Interacting with Generative AI - Prompting Effectively

At the end of this section, you should be able to identify the key components of an effective prompt to generate clearer, more relevant responses.

Now that you know the difference between a prompt and traditional Google search, as well as when to use each, it’s time to focus on how to write prompts that actually get you useful results.

Writing effective prompts can get clearer, more relevant answers and save valuable time, but to prompt well, it's important to understand what large language models (LLMs) can and cannot do. As you learned in the previous module

• LLMs generate responses based on language patterns, not verified facts
• They cannot explain their reasoning beyond pattern recognition
• Their outputs may reflect biases present in their training data
• They do not understand context unless it is clearly included in the prompt
• Even well-structured prompts can result in inaccurate or irrelevant answers

Given these limitations, what strategies can you use to get the most out of an AI tool while minimizing the risk of misleading or irrelevant responses?

Watch the videos below. Start with Video 1: Mastering the Perfect Prompt - this one covers the key components of an effective prompt and is essential for the quiz that follows. Video 2: 10 Tips to Improve Your Prompting Game is optional but offers helpful, practical strategies to sharpen your prompting skills and further refine your interactions with AI.

Clear, specific and well-structured prompts can lead to better, more relevant results, while vague or ambiguous prompts can produce incomplete or misleading results.

For example:

• Vague: “Tell me about climate change.”
• Specific: “Summarize the key factors contributing to climate change and their impact on global temperatures, citing recent sources.”

To improve the accuracy, clarity, and usefulness of the AI’s responses, consider including all the elements mentioned in the video:

• Task – Clearly state what you want the AI to do (e.g., summarize, explain, critique)
• Context – Provide background information to guide the response
• Examples – Give examples to show the type of response you’re expecting
• Persona – Assign a role or perspective to the AI (e.g., act as a historian, editor, or tutor)
• Format & Tone – Indicate how the response should be presented (e.g., bullet points, formal tone, concise summary)