Colleen Boyle
Differentiate learning content
Adapt content for different learning levels/styles
How to use Claude to simplify a complex text and generate a set of teaching slides based on the simplified content
Generative AI can be used to differentiate learning materials by adapting a single source text for various student needs. This process involves simplifying complex academic language into more accessible prose and then transforming that simplified text into different formats, such as teaching slides. While powerful for creating tailored resources, it's important to be aware of tool limitations, such as usage caps on free versions, and ethical considerations like copyright, which the AI may flag itself.
02:05Start a new chat. In Claude, click the+ New chatbutton to begin a new conversation.05:17Upload your source document. Click the attachment icon (paperclip) in the message bar and select the text file (e.g., a PDF or Word document) you want to simplify.04:18Prompt the AI to simplify the text for a specific audience. In the same message, write a prompt that clearly states your goal. For example:I would like you to modify the content in this paper to make it more accessible to a first-year university student. Please write it in plain English with no jargon.06:57Refine the output by answering the AI's clarifying questions. Claude may ask follow-up questions to better understand your goal. Select the options that best fit your needs, such as the intended purpose, desired length, and output format (e.g., Word document).10:03Write a follow-up prompt to create teaching slides. Once you have the simplified text, ask Claude to convert it into a presentation. You can specify details like the number of slides, inclusion of discussion questions, and even brand colours. For example:Thank you, how about we turn that into some teaching slides with some discussion questions at the end. Use the RMIT colors.13:08Review and download the generated slide deck. Claude will generate the presentation, often as a downloadable file (e.g., .pptx). Review the content and download it for further editing.
Tool | The tool used is Claude, accessible at claude.ai. |
|---|---|
Access | A paid 'Pro' account is recommended for complex or lengthy tasks, as the free version has usage limits. |
Example prompt (simplify) | The presenter used the prompt: "Hello Claude, today I would like you to modify the content in a paper to make it more accessible to a first year art student at university. So, write it in plain English with no jargon." |
Example prompt (slides) | The presenter used the follow-up prompt: "Thank you Claude, how about we turn that into some teaching slides with some discussion questions at the end. Use the RMIT colors." |
Copyright limit | The AI may refuse to directly reproduce copyrighted material, instead offering to explain or paraphrase it to avoid infringement. |
Input/Output formats | The process demonstrates uploading a PDF and generating outputs as both a Word document (.docx) and a PowerPoint presentation (.pptx). |
Related skills
- Refine and iterate prompts — This activity demonstrates how to refine an AI's output by engaging in a conversational back-and-forth and providing follow-up instructions.
- Create multimodal outputs — This process shows how to use AI to transform a text-based academic paper first into simplified prose and then into a visual slide deck.
- Design personalised learning experiences — The core task is to adapt a single, complex source text for a specific student cohort, demonstrating a key principle of differentiation.
- Use simple prompts — The tutorial uses clear, conversational language to achieve a complex, multi-step task, showing the effectiveness of simple prompting.