AI as Tool

As a general-purpose technology, AI tools can be used in a wide variety of ways, from writing software to acting as an interview subject for ethnographic insights to writing poetry. This use of an AI, as a tool for extending the amount of work that students can do and the amount we can accomplish, is in many ways the most exciting use of AI. Because many AI uses are highly specific to individual classes and use cases, we encourage instructors to experiment with prompts. Further, educators should share prompts with peers to collectively improve our ability to use AI tools.

Conclusion

We propose that the advent of AI tools, which facilitate skill development and practice outside the classroom, warrants a re-examination of traditional assignments and classroom practices. As these tools have the potential to aid independent learning and potentially offer personalized engagement, educators can experiment with devoting more in-class time to active discussions, question-and-answer sessions, and collaborative exercises such as 'think-pair-share' sessions. Such changes foster an active learning environment, inviting each student to engage with class concepts, articulate reasoning, and actively construct knowledge. In this scenario, the AI aids with personalized, readily available tutoring and coaching outside of the classroom and the classroom transforms into a hub of systematic engagement. Here, discussion, group work, and reflection on asynchronous learning activities intermingle, while teachers incorporate a variety of questioning techniques (Sherrington, 2020). In this classroom, each student should not only have the opportunity to practice but also actively participate in discussions, creating an inclusive and deeply participatory learning environment.

These approaches are just the start of using AI in class. By sharing the advantages, as well as the risks of these new approaches, educators and students can begin to work together to come up with ways to train students to use AI responsibly, in ways that enhance both their education and life outcomes. The challenges around AI remain significant, as do the opportunities. Only by learning to use these new tools firsthand can students begin to understand their implications, and prepare themselves for a world where AI forms an important part of their lives.

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Appendix: Large Language Models and Prompt Compatibility

Approach	OpenAI	OpenAI	Microsoft’s	Anthropic’s	Google’s
	ChatGPT	ChatGPT	Bing in	Claude	Bard
	4	3.5	Creative
			Mode
Increasing	yes	no	yes	no	no
Knowledge AI-
Tutor
Increasing	yes	no	yes	yes	no
Metacognition:
AI Team
Reflection Coach
Increasing	yes	no	yes	no	no
Metacognition
AI Coach: Team
Premortem
Providing	yes	no	yes	no	no
Feedback: AI
Mentor
Building	yes	sometimes	yes	sometimes	no
Collective
Intelligence: AI
Teammate
Increasing	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Fluency: AI
Student
Practice: AI	yes	sometimes	yes	sometimes	no
Simulator

A chart for prompts that work with Large Language Models in this paper. Note: subject to change, as the models change.