Artificial Intelligence (AI)

What is a prompt? A prompt is an instruction or set of instructions given to the AI or Large Language Model (LLM) to obtain specific results. The information you input or questions that you ask/enter into a Generative AI tool (“prompts”) like ChatGPT or Gemini will influence the quality of the responses that are generated. When you enter a prompt, the AI model analyzes your input and generates a response based on the patterns it has learned through its training. More descriptive prompts can improve the quality of the outputs. 

These prompt libraries and prompt writing tips offer example prompts that can be re-used for a variety of tasks and contexts by students and faculty. 

You've probably heard the phrase, "garbage in, garbage out" but maybe haven't heard this in the context of AI prompting.

Understanding the “best” prompts to type into any chat bot is an ongoing learning process between the people using AI and the AI being used, with many steps and building blocks to consider (Bridgelall, 2024).

Here are a few common mnemonic devices/acronyms to help identify and remember the components of writing and revising effective prompts that will get the most out of the tool. (Teaching, Learning and AI, University of Colorado). 

RISEN: Role – Instructions – Steps – End goal – Narrowing constraints

• Role: designate a specific role or type of person for AI to act as (professional copywriter, mom blogger).
• Instructions: outline the action and what you want it to do.
• Steps: give the exact stages of the desired action like you would give a human.
• End goal: detail what the desired objective of the task is.
• Narrowing: give the AI any desired constraints, such as length of the response or how many paragraphs.

"As a detail-oriented team leader (ROLE), create a comprehensive SOP that outlines the steps for transitioning responsibilities from one team member to another in the event of an extended absence (INSTRUCTIONS). Begin by categorizing the tasks into sections such as communication protocols, project handover, ongoing responsibilities, and contingency plans. Include clear descriptions and timelines for each task, and consider adding links to relevant resources or documentation (STEPS). Ensure the SOP is well-organized, easy to follow, and helps the team maintain continuity and productivity during the transition period (END GOAL). Include a table of contents at the beginning of the document to provide an overview of the SOP's structure and make it easier for users to find specific sections (NARROWING)."

CREATE: Character – Request – Examples – Additions – Type of output – Extras

• Character: specify the role
• Request: tell the AI what you want it to do
• Examples: provide examples when possible
• Additions/Adjustments: stipulate adjustments if needed
• Type of output: specify the desired format for the output
• Extras: interact with AI like you would a human to offer extra interactions

CO-STAR: Context – Objective – Style – Tone – Audience – Response

• Context: Provide background information on the task
• Objective: Define what the task is that you want the LLM to perform
• Style: Specify the writing style you want the LLM to use
• Tone: Set the attitude of the response
• Audience: Identify who the response is intended for
• Response: Provide the response format

ROAD: Replace – Organize – Add – Delete

• Replace generalities with specific, unclear words with clearer words, and wrong words with correct words or terms used in class.
• Organize the text by moving sections, paragraphs, sentences or words around.
• Add words or sentences for clarity and completeness.
• Delete unneeded words or sentences to eliminate redundancies.

Continue exploring the resources below to find free and open libraries of prompts that you can reuse for your research.