Prompt Literacy in Academics
At Oral Roberts University (ORU), prompt literacy is key to harnessing the power of AI effectively within our academic community. This initiative focuses on teaching how to craft precise and detailed prompts to optimize the use of AI models in educational settings. The program covers understanding AI's capabilities and limitations, refining queries to avoid errors, and tailoring communication to diverse academic disciplines. Training includes practical sessions for writing effective prompts, iterative refinement techniques, and ethical considerations in AI use, ensuring all interactions with AI are informed, purposeful, and aligned with ORU's values.
ORU GenAI Prompt Literacy Guide
Understanding and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) effectively in academic pursuits involves recognizing both its potential and its limitations. AI, such as GPT-3.5 and 4, does not truly "understand" content as humans do, but rather, it processes information based on probabilities derived from data. This requires users to provide clear, detailed prompts and be aware of possible inaccuracies or biases in AI responses.
To optimize AI's use, one must:
- Grasp the subject matter thoroughly to provide AI with accurate context and reduce erroneous outputs.
- Detail specific requirements in prompts, including the objective, language, tone, and format, to get the most relevant AI-generated content.
- Reduce the cognitive load on AI by breaking down tasks into simpler components.
- Employ creativity in formulating prompts, employing various strategies to align the output closer to intended goals.
- Continually refine prompts based on initial responses and provide iterative feedback to enhance accuracy.
Additionally, it is crucial to tailor AI-generated content to the audience's understanding and remain vigilant about the ethical implications of AI use, ensuring transparency and fairness. Keeping abreast of AI advancements will further empower ORU staff and students to utilize these tools effectively within their academic and research contexts.
Best Practices for Prompt Writing
- Adjust Tone and Style: Tailor the tone (enthusiastic, empathetic, formal, etc.) and the length to suit the context and audience.
- Clarity and Precision: Ensure prompts are clear and specific to avoid ambiguous responses. Clearly define the desired outcome, audience, and format (e.g., table, list, detailed description).
- Encourage Detailed Responses: Request more comprehensive outputs if initial responses are inadequate or unclear.
- Role Play: Assign expert roles to the AI (like marketing strategist or SEO expert) to shape its responses based on specific expertise.
- Iterative Interaction: Use follow-up questions to refine responses. If necessary, instruct the AI to ask clarifying questions too.
- Set Expectations: Clearly state what the AI should focus on and avoid. If the response deviates, guide it back to the topic.
- Feedback: Provide feedback on the AI’s output and specify any necessary adjustments to ensure it meets your needs.
- Sequential Prompting: Use a step-by-step prompting approach to build upon previous
inputs and refine the AI's output.