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AI Prompt Engineering

Prompt engineering is the process of structuring text that can be interpreted and understood by a generative AI model. A prompt is natural language text describing the task that an AI should perform.

A prompt for a text-to-text language model can be a simple query, such as "what is 144 divided by 12?", a command such as "write a poem about a flower garden in the spring", or a longer statement including context, instructions, and conversation history. Prompt engineering may involve phrasing a query, specifying a style, providing relevant context, or assigning a role to the AI, such as "Act as a native Spanish speaker". A prompt may even include providing a few examples for a model to learn from.

Parts

Tips for Creating an Effective AI Prompt

  • Be specific and clear
    • Provide as much detail as possible in your prompt.
    • Ask for a specific length.
  • Explain the Context/Audience
    • Purpose
    • Setting
    • Age level
    • Skill level
    • Personal interests
  • Start with an action word
    • Example: Create a lesson plan 
  • Use Conversational Language
    • Write your prompt as if you were writing or speaking to another person.
    • Use correct grammar and sentence structure.
  • Provide the tone and style
    • Example: "Use a professional tone."
  • Assign a role
    • Example: "Assume the role of a high school science teacher."

Example Prompts

 A prompt can be as simple/basic as: Create a lesson plan about Jamestown, Virginia.

OR

A prompt can be as specific and guided as: Pretend you are a fourth-grade teacher.  Create an interactive lesson plan that is 30-45 minutes in length, utilizes technology, and connects the hardships of the Jamestown, Virginia, settlement to modern-day hardships.  Design the lesson to engage fourth-grade students who are reading above grade level and are interested in Minecraft and Fortnite.   

Educational Prompt Resources

ChatGPT Prompts for Busy Educators

The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) website includes an article with examples of AI prompts for teachers and administrators.

 
AI Prompt Library

AI for Education has designed a website with a Library for Educators of common AI Chatbot Prompts, including prompts to create lesson plans, interview questions, professional development sessions, reference letters, assessments, email responses, newsletters, and more.