Using AI Effectively (Slides & Lesson Plan)

Essays used to be one of the main ways that students developed important skills like writing and critical thinking. But with the rise of Generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, teachers and educators have been faced with a big problem. In a world where students can just have an AI write an essay for them, how can they be encouraged to develop their writing and critical thinking skills? What would motivate a student to engage in the painstaking process of writing and revision when an AI can do most of the work? This module offers an innovative solution to this dilemma. By giving students important knowledge about the capabilities of Generative AI, as well as a framework for integrating it into their creative work, this module encourages students to leverage AI responsibly and appropriately while motivating them to use their human brains to their fullest potential. The core idea offered to students is that the human brain possesses unique strengths that ought to be leveraged when writing essays. While this lesson shows students how useful AI can be, it reinforces the limitations of Generative AI and demonstrates that working with machines requires a certain mindset.