The AI & Pedagogy Superhero Duo: How AI can strengthen teaching & learning

AI is showing up all over education — from automated grading to personalized practice apps—but using it purposefully takes more than just plugging in new tools.

If we want AI to truly make a difference in learning, it can’t be separate from pedagogy—it has to work with it. Whether it’s inquiry-based learning, differentiated instruction, or project-based approaches, the way we teach should shape how AI is used. 

At Ed3 DAO, our perspective hasn’t changed since the dawn of the generative AI era: we continue to believe that pedagogy is the foundation of meaningful educational experiences. While countless resources now offer AI tips and tricks for teachers, many leave out the most critical piece—why and how these tools should be used within a pedagogical framework. 

In partnership with the Albion Center for Professional Development, we’re committed to helping educators navigate this evolving landscape with intention.

We’ve reviewed countless tools through a pedagogical lens. Here are 15 that stand out—and how they can enhance learning across 10 pedagogical practices. We are not affiliated with the tools mentioned. 

1. Project-Based Learning (PBL)

Project-based learning invites learners to engage in authentic challenges that connect to the real world. It’s a pedagogy rooted in curiosity, inquiry, and application. But designing personalized paths within projects can be time-consuming. That’s where AI can assist—not by replacing your planning, but by helping you scale it.

With PlayLab, educators can create custom AI chatbots or interest-based playlists that guide learners through a project based on their interests. By training your custom chatbot on global and local contexts, it can help amplify the learner's voice/choice by matching their desired topic to real-world challenges. It can even build pathways for learners to explore a shared challenge from different angles. It ensures that all learners are challenged and seen, while the educator focuses on facilitating deep learning experiences.

Check out our AI Empowered Project Based Learning course for more ideas.

2. Restorative Practices

Restorative classroom management focuses on building strong relationships, fostering community, and repairing harm through dialogue. It emphasizes accountability, empathy, and collaboration to create safe and respectful learning environments. How might we enhance this practice with AI?

Prompt Character AI to role-play a classroom scenario that sparks reflection around fairness, respect, or collaboration. Use the output as a springboard for learners to shape shared norms, encouraging ownership over the classroom culture.

Check out our AI Empowered Classroom Management for more ideas.

3. Design Thinking

Design Thinking is a problem-solving process grounded in empathy and iteration. Whether learners are designing solutions for school challenges or broader community issues, the process begins with understanding user needs and generating creative ideas.

AI can act as a co-ideator during these early stages. Perplexity can help generate driving questions, remix lesson ideas, or surface unexpected connections aligned with your goals. For example, an educator might prompt:

“What are some community-based design challenges middle school students could explore that involve improving access to healthy food?”

The tool will return ideas ranging from creating a school garden with composting systems to designing culturally inclusive meal kits. This process gives learners a wider range of options to empathize with and investigate.

4. Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL is a framework that encourages educators to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression so that all learners can access and thrive in learning environments. A key aspect of UDL is ongoing feedback loops that guide instructional decisions.

Curipod allows educators to quickly generate interactive check-ins or exit tickets that reveal how learners are feeling, what they’ve understood, and where they’re stuck. AI can analyze these responses to suggest trends or gaps, giving teachers real-time insight into learner needs.

Check out our Using AI to Enhance Universal Design for Learning course for more ideas.

5. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

SEL teaches essential human skills: self-awareness, empathy, responsible decision-making, and relationship-building. But implementing SEL isn’t just about adding a program—it’s about modeling emotional intelligence in our daily language, tone, and interactions.

AI can support this by helping teachers refine their own emotional literacy. Reflectly provides structured emotion prompts and sentence starters—such as “I felt __ when ___,” or “I noticed __, and I wonder __.” Educators can experiment with these language patterns in Reflectly to deepen their own reflective practice. Then, they can weave them into classroom check‑ins, feedback moments, or restorative conversations.

By practicing emotion‑centered language privately, teachers build fluency that supports empathy, connection, and care in every conversation.

6. Biomimicry

Biomimicry invites learners to look to nature as a model, mentor, and measure—studying how organisms solve problems in order to inspire sustainable human design. This approach cultivates systems thinking, creativity, and environmental awareness.

AI can enhance biomimicry by helping learners explore biological systems, extract design principles, and generate compelling concepts. Gemini, Claude AI or your desired LLM can be used to brainstorm animal or plant adaptations that solve structural, energy, or resilience challenges—such as how termite mounds regulate temperature or how lotus leaves repel water. Learners can prompt AI with:

 “What natural structures manage fluid flow efficiently?” or, “Which organisms use vibration or color for communication?”

Once students choose a biological model, Veo 3 (now available via Canva!) can generate high-resolution concept video for their biomimetic designs. This approach bridges scientific observation, imaginative design, and real-world relevance—showing learners how nature can be a source of both inspiration and innovation.

7. Phenomena-Based Learning

Phenomena-based learning begins with observable events—natural or social—that spark curiosity and demand explanation. Instead of starting with content, this approach starts with wondering: Why did that happen? How does it work?

AI can deepen these inquiries by supporting learners in analyzing diverse perspectives around the same phenomenon. Stanford Storm AI can help learners to examine how different news outlets report on a climate event, a health trend, or a breakthrough in space exploration.

8. Engineering Design Process (EDP)

The Engineering Design Process encourages learners to define problems, brainstorm solutions, build prototypes, and test iteratively. It’s a hands-on, problem-solving approach that thrives on creativity and critical thinking.

Instead of standard presentation practice tools, try Yoodli AI’s speech coach to give learners instant feedback on how clearly and confidently they’re explaining their ideas. Pair that with Tome, an AI-powered storytelling and presentation builder that helps learners pitch their engineering solutions with compelling visuals and clear structure.

9. Maker Spaces

Maker-centered learning encourages learners to tinker, prototype, and design tangible artifacts that express their thinking. But translating those ideas into expressive, multimodal stories can be a challenge—especially for learners with limited access to materials or design tools.

With AI, learners can bring their creations to life in powerful ways. Start with Leonardo AI to generate high-quality concept art or scenes representing their prototypes. Then, use Suno to craft original music or soundscapes that match the tone or function of their invention. Finally, in PikaLabs, learners can combine their visuals, music, and narration into a polished short video that showcases their project—from idea to impact. This layered storytelling not only builds communication skills but strengthens the visibility and celebration of maker work.

10. 5E Framework

The 5E Model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate—is a science-rooted instructional framework designed to deepen understanding through hands-on investigation and meaning-making. The model encourages learners to generate hypotheses, explore data, and reflect on their learning process.

To support this approach, educators can use AI to design scientific scenarios and guide learners in analyzing results. First use ChatGPT to generate sample data sets. Then pair with PhET Interactive Simulations, to generate interactive, exploratory simulations.

Final Thoughts

AI is a powerful cognitive thought partner—but it's your intentional use of it that determines its value. At Ed3 DAO, we’re committed to supporting educators in using AI to amplify what matters most: learner growth, community, and joy. 

When it comes to tools for learners, use these three safety criteria:

1. Never share personal identifying information.
2. Avoid tool usage with kids under age 13.
3. Prioritize tools with strong privacy and security measures.

Ready to dive deeper? Explore Ed3 DAO’s asynchronous, self-paced courses—offered in partnership with the Albion Center for Professional Development—to learn how to embed AI into UDL, SEL, PBL, classroom management, and design thinking without compromising your pedagogical values.

Blog post contributed by Ed3 DAO.