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Over the past year, AI experts and educators alike have emphasized that the future of work will demand not only AI literacy but also strong critical thinking skills. While effective prompt crafting is one piece of the puzzle, the deeper academic value lies in students learning to evaluate, critique, and respond to the output that AI tools generate.
This activity is another end-of-semester idea that builds on the one featured in our previous post, AI Ready: Lacunae Found – Student-Generated Practice Tests. Rather than generating questions, this exercise turns students into assessors, asking them to grade AI’s performance in explaining key course concepts.
It’s also a great way to incorporate ethical AI use into your classroom practice. For tips on how to frame these kinds of assignments with transparency and responsibility, check out AI Ready: Practical Guidelines for Empowering Students with Ethical AI Use in Assessments.
Assignment Overview: Assessing AI’s Understanding of Your Course Content
This assignment invites students to become evaluators of AI-generated knowledge. Rather than using AI to generate their own responses, students will act as reviewers, assessing how well AI understands and explains key concepts from your course.
Assignment Instructions
- Choose Key Course Topics
Ask students to identify five essential concepts or topics from the course that were foundational to their learning. These could be core theories, events, processes, or themes depending on your discipline. - Prompt the AI
Using any AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, etc.), students should ask a question related to each concept. Encourage them to use clear, specific, and well-structured prompts. For example:
“Explain the role of [concept]in [context], and provide references to support your explanation.” - Review the AI’s Response
Students should then analyze the AI’s output by writing a short paragraph (4–6 sentences) for each response that addresses:
- Accuracy: Is the information factually correct?
- Depth/Sophistication: Does the AI demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the topic, or is it overly simplistic or vague?
- Use of Sources: Does the AI cite references? Are those references appropriate, real, and relevant?
- Submit the Full Exchange
Students should include the following with their assignment submission:
- The exact prompts they used
- The full AI-generated responses
- Their evaluation paragraphs for each of the five questions
Tip: If you want to increase transparency and engagement with AI, ask students to submit their shared conversation links (if using ChatGPT), so you can verify how the prompts were constructed. Learn how to share a ChatGPT conversation.
Learning Goals
This assignment is designed to:
- Reinforce key concepts from your course in a novel and engaging way
- Develop students’ critical evaluation skills
- Cultivate awareness of AI limitations and strengths
- Promote responsible and transparent AI use
Tips for Successful Implementation
- Model the Process: Consider demonstrating the activity using a live example in class. Show how to prompt an AI tool effectively and evaluate a response.
- Create a Grading Rubric: You might assess students on their reflection depth, use of course content in their analysis, and clarity of writing.
- Encourage Curiosity: Some AI answers may surprise students—encourage them to dig into the “why” behind a flawed or incomplete answer.
Why This Matters
This assignment transforms AI from a potential shortcut into a critical thinking partner. It reinforces the idea that AI is not a substitute for deep learning, but a tool that can—and should—be interrogated. As students move into careers that increasingly rely on AI, these skills will not only set them apart but also empower them to use emerging technologies responsibly and thoughtfully.
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