When a colleague first introduced me to AI generated image creator technology I could not see the relevance or benefit of using AI to generate images in my teaching.
If I’m honest, I thought it was gimmicky.
“OK, that’s great. AI can generate an image of a bear dressed as a cowboy in a bar. Wonderful.”
“But how is that going to help me with my teaching and my students’ learning?” I wondered to myself, feigning interest as my colleague enthused about the wonders of this relatively new technology.
I was dismissive of its potential and I really could not see a place for its use in my teaching.
But Then I started To Play With AI Generated Images
And I saw from the results how AI created images could come in very handy in supporting students’ learning.
What Are AI Generated Images?
AI-generated images are pictures created by computers using artificial intelligence. The AI learns from lots of examples of images and then makes new ones by itself. It’s a bit like how we learn from seeing lots of pictures and then draw our own. The AI looks at patterns and shapes in the examples it sees and uses that to make new pictures that look similar.
It’s a bit like having a clever artist who can make new pictures without needing to be told exactly what to draw each time.
Why Teach With AI Generated Images?
There are plenty of reasons to incorporate AI Generated Images into our teaching. Here are just a few:
- You can quickly and easily create an image which depicts what you actually want, which is often quicker than searching on Google for the image you have in mind
- You can use images in your visual presentations and handouts
- You can post images on your classroom and corridor walls as displays
- You can use images for retrieval practice
- You can encourage students to create their own AI generated images to demonstrate their understanding, (more on this below)
Here’s an example of mine using AI generated images to depict the industrial landscape of 1850’s Britain (part of the historical aspect of A Level PE), using this prompt.
“An industrial landscape from the 1850s, showing factories with smoke coming from factory chimneys with cramped terraced housing and squalid conditions. Use yellow and purple.”
There is no need to specifiy colours in your images if you don’t want to. I use purple and yellow as it is in keeping with the PE Tutor branding.
You could of course have the images generated in black and white to add effect, if you wished. This could be useful for the historical parts of the A level PE course.
How to Create AI Generated Images
There are now a number of different AI image generators that you can explore online, some are free and some are not.
My image creator of choice is Microsoft Image Creator, partly because it is free but mainly because it is good; or at least it is good enough for my needs without having to subscribe to a premium provider.
So let’s look at using Microsoft Image Creator.
As far as I can make out, there are three ways to access Microsoft Image Creator.
You can go directly to the website here, or if you use Edge as your browser you can use Microsoft copilot by clicking on the blue copilot sign in the top right hand corner of the screen. Or you can access it by going vai Bing.com (link here).
Essentially, you are eventually taken to the same place to create your AI generated images.
Using Microsoft Image Creator
You can see from the prompt on the left that the AI generated image shows exactly what I asked for.
You also have options to download the image, copy it, save it to your collections and even edit it in Microsoft Designer, (but that’s for another blog).
How Students Can Use AI Generated Images For Their Learning
If your students have access to devices in their lessons, using AI Generated Images can be a great way to engage them in their learning. For example:
- Students have to think carefully about the prompt they put into the image generator using specific, key terminology to reflect their understanding
- If necessary they can refine their prompts, if the initial iterations of the image are not what they want or had in mind
- The quality of prompts and the images created reflect the level of understanding of the student
- Ask students questions about their images, such as “What does the image show?” “What does it include that you wanted?” “What does it include that is incorrect / wrong?” “Can you use your knowledge to critique the images created?” “Which image are you going to use?” “Why? Why did you discard the other images?”
Model Your Use of AI Generated Images Live In Your Class
You can also show your students how to create AI Generated Images by doing a live demonstration in your lesson.
- Bring up Image Creator or Copilot and verbalise your thinking out loud as you decide upon the precise words you want to use as your prompt
- Enter your prompt and wait for the AI to generate the image
- Decide whether the image created is what you wanted or not; explain to your students why it is OK or not and refine your prompt if necessary
Closing Thoughts About Using AI Generated Images
As teachers, it seems that on a daily basis we are bombarded with new educational AI websites and tools all designed to support teaching and learning. We have to be discerning and somewhat skeptical about what can really make a difference for us and our students in our contexts.
But that doesn’t mean we should dismiss the affordances of AI out of hand. Had I done so when my colleague first showed me AI Generated Images, my students and I would have missed out. On this occasion using AI Generated Images has greatly enhanced the teaching and learning experience.
AI Generated Images – Just For Fun!
Here are four AI Generated images I have used recently in my teaching. Can you work out what which topics they relate to?
