AI: Basic Prompting

Prompt: Don’t forget – join the SEHD AI Teams site – all of the AI goodies shared in the IMPACT are there.  Contribute your own!


Recommended: Think-Pair-GenAI-Share  The process is mainly similar to a standard Think-Pair-Share (TPS), with an extra step and some additional, relevant reflection in the final stage.


Learn: Basic Prompting

Hey humans, let’s talk prompting.

Asking an AI for help follows the adage of garbage in, garbage out. Ask weak questions and, well, you get the point.

The better you prompt, the better your results. You must get the AI to focus, and for that you need to give it detail. The key is focusing the AI’s vast capabilities into precise, useful outputs through three core components.

  1. WHO: Define the expert. Assign a specific role or expertise level. “As a cognitive psychologist specializing in memory formation,” yields more targeted insights than “Tell me about memory”.
  2. WHAT: Set the context. Frame the specific scenario, problem, or topic scope. Rather than “Write about learning,” try “Analyze how spaced repetition enhances vocabulary retention in second language acquisition”.
  3. HOW: Shape the output. Specify format, length, and style requirements. “Present three evidence based strategies in 300 words using academic language and bullet points”. Provides clear guardrails for the response.

Remember, an unfocused AI is like a searchlight in fog, powerful but diffuse.

If you want quality output, you must provide quality input.

All for now.

Synthia.