Prompt Engineering Workshop

Assignment created by David Hicks (School of Education), using prompts with ChatGPT

Other Assignments In This Series

This assignment is the third week of a five-week series on generative AI.

Rationale

This assignment introduces students to specific AI tools and the concept of prompt engineering, teaching them how to effectively interact with AI systems.

Objectives

  • Understand prompt engineering.
  • Craft effective prompts.

Activities

  1. Prompt Engineering Workshop:
    1. Participate in a workshop on crafting effective prompts.
    2. Practice creating prompts and generating outputs using the AI tool.
    3. Share your experiences and learnings with peers.
    4. Assessment: Participation in hands-on exercises with AI tools.
      Example Prompt and Output:

      Prompt: Write a short story about a hero overcoming an obstacle.

      Output: Once upon a time, in a land far away, a young hero named Aria faced a formidable dragon. Despite the odds, Aria’s bravery and intelligence led to the dragon’s defeat, bringing peace to the kingdom.

  2. Prompt Engineering Assignment:
    1. Develop a set of prompts to achieve specific goals (e.g., generate creative content, solve a problem).
    2. Use the AI tool to generate outputs based on your prompts.
    3. Submit the prompts and generated outputs.
    4. Assessment: Evaluated on clarity, effectiveness, and creativity.
      Example Prompts and Outputs:

      Prompt: Generate a marketing tagline for a new eco-friendly product.

      Output: Sustainable Solutions for a Greener Tomorrow.

      Prompt: Summarize the main points of an article on climate change.

      Output: Climate change is a pressing global issue, driven by greenhouse gas emissions. Key points include rising temperatures, melting ice caps, and the need for renewable energy sources.

Example Prompts and Responses

Prompt 1

Generate a marketing tagline for a new eco-friendly product.

Output 1

Sustainable Solutions for a Greener Tomorrow.

Prompt 2

Summarize the main points of an article on climate change.

Output 2

Climate change is a pressing global issue, driven by greenhouse gas emissions. Key points include rising temperatures, melting ice caps, and the need for renewable energy sources.

Analysis

The first prompt aimed to create a concise and impactful marketing tagline for an eco-friendly product. The generated output effectively conveys the product’s environmental focus and future-oriented benefits, making it suitable for promotional materials. The second prompt sought to summarize an article on climate change. The output provides a clear and accurate summary of the key points, demonstrating the AI’s ability to condense complex information into a digestible format.

Reflections

This exercise highlights the importance of crafting precise and clear prompts to guide AI-generated content. Effective prompt engineering requires understanding the desired outcome and providing sufficient context for the AI to generate relevant responses. Through practice, one can develop the skills to create prompts that yield high-quality outputs, enhancing the utility of AI tools in various applications.

Assessment Rubric

Table 1. Assessment Rubric
Criteria Excellent (A) Proficient (B–C) Developing (D) Incomplete (F)
Prompt Engineering Workshop Participation Fully engaged; demonstrates curiosity and thoughtful contributions in peer discussions. Consistent participation; shows understanding of prompt techniques. Limited participation or incomplete exercises. No meaningful participation or workshop activities completed.
Prompt Design Prompts are clearly written, creative, and well-targeted to produce relevant outputs. Prompts are generally clear and relevant with minor lapses in precision. Prompts are vague, unclear, or poorly aligned with intended outcomes. Prompts are missing or fail to reflect assignment goals.
AI Outputs Outputs are well-matched to prompts; shows ability to generate high-quality results. Most outputs are appropriate; some may be underdeveloped or unclear. Outputs show limited effectiveness or lack of understanding. Outputs are missing or irrelevant to prompts.
Reflection and Analysis Thoughtful and well-supported analysis of prompt design and AI behavior. Some analysis of what worked and what didn’t; may lack depth. Minimal or superficial reflection with little critical thinking. No reflection or analysis provided.

 

Last Updated on July 7, 2025