Simple Tips to Use AI Effectively

The accessibility of AI tools introduces new opportunities to enhance your learning. This guide outlines a few tips to keep in mind when using AI in university.

Check Whether It Is Allowed

Not all courses permit the use of AI tools. Expectations can vary depending on your assignment, course, and program. 

If you’re unsure, make sure you ask your instructor before assuming AI is allowed. These tools should only be used when given explicit permission by your course instructor. 

Be Careful of the Data You Enter

You should never enter personal or sensitive information, like birthdays, addresses, ID numbers, or passwords.

Do not enter copyrighted content as this can result in copyright infringement.

Be Transparent About AI Use

Given that you are allowed to use AI in your coursework, you should disclose when, where, and how you used the tool. Remaining transparent upholds your academic integrity by properly crediting your sources.

You should never submit AI-generated outputs as your own work. Following the appropriate citation practices helps you give credit to your sources.

Assign the AI Tool a Role

Specifying a role can help the AI tool understand what you want it to do. For example, you may want the AI to focus on providing feedback or perhaps to encourage self-reflection. Assigning a role can improve AI’s outputs while promoting critical thinking (Mollick & Mollick, 2023). 

Note that the role you assign the AI tool may have benefits as well as risks. For instance, an AI tool that acts like a mentor can provide frequent feedback and improve writing and learning, but its feedback may sometimes be overly generous or inaccurate. Similarly, using AI as a tool can provide efficiency but may hinder personal learning.

Craft Better Prompts

Prompting refers to the way you communicate with your AI tool to get relevant, useful, and accurate responses. Here are a few tips and examples to help improve your prompts:

• Provide background and context. Example prompt: “Given that AI use is becoming more common, discuss the potential consequences for learning outcomes.”
• Specify what you want your output to look like. Example prompt: “Provide a bulleted list that summarizes the benefits and risks of using social media.”
• Break down tasks into step-by-step instructions. Example prompt: “1. Identify the gaps in the attached research paper. 2. Suggest potential discussion questions to address these gaps. 3. Find additional scholarly resources that can help develop the research paper.”
• Add constraints: Example prompt: “Summarize this passage in 4 sentences, using a conversational tone.”
• Ask about the reasoning process. Example prompt: “You previously pointed out that this section was robust and well-structured. Can you explain your process for determining robustness?”

Strategic prompting can improve the AI tool’s performance and increase overall predictability. You should still be critical of all AI outputs. Use your best judgment and always double check information.

Seek Support

The University of Calgary offers a wealth of resources to help you navigate AI use throughout your studies. Here are a few guides to get started:

AI for Writing:

• Using AI for Idea Generation, Outlining, and Overcoming Writer’s Block
• Revising Your Papers with AI
• Citing AI Tools

AI for Learning:

• Using AI for Summary Reviews

If you need additional help with using AI for your studies, do not hesitate to book an appointment with the Student Success Centre. 

References

Mollick, E. R., & Mollick, L. (2023). Assigning AI: Seven approaches for students, with prompts. The Wharton School Research Paper. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4475995