An 1800s tailor, dressed in traditional clothing, is using an old- fashioned sewing machine. However, instead of fabric, the machine is producing lines. — Source: DALL-E (AI-generated)

Tailored Prompting

To appreciate the diversity of ways GenAI can help with learning, let’s consider a few prompts specifically tailored to what educators and learners might want to do with GenAI.

For instance, instead of asking only for correct answers, we might request GenAI output for a prompt and then critique both.

By asking what’s missing from the prompt and output or how we might create a better, more useful answer, we deepen our understanding of the material.

Or we can ask the chatbot itself ideas— for example:

I am taking a [topic] course in college at the [level]. Suggest five creative ways to assess my comprehension of [list concept here].

We might also develop prompts to help us with other aspects of our workload, such as creating lists, study guides, meeting agendas, or to help organize our notes. Or we might ask a chatbot for a rubric to guide us to respond to (or assess) an essay prompt.

We can also ask chatbots for summaries of the key points of articles we don’t quite grasp or walk us through sections that we find extra challenging. GenAI can also help us to create an abstract or summary paragraph for a paper we’ve written or to create slide decks for presentations if we provide the main ideas we want to get across:

Here is information on [topic; provide information]. Please create a slide deck. I need seven slides, each with at least one relevant illustration.

Refining Your Prompts

Be aware that the more specific you make your instructions, the more useful the output is likely to be. Here are a few more examples:

Test my understanding of the following vocabulary terms by asking me fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice questions. The terms are [provide terms]. Ask me questions to test my understanding of how [concept] works. I am a second-year student and I am learning about this in a [general education/majors only] course.
Explain [topic or term] to me as if I am in 10th grade.
I’d like to role-play with you for my advanced anthropological theory course. Pretend you are Margaret Mead and answer questions that I will ask you about your career and your essential contributions to the field. If I don’t ask about your top five contributions, please provoke me to do so.

For more ideas, explore different prompt ideas depending on your role or task:

Prompts for Educators

Generate ideas for improving student engagement in online courses, considering the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Create a list of discussion questions for this reading assignment on [topic] that encourage critical thinking and promote deeper engagement.
Draft a personalized learning path for students struggling with [concept], incorporating alternative learning modalities and resources.
Generate alternative assessment methods for [skill/level] beyond traditional exams, such as portfolios, presentations, or peer reviews.

Prompts for Administrative Tasks

Compose a professional email to [student/colleague] about [issue], maintaining a clear, concise, and respectful tone.
Create a meeting agenda for the upcoming faculty meeting, including clear objectives, anticipated discussion points, and a proposed timeline.
Draft personalized outreach emails to prospective students from [program] highlighting our program's unique features and benefits.
Draft a newsletter for [department/program] highlighting key achievements, upcoming events, and relevant news and information.

Prompts for Students

Explain [complex concept] to me in simple terms, using analogies and real-world examples to illustrate the key ideas.
Create a study guide for my upcoming exam in [course name/topics], prioritizing the most important concepts and incorporating visual aids.
Generate practice problems for [subject] based on these learning objectives, varying the difficulty level to challenge my understanding.
Summarize the key arguments in this academic article and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the author's evidence.

Prompts for Writing & Research

Refine the thesis statement for my essay on [topic] to make it more specific, arguable, and impactful.
Proofread and edit this essay draft, focusing on grammar, punctuation, clarity, and overall flow.
Help me organize my research notes into a logical structure, such as a mind map or an outline, to facilitate the writing process.
Generate alternative titles for my essay that are more creative, engaging, and accurately reflect the main argument.

Prompts for Time Management & Organization

Create a weekly schedule incorporating my classes, extracurricular activities, and personal time while allowing flexibility and breaks.
Generate a to-do list for today, prioritizing the most urgent and important tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix or another prioritization technique.
Help me brainstorm effective time management strategies for [specific challenge], such as procrastination or difficulty concentrating.
Help me organize and prioritize my to-do list based on the following factors [...]

Key Considerations

Critical Evaluation: Always critically evaluate the output generated by GenAI, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and alignment with ethical and academic standards.
Human Oversight: Utilize GenAI to assist and augment human expertise, not as a replacement for critical thinking, independent judgment, and human interaction.
Continuous Improvement: Continuously refine your prompting strategies based on your experiences and the evolving capabilities of GenAI tools.

In keeping with the lessons of Module 2, please note that for some of the above use cases, permission from authors (e.g., of manuscripts or articles) will need to have been secured.

Note, too, that procuring the desired output generally takes a few rounds of prompting and iterative honing; we’ll get to that later.

Source: DALL-E (AI-generated)