S2 Ep 11. AI in Education: Your Secret Weapon for Breaking into UX

In today's short and sweet episode, I explore how teachers can leverage AI (artificial intelligence) tools in education to build valuable skills for transitioning to UX research and design careers. I share practical strategies for using classroom AI experiences to develop a compelling UX portfolio while still teaching.

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Episode Transcript

Narrator (00:01):
Welcome to the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, the
ultimate destination foreducators who aspire to break
into the field of userexperience and product design.
Your host, zee Arnold, a15-year teacher turned UX
researcher, is here to guide,coach and mentor you through
every twist and turn as you makeyour career transition into
tech.
If you're ready for a moresatisfying career and lifestyle

(00:23):
and you want the balance tounleash your creativity, this
podcast is for you.
Now for the show.

Coach Zee (00:43):
Hello teacher friends .
Coach Z here and I'm back witha new episode.
I am refreshed and energizedafter taking a week off from
work and going away with myfamily, so let that be a
reminder to take a break.
Take that time off, take careof yourself.
So today we're diving into areally exciting and super
practical topic how artificialintelligence, or AI, in
education isn't just changingclassrooms.

(01:05):
It's also something you canstart using right now to prep
for your next career in UXresearch or UX design.
So if you're a teacher thinkingabout pivoting into UX, you're
probably wondering how you canbuild skills that employers care
about without totally burningout.
Well, guess what AI can helpyou do that.
Seriously, today I'm going toshow you how, and I'll be

(01:30):
pulling some fresh insights fromplaces like the Washington Post
, business Insider and theGuardian, just to keep it real
and current, all right.
So first, what's actuallyhappening in education right now
with AI.
According to the BusinessInsider, platforms like Kira
Learning are using AI teachingassistants to help teachers with
grading lesson plans and evenanalyzing student performance.
Now, this isn't just some fancytech talk.

(01:53):
It's real and it's happeningfast.
If you're already doing this,kudos to you, because I know
your workload is lighter becauseof it.
So all you teachers out therewho are using AI shout out to
you.
At the same time, theWashington Post reported that
the US government is consideringa new executive order that
would embed AI literacy intoK-12 education.
So that means schools wouldofficially start training

(02:15):
students and teachers in how towork with AI tools like chatbots
, creating apps and contentcreation tools.
I actually think that would bereally beneficial in the schools
.
And content creation tools.
I actually think that would bereally beneficial in the schools
.
And in the UK the Guardian saidthere's a big push to use AI to
cut down teachers'administrative work, which is
like grading papers, planninglessons, so that you can
actually spend more timefocusing on students.

(02:37):
So what's the bottom line?
Schools and districts arewaking up to the fact that AI is
not just a craze or a fad.
It's a tool and if we use itright, it can give us hours of
our lives back.
So how does this tie into youand your UX journey?
If you're a teacher starting touse AI for things like lesson

(02:59):
planning, analyzing studentperformance, writing
communications to parents likeemails or class newsletters,
creating assessments, you'reactually practicing UX adjacent
skills In UX research, you'llneed to analyze user data, spot
patterns and automate workflowswhere possible.
So here's a few ways to start.
Number one use AI for smalltasks.

(03:22):
Start with something low risk.
Number one use AI for smalltasks.
Start with something low risk.
Use ChatGPT or another AI toolto draft lesson plans, write
rubrics or even create learningobjectives.
Then, of course, edit and tweakit to make it your own, and I'm
sure some of you are alreadyusing ChatGPT or other tools to
help you build out your lessonplans, and if you're not, you
got to get on it because it is acomplete time saver.

(03:43):
Once you have a draft, you canthen go in and edit it and make
it your own.
And this is similar to how alot of UX researchers using AI
are drafting their interviewguides, summarizing their
findings or analyzing usersurveys these days.
Next, practice data analysiswith edtech tools.
So, if your school usesplatforms like Google, classroom

(04:05):
, powerschool or even PanoramaAnalytics, pay attention to the
dashboards.
Practice interpreting the data.
How many students completed anassignment?
Where did they struggle?
How would you redesign it?
That's the same muscle you'llbe using when analyzing user
behavior in UX research.
Analyzing user behavior in UXresearch.
Next, start documenting your AIworkflows.

(04:26):
Every time you use AI to make atask faster or better, write it
down.
Write down what tool you used.
Write down what prompt workedthe best, what could have been
improved.
This becomes part of yourportfolio for storytelling later
In UX.
Employers love to see how youthink, not just what you did.

(04:50):
Now let's get into somepractical tips to really make AI
work for you right now, whileyou're in the classroom.
So tip number one experimentwith different AI tools.
Don't just stick to one tool,like ChatGPT, for example.
Try AI platforms for writingbesides ChatGPT, writing besides

(05:11):
ChatGPT.
Try image generation, likeCanvas AI tools or even data
visualization, like Google'sLooker Studio or Microsoft Power
BI.
Being comfortable experimentingwith new tech is a huge plus in
UX careers.
Now I think this second tip ismy favorite Treat your classroom
like a mini UX lab.
That is exactly what I did whenI was transitioning into
teaching.
This is your training ground.

(05:33):
When you design a lessonbecause that's what you're doing
ask yourself who are my users?
Those are the students, right?
What are their pain points?
Is it attention span,frustration, boredom?
What is it that you have towork around to make sure the
students get the lesson?
Boredom what is it that youhave to work around to make sure
the students get the lesson?
How can I test if my designwhich is my lesson worked?
Are you using quizzes,engagement during the lesson,

(05:57):
some kind of post-lessonfeedback?
This mindset shift seeingeverything through a UX lens
will make it easier when you'redesigning user experiences later
, and you can also talk aboutthat in your interview for UX
Roll.
Tip number three build casestudies from your AI experiments
.
I also did this and I talkedabout it in a different episode.

(06:17):
Document a project where youused AI to improve something in
your teaching.
So, for example, if you use AIto differentiate instruction for
students with different readinglevels, or you use an AI tool
to automate grading so you canspend more time working in small
groups with students, later youcan turn this into a mini case
study for your UX portfolio.

(06:37):
It shows real-world problemsolving, not just theory.
All right.
So today we covered a lot, fromhow AI is shifting education to
how you can start using it rightnow in ways that directly
support your transition into UXresearch or UX design.
So what are the main takeaways?
Don't be afraid of AI, embraceit.

(06:57):
Use it to free up your time, toget better at data analysis and
start thinking like a UXstrategist today, not someday
down the road, once you'realready in the UX field or you
left teaching and remember yourskills as a teacher are not
wasted, they're just evolving.
Thanks so much for tuning intoday.
If you found this helpful, besure to follow, leave a review
or share this episode withanother teacher who's dreaming

(07:20):
of their next move.
Until next time, keep growing,keep learning and keep believing
in what's next for you.

Narrator (07:27):
Thanks so much for tuning in.
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daily tips and motivation.
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(07:49):
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Until next time, be well.