Generating Ideas for Project-Based Learning

Exploring Custom Artifacts in Claude

A few weeks ago, a colleague who is also intrigued by the possibilities of artificial intelligence mentioned that she thought the chatbot Claude was the best one out of the more popular large language models. Until then, I had primarily been using ChatGPT as an assistant, creating content, conducting research, and generally exploring the possibilities of generative AI. I’m still using ChatGPT, but Claude is now my new favorite tool. I generally find the it to provide more robust information for various tasks.

Anthropic, the company behind Claude announced recently that one can now build artifacts in Claude without knowing how to code. Artifacts are interactive and include games, generators, quizzes, flashcards and more. You can ask Claude to build something specific and the chatbot will generally ask you for specifics, make a plan and then build the tool based on your input. You can also duplicate the prompts from existing artifacts and Anthropic provides detailed guides for this.

I’ve been playing with this new feature, trying to come up with a tool that would be useful to global educators. My first few attempts turned out interesting artifacts, but they stopped working and Claude does not seem to be able to fix these bugs. Here is an early example.

I have produced a project-based lesson generator aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and with the ISTE Student Standards. While it’s not perfect nor particularly robust, it’s a start. There are about 20 existing project ideas in this generator, and one can also create new ones by typing in content or by use the generator. However, it seems that new additions are not preserved in the tool. One needs to copy and paste generated lesson ideas into a document. I also can’t figure out how to make the export button function.

At any rate, I’ll keep on playing with this and hopefully, I can create something that will be a bit more functional. In the meantime, I’d appreciate any feedback you may have!

Here is some explanatory text provided by Claude:

💾 Export & Import Features:

📁 Export Options:

1. "Export" Button (JSON Format)

   • Downloads a .json file with all your custom and generated projects

   • Perfect for re-importing - preserves all project data and structure

   • Includes metadata like export date and project count

2. "Text" Button (Readable Format)

   • Downloads a .md (Markdown) file with beautifully formatted project details

   • Perfect for lesson planning - easy to read, print, or share with colleagues

   • Includes all project information in a structured, human-readable format

📤 Import Feature:

• "Import" Button - Upload previously exported JSON files

• Seamlessly integrates imported projects with your current session

• Prevents conflicts by assigning new IDs to imported projects

🎯 Smart User Experience:

• Export buttons disabled when you have no custom/generated projects

• Helpful tooltips explain what each button does

• Success notifications confirm successful exports/imports

• Error handling for invalid files with clear messages

• Visual reminder appears when you have projects worth saving

🔄 Recommended Workflow:

1. Generate or create projects during your session

2. Export to JSON before closing - this saves everything for later

3. Export to Text if you want readable files for immediate use

4. Import your JSON file in future sessions to continue where you left off

💡 Use Cases:

• Curriculum Planning: Generate projects, export text files for your planning documents

• Collaboration: Share JSON exports with colleagues who can import them

• Personal Library: Build and maintain your own collection of custom projects

• Session Continuity: Never lose your generated projects again!

  Postscript

  I just had another idea… what if we aligned projects to the OECD’s pillars of global competence? Ta da! Look at this artifact now.
  
  Here’s the guidance and feedback from Claude.
  
  🌍 OECD Global Competence Integration:

  Four Pillars Added:

  1. 🔍 Examine Issues - Examine local, global and intercultural issues

  2. 🤝 Understand Perspectives - Understand and appreciate different perspectives and worldviews

  3. 💬 Engage Across Cultures - Engage in open, appropriate interactions across cultures

  4. ⚡ Take Action - Take action for collective well-being and sustainable development

  🎯 New Features:

  Filtering System

  • OECD competency filters with descriptive tooltips

  • Enhanced filtering now includes grade levels, SDGs, ISTE standards, AND global competencies

  • Smart layout with larger cards showing both title and description

  Project Creation & Generation

  • Updated form includes OECD competency selection

  • AI generation now creates projects aligned to all three frameworks

  • Enhanced prompts ensure generated projects demonstrate global competence

  Project Display

  • Color-coded badges for OECD competencies on each project card

  • Visual consistency with existing SDG and ISTE standard badges

  • Comprehensive export includes OECD data in both JSON and text formats

  📚 Updated Built-in Projects:

  Several existing projects now show OECD alignment, such as:

  • Global Collaboration Peace Project - demonstrates all four pillars

  • Climate Heroes Digital Campaign - examine issues + take action

  • Gender Equality Podcast - examine + understand + interact

  • Accessibility Gaming Design - examine + understand + action

  🎉 Why This Matters:

  Now your tool creates truly comprehensive 21st-century projects that develop:

  • Sustainability awareness (UN SDGs)

  • Digital literacy (ISTE Standards)

  • Global citizenship (OECD Competencies)
    

  Teachers can now filter for projects that specifically develop global competence alongside digital skills and sustainability understanding - creating students who are prepared for our interconnected world!
  

  Try filtering by different OECD competencies to see how projects align with developing global citizenship skills.