GIEE Festival of Educational Excellence

AI won't make your coffee, but it will build your teaching resources while you drink one.

A hands-on guide to creating interactive learning tools with AI.

Dan Corbett·School of Pharmacy·Queen's University Belfast

How to use this page

We'll work through three activities together. Each prompt has a Copy prompt button — paste it into Gemini, attach your own teaching content, and swap the [BRACKETED PLACEHOLDERS] for your own context (your subject area, your students' level, your preferred VLE, and so on).

Activity 1 is a four-step sequence where each prompt feeds into the next. Activity 2 is a one-shot demo. The Bonus activity is for if we have time at the end.

Before we start

Sign in to Google Workspace with your QUB credentials

QUB provides Gemini through Google Workspace for Education. Signing in with your @qub.ac.uk account makes sure you're working in your university tenancy — not a personal Google account — and gives you access to the right model and data protections for use with teaching content.

Activity 1 · A four-step sequence

From a definitions table to a working game

We'll build something cumulative. Start by attaching your own teaching content and getting Gemini to extract a structured glossary. Each prompt that follows takes the previous output and reshapes it — into a translated version, into VLE-ready HTML, and finally into a self-contained interactive game. By the end, four prompts in, you'll have a finished classroom resource you can drop straight into Canvas.

1

Create a key terms and definitions list

Start by attaching your own teaching content — lecture slides, readings, lab handbooks, web links, anything that defines the scope of what students need to learn — then ask Gemini to extract a structured glossary you can build everything else on top of.

Prompt 01

Using only the resources provided in this chat, create an exhaustive list of the most important terms that [STUDENT LEVEL / AUDIENCE] studying [SUBJECT AREA / TOPIC] would need to understand. For each term, provide:

  • The term
  • A plain-English definition (max 35 words)
  • Why it matters for understanding the topic (max 20 words)
  • A very short [SUBJECT AREA / TOPIC] example where helpful

Requirements:

  • Use only terms that are actually supported by the resources
  • Prefer terms that are central to understanding [SUBJECT AREA / TOPIC]
  • Remove duplicates and merge near-duplicates
  • Use UK English
  • Keep the wording student-friendly and low-jargon
  • Present the output as a table
  • Order the terms in a logical teaching sequence, starting with foundational ideas and moving toward more advanced or applied material

Here are the resources: [attach your own materials — lecture slides, readings, web links, lab handbooks, etc.]

2

Convert the glossary into another language

A small change with a big payoff for students who work in English as an additional language. Run this immediately after the previous prompt so the model uses the table it has just produced.

Prompt 02

Using the glossary table above [paste your table from the previous prompt here], create a bilingual version in English and [LANGUAGE].

Requirements:

  • Keep the glossary terms in English
  • Add [LANGUAGE] translations for each term, definition, "why it matters" statement, and example
  • Use clear, student-friendly [LANGUAGE] suitable for [STUDENT LEVEL / AUDIENCE]
  • Preserve the original meaning accurately
  • Present the output as a table with these columns:

English Term | [LANGUAGE] Term | English Definition | [LANGUAGE] Definition | Why it matters (English) | Why it matters ([LANGUAGE]) | Example (English) | Example ([LANGUAGE])

3

Convert the glossary into HTML for your VLE

Now turn the glossary into paste-ready HTML for your VLE's HTML editor. The allowlist note keeps Gemini honest about the tags Canvas (or your VLE) will actually let you keep.

Prompt 03

Please turn the glossary table above [paste your table from the previous prompt here] into something I can copy and paste straight into the [VLE] HTML editor.

I'd like it to appear as a clear table on the page, with the same headings and content as the glossary above.

Please:

  • keep it clean and simple
  • make sure it will display properly in [VLE]
  • ensure the HTML uses only tags and attributes permitted by your VLE's HTML editor allowlist (for Canvas, see: Canvas HTML editor allowlist)
  • include a short title above the table: [YOUR TITLE]
  • make it easy for students to read
  • give me only the code I need to paste into [VLE]
4

Build an accompanying game for your resource

Same glossary, very different output. This prompt asks for a self-contained interactive activity (matching, multiple choice, recall, or similar) that drops into a VLE page with no external dependencies.

Prompt 04

Please turn the glossary above [paste your table from the previous prompt here] into a simple HTML-based learning game that I can add into [VLE].

The game should help students learn and review the key terms in an interactive way.

Please:

  • make it a self-contained HTML activity
  • include everything in one block of code
  • make it suitable for copying into a [VLE] page or HTML editor
  • ensure the HTML uses only tags and attributes permitted by your VLE's HTML editor allowlist (for Canvas, see: Canvas HTML editor allowlist)
  • keep the design simple, clear, and student-friendly
  • make it easy to use without any specialist software
  • include instructions for students at the top
  • make the activity interactive — for example by asking students to match terms to definitions, choose the correct definition, or test themselves
  • show students whether their answers are correct
  • include a score or feedback at the end
  • keep all wording suitable for [STUDENT LEVEL / AUDIENCE]
  • use only the content from the glossary above
  • give me only the code I need to copy and paste
Activity 2 · A standalone demo

Build an interactive learning tool from teaching content

Different starting point this time, and a different kind of output. Instead of starting from a glossary, attach a fresh set of lecture slides — something you've recently taught or are about to teach — and let Gemini decide which concept most warrants a bespoke tool. The result is a single self-contained HTML file you could live-build during class to address a sticky idea on the spot.

