(Revised 8/9/23)
This guide provides instruction on how to interact with the LLMs, ChatGPT, Bing, Bard, and Claude (referred collectively as “AI” in this document). For an introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) please see our Student Guide to AI.
You now have access to an incredibly powerful learning tool; essentially an expert tutor, on-demand, for free, at your fingertips. This guide will help you learn how to effectively and ethically use AI to facilitate your learning and personal growth.
How Can AI Help Me?
What is a Prompt?
How Do I Construct a Prompt?
How Can I Improve my Results?
What Can I Ask AI to Do?
How Can AI Help Me?
Academic Support
Study, Homework, and Learning Strategies:
Break down complex subjects into understandable parts.
Get help with concept explanations, brainstorming, and feedback.
Create study guides, generate practice questions, and identify effective study strategies.
Apply active reading, efficient notetaking, retrieval practice, spaced practice, and elaboration techniques to enhance learning.
Writing and Research:
Structure and style your essays, check grammar, and test arguments.
Refine research questions, develop search strategies, and get writing tips.
Language Learning and Feedback:
Engage in language exercises, grammar lessons, and conversational practice.
Interpret professor comments and implement feedback.
Interdisciplinary and Advanced Study:
Draw connections between different subjects.
Seek guidance for postgraduate application processes.
Personal Development & Wellbeing
Time and Stress Management:
Organize study schedules and daily tasks.
Get advice on coping with stress and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Growth and Self-Reflection:
Develop resilience, emotional intelligence, and leadership skills.
Engage with AI-guided self-reflection prompts and explore personal interests.
Perspectives and Ideas:
Examine assumptions, biases, and broaden your horizon.
Combat writer’s block with brainstorming sessions and idea generation.
Career and Presentation Skills:
Navigate major selection, career exploration, and prep for interviews.
Improve public speaking, slide design, and Q&A sessions.
Collaboration and Networking:
Master group work strategies, conflict resolution, and responsibility sharing.
Learn the nuances of professional outreach and networking.
Cultural & Social Awareness
Cultural and Ethical Understanding:
Immerse yourself in diverse cultures and traditions.
Explore ethical dilemmas and considerations across various disciplines.
What is a Prompt?
A “prompt” is a set of instructions that is typed into the input field of the chosen LLM. “Prompting” is how one interacts with AI. Prompting should be thought of as an interactive and iterative process. It is not complicated, but it takes time and practice to understand how to communicate with AI, learn how it best operates, and how to achieve the best results. Each of the models behaves differently and has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Important: While AI is improving dramatically, it is not uncommon to receive information that is incorrect or misleading (also known as “hallucinations”). You cannot assume that AI is providing accurate, factual information. All output must be verified for accuracy.
How Do I Construct a Prompt?
While interacting with AI should be as conversational as possible, some basic structure will allow you to be both more efficient and more effective in getting the kind of results you seek. It is helpful to consider the following basic structure, which can then be modified based on your needs:
Context: The AI needs to understand the context of your prompt. There is some contradictory information about the need to tell the AI who it is (ex., “you are an experienced teacher”, “you are my American History tutor”, “you are my wellness coach”). Some find this helpful, but its impact is unclear. It is important, however, to situate the work you want the AI to do.
Task and Constraints: The AI needs to know what to do and how to do it. Simply ask or tell it what you need. Adding constraints to help the AI focus leads to more useful output. This could include conceptual constraints, level of difficulty constraints, time constraints, complexity constraints, and more.
Steps: Providing a step-by-step procedure can be a useful way of guiding AI’s work and output.
Results can often be improved through interaction. Context, task, constraints, and steps can be altered as you engage in a back-and-forth with the AI.
For example (do not include the bracketed phrases): You are a seasoned tutor specializing in [Subject, e.g., “Organic Chemistry”], and I’m a college student preparing for my final exam in this subject [context]. I’ve always struggled with understanding the concept of [Specific Topic, e.g., “electrophilic addition reactions”] and need a clear and concise explanation. Additionally, I’m looking for effective study techniques tailored to this subject that can maximize my retention and comprehension in the limited time I have before the exam [more context]. Start by explaining this challenging concept to me. Then, recommend a focused study strategy, including any mnemonic devices or visualization techniques that could be beneficial. Finally, suggest a way for me to self-test my understanding to ensure I’m ready for the exam [steps].
The more detailed the input, the more likely it is that you’ll receive a satisfactory response. However, once the AI responds, you might consider altering the central concept, for example, or perhaps there are some critical points you already have in mind that should be emphasized in preparing for the exam. Think of the AI as your assistant, so use your knowledge and expertise to guide it. For example, you might tell the AI to “make the following points…” or “include the following topics…” or “I want to make sure you challenge me to think about…or, …practice…”
While it is often helpful to keep a chat session open so that the AI remains within the context you worked to create, it sometimes gets itself into a non-helpful loop that you may need to end. If the AI begins to get confused or the results seem less than satisfactory, start a new chat session and you can begin again.
How Can I Improve my Results?
There are numerous strategies you can employ to refine your prompts and improve your results. Some of these can be built into your original prompt, or you can add them as part of your guiding conversation as you receive results.
Ask AI for help in crafting your prompt.
Paste in text to analyze for style, so that the AI can use that style or respond in accordance with it.
With access to the internet (Bing, Bard, or Chat GPT with plug ins) you might tell AI to look up information first so that it has something tangible to work with.
Use a one step at a time approach, adding another step or task after receiving some output.
Work interactively…push back…engage AI like you would a colleague or intern.
Ask AI to expand on a result and provide more information.
Ask AI to change the example.
Use your expertise, include more of your thinking.
Use alternate forms of prompting (see below)
What Can I Ask AI to Do?
Below are several types of prompts. Add context, constraints, and steps as described above.
Extracting specific facts or explanations. Ideal for quick clarifications or to obtain definitions. (“What is quantum entanglement?”)
Generate broad and comprehensive content, perhaps as a starting point for gathering diverse perspectives on a topic. (“Discuss the significance of the Renaissance.”)
Have the LLM consider a specific context or background. Useful for creating scenario-based practice questions or for expanding your understanding. (“Given the sociopolitical climate of the 1960s, explain the rise of counterculture.”)
Create comparisons, which can be very effective study and learning tools. (“Compare classical conditioning and operant conditioning.)
Generate hypothetical scenarios or consider specific conditions. Useful for brainstorming and creativity. (“If Shakespeare were alive today, how might he comment on modern society?”)
Craft content in a specific format. (“Draft a multiple-choice question about photosynthesis.”)
Gather insights from specific viewpoints, aiding in presenting multiple sides of an issue. (“From a Marxist perspective, analyze the modern gig economy.)
Build upon prior responses to delve deeper into a topic or to refine a complex concept progressively. This can help when preparing in-depth content or research. (After an initial answer about climate change, follow up with, “How do ocean currents contribute to this?”)
Encourage speculative or forward-thinking content. This could aid in exploring potential future research topics. (“Predict the future challenges of urban planning in the face of increasing automation.”)
Refine questions based on past outputs, to get more targeted or accurate information over time.