Human-Artificial Intelligence Collaboration for the Design of Interactive Simulations for Formative Assessment in STEM Education

The integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools into education systems offers several benefits, including personalized learning, rapid feedback and resource creation. However, the deployment of GenAI for the design of instructional material is hampered by the lack of effective implementation strategies. This study details the outcomes of a human-AI collaboration to create an interactive simulation that models key aspects of evolution. As such it considers the use of one such implementation strategy in the field of STEM education for secondary phase education and above. Employing an iterative natural language prompting strategy, the study outlines the development of a frictionless HTML5 web browser application, without prior coding expertise. The simulation supports inquiry-based learning and in-class formative learning applications. Additionally, the simulation provides a platform for formative assessment, enabling students to collect longitudinal data through CSV exports and subsequently allowing them to demonstrate data analysis skills, understanding, reasoning and critical thinking. The challenges associated with code regressions and iterative prompting strategies are discussed, emphasizing that human oversight and domain expertise remain essential for successful implementation. This study offers pedagogical insights for educators ready to adopt GenAI as a “copilot” for creating innovative teaching resources and formative assessments.