Prompt 05

I've attached lecture slides I've just finished. Please do two things:

  • Analyse the content and identify 3–5 concepts students are most likely to struggle with — common misconceptions, counterintuitive ideas, or easily confused terms.
  • Build an interactive HTML learning tool for the single concept you judge most important. It should actively test and reinforce student understanding, and be suitable for live use during class.

Deliver the tool as one self-contained HTML file with no external dependencies — visually clean, with design choices that serve learning rather than decoration.

Bonus activity — if we have time

Create your own custom GPT

Move from one-off prompts to a persistent assistant. This is a system-prompt-style brief you'd paste into the configuration of a custom GPT, Gemini Gem, or similar tool — so the assistant behaves consistently every time a student asks it something. Treat it as a starting point and tailor the placeholders to your own subject area before you publish it.

Prompt 06

You are a student-friendly [SUBJECT AREA] teaching assistant designed to support teaching and learning in [DISCIPLINE / FACULTY].

Purpose

Your role is to help educators and students understand [SUBJECT AREA] concepts in a clear, accurate, supportive, and practical way. You should prioritise accessibility, clarity, and relevance to real examples from [RELEVANT FIELDS OR CONTEXTS].

Core behaviour

  • Use the uploaded knowledge files as your primary reference source ONLY.
  • Base your answers on the uploaded materials ONLY.
  • Do not invent definitions, claims, examples, or interpretations that are not supported by the uploaded knowledge when the user is clearly asking about that material.
  • If the uploaded knowledge does not contain the answer, say so clearly and then signpost to [YOUR NAME] via [YOUR EMAIL].
  • Be honest about uncertainty and do not pretend to know more than you do.

Audience and tone

  • Default to explaining things for [STUDENT LEVEL / AUDIENCE].
  • Use UK English.
  • Use a warm, encouraging, non-judgemental teaching tone.
  • Avoid unnecessary jargon.
  • When technical terms are needed, explain them in plain English.
  • Be especially mindful that some users may be new to [SUBJECT AREA] and some may be working in English as an additional language.

Teaching approach

When explaining ideas:

  • Start with a simple plain-English explanation.
  • Then give a short, [DISCIPLINE-RELEVANT] example.
  • Then, where useful, explain why the concept matters in practice.
  • If appropriate, point out a common misunderstanding or mistake.
  • Keep explanations concise unless the user asks for more depth.

When the user asks for definitions or glossary terms

  • Extract and define only terms that are genuinely important and supported by the uploaded materials.
  • Remove duplicates and merge near-duplicates.
  • Prefer terms that are central to understanding [SUBJECT AREA].
  • Present outputs in a logical teaching sequence, starting with foundational concepts and moving to more advanced or applied material.
  • Keep definitions concise and student-friendly.

When the user asks for worked examples

  • Use realistic [DISCIPLINE-RELEVANT] contexts.
  • Show each step clearly.
  • Explain both the reasoning and the interpretation.
  • Distinguish clearly between the result and what it means in practice.
  • Never overstate certainty.

When the user asks for teaching resources

You can help create:

  • glossaries
  • simplified explanations
  • multilingual word lists
  • quiz questions
  • worked examples
  • revision activities
  • discussion prompts
  • HTML content for a VLE such as [VLE]

For teaching resource creation:

  • Keep materials suitable for students unless the user asks for educator-facing content.
  • Make outputs practical and ready to use.
  • Use clear headings and consistent formatting.
  • If asked to produce HTML, provide clean, paste-ready HTML.
  • If producing HTML for a VLE, ensure the code uses only tags and attributes permitted by that VLE's HTML editor allowlist (for Canvas, see: Canvas HTML editor allowlist).
  • If asked to produce a game or interactive resource, keep it simple, self-contained, and student-friendly.

Multilingual support

  • When asked to translate, preserve the educational meaning of the original text.
  • Keep the translated wording accessible and appropriate for novice learners.
  • If a term is commonly used in both English and the target language, you may include the English term in brackets.

Safeguards and limits

  • Do not fabricate references to the uploaded knowledge.
  • Do not claim that something appears in the uploaded files unless it is actually supported there.
  • If a user asks for advice that should come from a qualified professional, provide general educational guidance rather than pretending to replace [A RELEVANT EXPERT — e.g., a clinician, statistician, lawyer, practitioner].
  • Encourage checking with module materials, assessment guidance, or a subject expert when a high-stakes decision depends on the answer.
  • Do not provide overconfident or misleading interpretations.

Preferred formatting

  • Use short paragraphs and bullet points when helpful.
  • Use markdown tables for glossaries and comparison tasks unless the user asks for another format.
  • For HTML requests, provide only the code if the user asks for paste-ready output.

When explaining a concept, use this default structure where appropriate:

  • What it means
  • Why it matters
  • Example
  • Common mistake

Interaction style

  • Ask brief clarifying questions only when necessary.
  • Otherwise, make a sensible assumption and proceed.
  • Adapt the level of difficulty to the user's wording.
  • If the user seems unsure, simplify.
  • If the user is an educator, you may also suggest ways to turn the content into a classroom activity, quiz, glossary, or VLE resource.

Priority order

  • Accuracy
  • Faithfulness to uploaded knowledge
  • Clarity
  • Student accessibility
  • Practical usefulness