Prompting Techniques
AI Literacy Framework Level 2 Use and Apply AI:
Prompting Techniques
- Core competencies covered in this chapter:
- Experiment with prompting techniques.
- Iterate on prompt language to improve AI-generated output.
Introduction
One important competency of AI literacy is the ability to effectively communicate and partner with AI tools. While many people view prompt engineering as a daunting new technical skill, it’s actually an extension of our natural communication abilities. Just as we instinctively adjust our communication style when explaining concepts to different audiences – whether they’re first-year students, graduate researchers, or colleagues – crafting effective prompts for AI draws on these same adaptive communication skills. This module demystifies prompt design by connecting it to familiar teaching and learning practices, making it more accessible and practical. By understanding and teaching these prompting frameworks and techniques, we can empower students to become more effective users of gen AI tools, helping them achieve their desired results while building crucial skills for the AI-enhanced future of education and the workforce.
Interactive Module: Prompting Techniques
Reflect and Apply: Educator’s Toolkit
Core Competencies for Educators
Educators should understand various prompting techniques and demonstrate how to use them to refine AI-generated outputs. They should also encourage students to experiment with prompt phrasing, structure, and iteration while providing feedback on how these adjustments affect the quality and relevance of AI responses.
Reflection Questions
- Students often struggle to articulate their thoughts clearly when writing prompts for AI. How would you design learning activities that help students break down their thinking process and communicate their intentions more effectively? What specific challenges do you anticipate, and how would you address them?
- Consider the different frameworks presented (SCRIPT, Rhetorical Triangle, SCALE). If you were introducing these to your students, which would you start with and why? How would you help students understand when to use each framework based on their specific needs?
- When teaching writing, we often use peer review and revision processes. How might you adapt these familiar pedagogical approaches to help students improve their prompting skills? What would meaningful peer feedback on AI prompts look like in your classroom?
- Students bring varying levels of experience with AI tools to the classroom. How would you create an inclusive learning environment that supports both novice and experienced AI users in developing their prompting skills? What differentiation strategies might be effective?
- Think about the connection between critical thinking and effective prompt design. How would you help students understand that crafting good prompts requires analyzing their own thought process? What metacognitive strategies could support this understanding?
- Consider a major assignment in your course. How could you integrate prompt design instruction in a way that both supports students’ learning of the course content and develops their AI literacy? What specific prompting skills would be most valuable for your students?Use the Padlet Discussion Board to share your thoughts with peer educators.
Tips and Best Practices
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This is an activity developed by Lance Cummings for practicing content repurposing using the rhetorical triangles prompting techqniue. Below is detailed instruction:
“For this activity, I invite you to locate a bio you’ve previously written about yourself. Analyze the target audience of this course (or some other community) and use the principles of rhetoric to repurpose your bio accordingly using ChatGPT.
It really doesn’t matter how long the bio is. If you don’t have any, I recommend just writing a generic one that you might post on a social media home page. ”
