Using AI to Explain Course Concepts

In this assignment, students worked in groups to use AI to explain a course concept in a creative way. They wrote prompts that asked the AI to present the concept for a specific audience or in a particular style, such as using humor, sports, or poetry.

Author: Michal Reznizki, Lecturer in College Writing Programs

Course Number & Title: R1A Accelerated Reading and Composition

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Details
Assignment Title
 		Using AI to Explain Course Concepts
Delivery FormatIn-person
Learning Objectives
  • Better understand a complex concept in the course
  • Learn how to explain the concept to others by using different metaphors / analogies
Brief Summary of AssignmentStudents work in groups to explain a concept from the course. They can use any AI that they wish (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude). Their task is to ask the AI to explain a specific concept from the course in a creative way. They are instructed to craft a creative prompt that specifies how the explanation should be presented. For example, they could ask AI to explain the concept to fifth graders, use humor, incorporate basketball terminology, or compose a funny poem. Once done, each group shares the AI output and that leads to a whole class discussion about the specific concept.
Guardrails Shared with StudentsN/A
Impact & FeedbackThe activity was very engaging for students. Instead of reading about or trying to understand a complex concept in the course, they got a very entertaining, funny, and clear explanation of the concept. First, they became more motivated. Second, they ended up learning about the concept and better understanding it.
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