What if AI could transform into every learner’s personal ally?
What is Inclusive Learning and how AI can be perceived as a potential ally?
Inclusive learning means ensuring all students, regardless of background, ability, or learning style, have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
As teachers, we know the reality: our classrooms are increasingly diverse. We have students with different language backgrounds, different levels of literacy, different learning preferences, and different educational needs. Trying to meet everyone's needs can feel overwhelming.
AI as a potential ally
That's where AI can come in. AI-supported tools offer the potential to personalise learning, adapt materials, and provide extra support for students who need it. In this tutorial, we'll explore some practical ways you can use AI to create a more inclusive classroom. We will look at how to adapt learning materials, get ideas for lesson planning, and learn ethical best practices for using AI. And, most importantly, remember: AI is a tool to support you, not replace you. You are the driver for inclusivity!
Building AI literacy
Click on the image to find out more
Through short interactive tasks and drawing upon existing projects such as the “3 Steps AI for the classrooms” eTwinning project, you will build practical AI literacy you can immediately apply in diverse classrooms.
You are invited…
To join the community of the project “3 steps AI for the classrooms”!
Take a look into the Slido, see what other teachers answered and add your input on the question “Why AI in education?”
AI literacy
Holmes et al. (2022) present AI literacy as four important areas: understanding how AI works, using it in practice, evaluating its outputs, and considering ethical issues. Together, these help teachers use AI tools effectively, think critically about what they produce, and use them in a fair and responsible way in the classroom.
Practical applications
Now it’s time to put in practice what we have read so far!
Let’s take a look into a selection of AI tools can be used for inclusive learning will be presented.
- RIFF is a reflection partner that will guide you in reflecting deeply about your learning journey by asking you questions. Try to ask it something different, for example “where does your name come from” and let’s see what’s the answer it will give you.
- NotebookLM by Google is an AI-powered tool that allows teachers to upload their own materials and interact with them in a structured, reliable way. It is particularly useful for inclusive learning, as it can summarise complex texts, simplify language, and generate differentiated explanations to support learners with varying needs. It also enables the creation of audio overviews, turning content into podcast-style explanations to support auditory learners.
Let’s test your knowledge! How many tools can you identify from their logo?
All of them? Almost all of them? None of them? That’s fine! All answers are correct because now we are going to find out!
Differentiation through AI-powered tools
Prompting for inclusion
One practical way to use AI for inclusive learning is through prompting, where you ask the tool to adapt content for a specific learning need. This allows teachers to quickly generate more accessible and tailored materials for their students.
Try the following prompting:
Click on a prompt to copy it
By asking simple, targeted questions like these, teachers can quickly adapt learning materials to meet different student needs. AI can generate versions of the same content that are easier to read, more structured, and better suited to learners who require additional support, helping to make lessons more inclusive and accessible for everyone.
Adapting learning materials
AI tools can assist teachers in adapting materials so that learners can access content in different ways.
Examples include:
- simplifying complex texts for learners with lower reading levels
- generating step by step explanations of challenging concepts
- creating multiple examples to support understanding
- translating explanations for multilingual learners
These adaptations help ensure that students can engage with content at an appropriate level of accessibility.
Supporting lesson planning and differentiation
Specialised platforms such as Magic School AI can assist teachers in generating adaptable learning resources.
Possible applications include:
- creating differentiated reading passages
- generating scaffolded learning activities
- producing formative assessment questions at different levels of complexity
- drafting rubrics and planning templates
These tools can reduce time spent on routine planning tasks while supporting teachers in designing learning experiences that respond to diverse learner needs.
Using general AI assistants
General AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and ChatOn (Claude AI) can support teachers in creating alternative explanations and adapting content for diverse learners. Building on this, there are also AI tools designed specifically for teaching and learning. These AI teaching assistants can support inclusive lesson planning, generate differentiated resources, and provide adaptable activities, helping teachers meet a wide range of learner needs while making learning more accessible for all students.
