Belhaven University

Dr. Rick Upchurch

Dr. Rick Upchurch serves as the Associate Vice President of E-Learning and Educational Innovation at Belhaven University. He is a seasoned presenter at national and regional conferences, focusing on leadership and higher education administration. Dr. Upchurch frequently speaks on leadership and change, has authored four books and regularly contributes to blogs on leadership, change and strategic planning.

Introduction

Since November of 2022, students have had access to artificial intelligence in the form of Chat GPT. The availability of different generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) options has expanded significantly since then and students have jumped on the bandwagon to make use of this new tool. However, effectively using GenAI as a student has been more challenging.

This article will explore several strategies to help students to use GenAI effectively in their coursework.

Effective Ways a Student can use GenAI

One of the strengths of GenAI is its ability to generate ideas, making it an excellent tool for brainstorming. Students can use GenAI to develop ideas for writing assignments or overcome writer’s block. Another effective use is asking GenAI to suggest an outline for a writing assignment. By providing assignment criteria, GenAI can generate a framework that helps students create structured, clear and coherent content. Proofreading is another valuable application of GenAI. After completing a written assignment, students can ask GenAI to proofread for grammatical and formatting errors and suggest areas for improvement.

Perhaps the most beneficial use of GenAI is as a personal tutor. GenAI can provide tailored tutoring on almost any topic, making it invaluable for addressing weak areas or deepening understanding of challenging subjects.

Sample prompt: “I don’t understand how chlorophyll works. Act as my personal tutor and guide me through a learning experience on chlorophyll. Please quiz me along the way and continue to instruct me and quiz me until I demonstrate competency.”

It is ALL About the Prompt

GenAI is not magic; it requires a well-crafted prompt to deliver useful results. A prompt is a written or spoken question or direction provided to GenAI. The quality of the prompt significantly influences the quality of the response.

“GenAI is most powerful when used as a supplement to your own critical thinking and effort, not as a replacement.”

One effective approach to prompt creation is the C.R.A.F.T. framework, developed by Nathan Hunter. The framework consists of five elements:

● C=Context. Explain the purpose behind the prompt. Providing context enables GenAI to generate more relevant responses. For example, instead of asking for information on chlorophyll, specify that you are a college sophomore writing a biology paper about chlorophyll.

● R=Role. Specify the role GenAI should assume. For instance, add “you are a college professor of biology” to the prompt to guide the response.

● A=Action. This is where the student describes specifically what they want GenAi to provide in a response. Again, using the illustration above, “Please provide me with an outline for a 500-word paper on chlorophyll.”

● F=Format. The format describes just that, the format. Here the students add the information they want the GenAI to use in formatting the response. For instance, ask for a bulleted list, paragraph or other specific formats.

● T=Tone. Specify the tone, such as academic, professional or casual, to ensure the response matches your needs.

Final prompt: “I have a 500-word paper due on Chlorophyll for my sophomore Biology class. Act as a College Professor and provide me with an outline for the paper formatted into a bulleted list. Make the tone academic.”

When working with prompts, keep the following considerations in mind:

1. Bias: GenAI responses may include biases related to gender, race, politics and socioeconomic factors. Students should critically evaluate responses and can even ask GenAI to check its own response for bias.

2. Temperature: GenAI responses have a “temperature” setting that affects creativity. A higher temperature generates more creative but potentially less accurate responses, while a lower temperature produces more factual responses. For instance, ask for a low-temperature description of a sunset and compare it with a high-temperature description to see the difference.

3. Iteration: Effective use of GenAI involves refining responses through iterative prompts. For example, ask GenAI to revise an outline multiple times until it meets your needs. GenAI’s capacity for endless iterations ensures you can achieve the desired result.

How NOT to use AI and Why

Over-reliance on GenAI can lessen an individual’s ability to think critically. This might not seem like a real danger, however, it is in the area of critical thinking that humans excel. Weakening this ability makes an individual less capable of engaging in the real world on their own and less interesting as an individual. Using GenAI without transparency such as proper attribution can create the impression of dishonesty and misrepresent an individual’s understanding of a topic. Additionally, accepting GenAI responses without iteration or critical editing demonstrates laziness and often results in subpar work. Students should actively engage with the content, ensuring it aligns with their own ideas and academic goals.

Conclusion

As a student, you have the opportunity to harness GenAI to unlock new levels of creativity and productivity in your education. By learning how to use this tool effectively—from crafting thoughtful prompts to iterating on responses—you can gain a significant advantage in your academic journey. Remember that GenAI is most powerful when used as a supplement to your own critical thinking and effort, not as a replacement. When approached with integrity and intentionality, GenAI can be a transformative resource, helping you grow as a learner and equipping you with skills that extend beyond the classroom.