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The 12 Days of AI: Day 1 – Using prompts

For Day 1 of The 12 Days of AI, the 20 minute task is to explore, develop skills and understanding of prompt engineering and its potential and limitations using tools like ChatGPT, Bing chat, Google Bard, Claude 2, HuggingChat and, Pi, your personal AI.

To complete today’s task I need to ask an AI tool to:

  1. Write a lesson plan
  2. Create some mini case studies.
  3. Brainstorm some ideas.
  4. Create some quiz questions.
AI assistant creating a lesson plan for young and old entrepreneurs, in a colourful 60s comic style
Image Creator from Designer: AI assistant creating a lesson plan for young and old entrepreneurs, in a colourful 60s comic style.

Asking ChatGPT to write a lesson plan

Using the prompt “I am a digital education designer working in an Australian university, create a lesson plan for an interactive and engaging introductory 20 minute course for a non-specialist audience on research commercialisation and entrepreneurship”, ChatGPT created the Introduction to Research Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship lesson plan.

How useful was ChatGPT response?

The lesson plan created by ChatGPT could definitely be used as a starting point that could then be refined further, especially in consultation with a subject matter/discipline expert during the early stages of the course design and development.

AI assistant carefully creating unique and authentic case studies for young and old human entrepreneurs, in a colourful 60s comic style
Image Creator from Designer: AI assistant carefully creating unique and authentic case studies for young and old human entrepreneurs, in a colourful 60s comic style.

Asking ChatGPT to create some mini case studies

Using the prompt “Create three diverse mini case studies from different industries of 200 words each for discussion on how research can be commercialised, identify entrepreneurial opportunities and change the world for the better”, ChatGPT created three mini case studies relating to educational technology, sustainable energy and health-tech

How could these be used in teaching?

The mini case studies created by ChatGPT could be used in a number of different ways in and around the 20 minute introductory course. For example, they could be used as part of a big question or overarching themes that learners reflect and share their thoughts on as they make their way through each stage of the course, and even, serve as tangible examples of what might be possible/what’s been done in the research commercialisation and entrepreneurial space – this could be most helpful and serve as further inspiration for people new to the area.

AI assistant carefully compiling a list of the top 5 influential human researchers and entrepreneurs throughout, in a colourful 60s comic style
Image Creator from Designer: AI assistant carefully compiling a list of the top 5 influential human researchers and entrepreneurs throughout, in a colourful 60s comic style.

Asking ChatGPT to brainstorm some ideas

Using the prompt “Create a list of the top 5 influential human researchers and entrepreneurs throughout history, making sure to highlight their positive impact on the world”, ChatGPT created a list of influential human researchers and entrepreneurs.

Were there any biases in the response?

It could be argued that ChatGPTs response biases a modern understanding of business and entrepreneurial activity that reflects modern capitalism, but it’s possible to consider a broader definition of these activities to include earlier origins and evolution, even as far back as 17,000 BCE in New Guinea, right?

AI assistant carefully creating quiz questions so students can check their understanding of concepts and ideas , in a colourful 60s comic style
Image Creator from Designer: AI assistant carefully creating quiz questions so students can check their understanding of concepts and ideas , in a colourful 60s comic style.

Asking ChatGPT to create some quiz questions

Using the prompt “Create three multiple choice questions based on the topic ‘contemporary challenges with commercialising research in Australia’. with the modifier of “Include 4 options for each question and include the answers”, ChatGPT created some quiz questions – like, wow?

How did ChatGPT respond – could the questions be used?

In a formative low-stakes context e.g., not for grading and only for checking understanding context, the questions generated by ChatGPT could be used with some additional quality assurance checks by a subject matter expert, I think.

AI assistant reflecting on their life and work in a endless lake or similar body of water, in a colourful 60s comic style.
Image Creator from Designer: AI assistant reflecting on their life and work in a endless lake or similar body of water, in a colourful 60s comic style.

Reflection on the Day 1 task

Unsurprisingly, my thoughts and reflections on experiences of the Day 1 – Using prompts task are not dissimilar to others who also participated in the task.

Did I find the task useful? Sure, I did. What I found most useful was the relative ease of creating a “launch pad of ideas” for the inevitable process I needed to work through for the tangible stuff I needed to generate.

Did I notice any biases? Not really, given the speculative and non-absolute nature of the subject matter. Again, my thinking (at this point of time, anyway) is to use AI-based tools as a launch pad or springboard for initial ideas and thinking on the process of creating learning and not the end product.

Could ChatGPT (or other AI tools) be used to stay focused? Sure, it could. Just like any other collaborator or assistant helps you to make your way through the backlog of work. Who doesn’t need a helpful hand, right?

Could any inaccuracies or limitations be identified in the responses? Sure, just liker any other contribution you want and need an opportunity to reflect on initial work that’s been produced and verify it with subject/discipline expertise.

Were there any surprises? No, in that I didn’t expert it to be the “one-stop-shop” style tool that would do all my my work for me, for now. It’s a great helper, no doubt.

Did it surface ideas of how AI tools be used? Sure, it did. AI is definitely a brainstorming, assistant, helpful assistant or co-pilot style tool that streamline and springboard some of the more mundane or early-stage thinking, for me.

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