engaging with my students.

Di‎ffit

Diffit is my go-to tool for creating leveled reading activities. I love how I can take any text and adapt it for different reading abilities with just a few clicks.

One time that I needed a comprehension worksheet for a mixed-ability group and Diffit not only adjusted the text complexity but also generated higher-order thinking questions tailored to my students. It’s incredibly intuitive, and the variety of worksheet formats means I can always find something that works.

Diffit has a free version that allows teachers to generate, adapt, and customize learning resources. The premium version pricing is tiered based on school size, and there's a 60-day free trial if you want to test it.