AI teaching assistants
Look at the logos below. Do you recognise any of them? Have you ever used them?
Boosting lesson planning and differentiation
AI tools such as MagicSchool AI, Diffit, and Brisk Teaching can support more efficient and responsive lesson planning. Teachers can quickly generate adapted materials, levelled questions, and assessment tasks tailored to diverse learners, reducing preparation time while enhancing student engagement.
For example, AI can be used to create differentiated reading materials or scaffolded tasks for mixed-ability classrooms, allowing teachers to better meet a range of learning needs.
Generating a differentiated reading passage on a specific topic
AI tools can generate multiple versions of the same text, enabling all students to engage with shared content at an appropriate level. A simplified version uses familiar vocabulary and shorter sentences; a standard version reflects typical classroom language; and a more advanced version introduces richer vocabulary and more complex structures to extend higher-attaining students.
This supports inclusive practice by maintaining a common learning objective while offering varied entry points. Rather than creating multiple texts from scratch, teachers can generate, review, and refine materials efficiently to meet diverse learning needs.
Creating formative assessment questions at different levels of difficulty
Create 6 formative assessment questions based on this text: 2 easy, 2 moderate, and 2 challenging. Include a mix of question types such as short answer and higher-order thinking.
This approach makes it much easier to quickly generate inclusive and levelled assessment, supporting all learners to demonstrate their understanding in different ways.
Supporting collaborative learning
AI-integrated tools such as Microsoft Copilot, Google Docs with AI features, and Perplexity AI can support group work by helping students:
- generate and refine ideas collaboratively
- summarise shared research
- scaffold writing and planning tasks
In addition, tools such as Diffit can be used within group tasks to provide adapted materials, ensuring all students can participate meaningfully.
Platforms such as Padlet and Miro allow students to co-construct ideas, share responses, and engage in multimodal learning through text, audio, and visuals.
These tools support inclusive collaboration by offering multiple ways to contribute, reducing barriers to participation, and enabling students to work together at different levels while engaging with shared learning goals.
Responsible use of AI
In this part of the tutorial, we focus on how to use AI in a responsible and ethical way in educational settings. We draw on the European Commission publication Guidelines on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and data in teaching and learning for educators, which highlights key principles such as fairness, transparency, and accountability.
Key issues to consider include:
- data privacy and the protection of student information
- potential bias and inaccuracies in AI-generated content
- the importance of teacher oversight, professional judgement, and checking AI outputs
You will complete a short interactive quiz to review these key principles. This activity is designed to support you in recognising potential risks and making informed decisions about how AI can be used safely and responsibly in your own classroom practice.
Responsible use of AI quiz
Choose the best answer for each question. This quiz has 9 easy questions about using AI safely in schools.
Resources
- European Commission: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. (2026). Guidelines on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and data in teaching and learning for educators, Publications Office of the European Union.
- UNESCO. (2023). The challenges and opportunities of Artificial Intelligence in education.
- Holmes, W., Miao, F., Chassignol, M., & Fadel, C. (2022). Guidance for generative AI in education and research. UNESCO.
We would like to hear your opinion!
Dr Mary Masterson is Associate Professor in Education at the University of Limerick, Ireland, with over two decades of experience in higher education and a prior career as a post-primary teacher of German, History, and ICT. Her work bridges classroom practice, teacher education, and research, bringing a strong focus on inclusive and innovative pedagogy. Her research centres on inclusive teacher education, intercultural communication, and digitally supported teaching and learning, with a particular emphasis on the integration of AI in schools. She is actively engaged in national and European research and policy dialogue, contributing to projects on multilingualism, teacher well-being, and global citizenship education. She is International Lead in the School of Education, Erasmus Coordinator, and National Initial Teacher Educator Ambassador for eTwinning in Ireland. In these roles, she advances European collaboration, virtual exchange, and internationalisation at home. Her work has been recognised through multiple national and European awards, including the European Language Label and eTwinning awards for innovation in teacher education.