Using Generative AI Prompts to Support Student Learning

Last year, I presented on how generative AI can be leveraged to foster student learning in online environments. Specifically, I introduced the concept of using generative AI as a tutor to support students’ understanding. This session focused on a general overview of how AI can enhance education. Drawing on my experience teaching Japanese online since 1999, I highlighted how AI tools can improve asynchronous learning in particular.

This year, I aim to build upon this topic by focusing on a more specific and practical application: the creation of generative AI prompts designed to encourage students’ critical thinking in a way similar to human tutoring. These carefully designed prompts do not provide direct answers to students. Instead, they offer clues, hints, and guidance to help learners arrive at the correct answers themselves—just as a skilled human tutor would.

My prompts are specifically tailored for language learning, particularly for addressing the challenges faced by learners of Japanese. For example, understanding the correct usage of Japanese particles (which are somewhat analogous to English prepositions) can be difficult for many students. The prompts I have developed guide students through this learning process without simply giving away the answer. Instead, the prompts provide explanations, ask guiding questions, and encourage reflection. Once students arrive at the correct answer, the system offers positive feedback to celebrate their achievement.

In this session, I will demonstrate these prompts in action. Although the topic is Japanese language learning, I recognize that most participants may not be familiar with Japanese. Therefore, I will use examples based on English prepositions to illustrate how the prompts function. Specifically, I will showcase how the process of providing clues, hints, and suggestions can facilitate deeper learning.