AI Resources for Learning, Teaching and Research

Prompt Engineering 

In order to use AI tools effectively students need know how to create prompts. Creating clear and concise prompts will allow the student to retrieve relevant responses to their academic needs. This method of retrieving information from AI Tools is referred to as Prompt Engineering. Prompt engineering is the process of creating questions or instructions that an AI model can understand and use to perform a task. It's like teaching a child by asking well-phrased questions. Prompt engineering is important for improving the safety and capacity of AI models. It involves understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI models and crafting prompts that guide the model to produce the desired output. As a student, learning about prompt engineering provides an opportunity to explore the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and its practical applications in shaping machine communication and output.

Developing searches for AI tools that process text-based queries:

Be specific

Creating prompts like “Write a story” will produce broad results. To generate more specific results, include more specific information such as, What kind of story do you want? What genre? Is it for adults or children? How long should it be? Is it funny or serious? E.g.

 “Act as if…”

Starting your prompts with “Act as if…”  it was a type of person, process, or object can be an easy way to start generating better prompts. The AI will attempt to adapt its answer to match that role. E.g.

Tell it how you want your output to be presented

Being specific about the type of output you want will produce better results. E.g.

Use “do” and “don’t”

Using do and don't will save you time and you will have better search results. Telling AI that you are looking for a workout routine for cardio. E.g. 

Use examples

Providing an example of a sentence or paragraph can give the AI a reference point to help enhance results. However, do not use AI to rewrite copyrighted works as it is still important to provide credit where necessary.

Consider tone and audience

Give the AI specifics about who your audience is and what sort of tone you’d like to set. Mentioning a specific grade shows the level at which the content needs to be appropriate. E.g.

Build on previous prompts

Start with a basic question to get started and build on your search from there. You can add more context to assist the AI in creating a more relevant response, change the wording and tone.

Ask it to create your prompts or what else it needs from you

Start creating prompts by starting with the fundamentals of what you want to know and ask the AI tool to elaborate or add more detail. By doing so you will assist the AI in creating a through response. E.g.

Recommended AI Tools for Research  

Researchers and students can use AI tools for writing an academic paper, a book, or even academic journal articles. AI tools can help researchers and students to edit their articles and use grammatically correct English. AI tools are increasing being used in everyday life, below are some AI tools that may be useful within the academic environment. Let’s explore some of the generative AI tools that can be useful to you. Disclaimer: Some of the AI tools listed require a paid subscription.  

AI Tools for productivity and creativity 

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are rapidly transforming the way we work, learn, and create. These tools have the potential to revolutionize productivity and creativity by automating tasks, generating high-quality content, and providing new ways to collaborate.  The emergence of AI has brought a new dimension to the creative process, allowing artists to explore uncharted territories and push the boundaries of their imagination. Below are some useful tools for productivity and creativity. 

For further readings, please browse the list below:

Academic English Now (2023) How to use Zotero the right way in 2023. [online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTPoSqC1g4g [Accessed 05/02/2024]

Harvard University (2023) Getting started with prompts for text-based Generative AI tools. Available at: https://huit.harvard.edu/news/ai-prompts (12 January 2024).

DataSeer (2022) DataSeer - AutoLabeling Symbols [online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy3jR_axJb8 [Accessed 06/02/2024]

Evidence Prime (2023) 1. First steps with Laser AI. [online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXHJ-EDUfq4 [Accessed 05/02/2024]

Iris ai (2020) Iris.ai Explore Tool - Introduction [online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC_f3UAoW5A [Accessed 06/02/2024]

LMS Solution Research Support (2023) Analyze Research paper Better using Unriddle AI | Make Literature Review Easy | Get your Answers too. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c56wRWWZIhg [Accessed 07/02/2024]

Open Geospatial Solutions (2022) How to find connected papers and visualize them in an interactive graph. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efQmSW24UKE  [Accessed 14/12/2023]

Science Grad School Coach (2023) How to use AI to learn your research field with Perplexity AI. [online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miMR91GZGvE [Accessed 06/02/2024]

SEO Vendor (2023) SEO CORE AI (Formerly SEO GPT Plugin) combines ChatGPT and SEO CORE AI Analysis. [online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4x27_l7m9w [Accessed 06/02/2024]

The AI Advantage (2022) How to use Chat GPT by Open AI for beginners. [online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXn2XVLf7d0 [Accessed 05/02/2024]