Engaging Students with AI

Crafting Interactive, Inclusive Course Scripts with AI

As a content creator or educator, engaging your audience is key to effective communication. By leveraging AI assistants like ChatGPT, you can enhance your course materials to be more interactive, inclusive, and compelling.

This guide will show you how to use specific prompt techniques to create content that encourages audience interaction, uses inclusive language, and includes strong calls to action—helping you connect with your students and enrich their learning experience.

Professor Luna’s Interactive Lecture

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Professor Luna, a charismatic astrophysics professor known for her love of cosmic puns, is preparing a video lecture for her online course, Stellar Phenomena 101. She wants to make her lecture more engaging and inclusive to keep her students captivated.

To achieve this, she decides to use ChatGPT to help craft her script with interactive elements, inclusive language, and compelling calls to action. Excited about the possibilities, she sits down with her cup of galaxy-themed tea and begins her collaboration with the AI assistant.

Conversation

Prompt

"Hi ChatGPT, I'm preparing a video lecture on 'Black Holes' for my online astrophysics course.
I want to make it more engaging by including interactive elements that encourage my students to participate.
Could you help me add questions or prompts for feedback throughout the script?"

Response

"Absolutely, I'd be happy to help make your lecture more interactive! Here's how you could incorporate interactive elements:

Opening Question: “Have you ever wondered what happens if you fall into a black hole? Today, we'll explore that mysterious journey.”
Mid-Lecture Poll: “Pause for a moment and think: Do you believe black holes can evaporate over time? Jot down your thoughts before we dive into Hawking radiation.”
Thought Experiment: “Imagine you're an astronaut approaching the event horizon. What do you think you would experience? Let's discuss the concept of spaghettification.”

Let me know if you'd like more suggestions or adjustments!"

Explanation:
Professor Luna asked ChatGPT to help incorporate interactive elements into her lecture script. ChatGPT provided specific examples of questions and prompts she could use to engage her students throughout the lecture.

Prompt

"These are fantastic. Could you help me come up with a short interactive quiz question to include after explaining the concept of the event horizon?"

Response

"Certainly! Here's a quiz question you could use:

Quiz Question:
“What is the term used to describe the boundary beyond which nothing can escape a black hole's gravity?”

A) Singularity
B) Photon Sphere
C) Event Horizon
D) Accretion Disk

Think about it, and we'll reveal the answer in a moment!

The correct answer is C) Event Horizon."

Explanation:
She asked for a quiz question to include in her lecture. ChatGPT provided a multiple-choice question related to the event horizon, enhancing interactivity.

Prompt

"That's perfect! I'd also like to include a thought-provoking discussion question at the end of the lecture to encourage further reflection. Can you help me with that?"

Response

"Absolutely! Here's a discussion question:

“After learning about black holes, what do you think are the implications of black hole research on our understanding of the universe? Share your thoughts on how this could impact future space exploration or technology.”

This encourages students to reflect and engage in deeper discussion."

Explanation:
She requested a discussion question to promote reflection. ChatGPT provided a question that encourages students to think critically about the implications of black hole research.

Prompt

"Great! Now, I also want to ensure that the language I use is inclusive so that all my students feel acknowledged and respected. Could you help me rephrase parts of my script to use more inclusive language?"

Response

"Certainly! Inclusive language is important. Here are some suggestions:

• Instead of saying “Guys, let's look at...”, say “Everyone, let's look at...” or “Folks, let's look at...”.
• Replace “He discovers...” with “They discover...” or use the person’s name.
• Use phrases like “As you all may know” instead of “As you guys may know.”

Feel free to share specific sentences you'd like to rephrase."

Explanation:
She requested assistance in making her script's language more inclusive. ChatGPT offered general suggestions on how to adjust language to be more inclusive and invited her to provide specific sentences for rephrasing.

Prompt

"Excellent suggestion. Another sentence I have is: 'As budding astrophysicists, you must always challenge the known theories.'
How can I rephrase this to be more inclusive and encouraging?"

Response

"Sure! You could say:

'As aspiring astrophysicists, we all have the opportunity to challenge known theories.'

This includes yourself and creates a sense of community."

Explanation:
She asked for an inclusive rephrasing of a motivational sentence. ChatGPT provided a version that uses we to foster inclusivity and shared purpose.

Prompt

"Thank you! One more. In the script, I mention: 'Each student should submit his observations by Friday.'
How can I make this more inclusive?"

Response

"You can rephrase it as:

'Please submit your observations by Friday.'

Or

'All students should submit their observations by Friday.'

This avoids gender-specific pronouns altogether."

Explanation:
She wanted to make an instruction more inclusive. ChatGPT suggested rephrasing to eliminate gender-specific pronouns, making the instruction applicable to all students.

Prompt

"These language adjustments are helpful! Now, for the calls to action, I want them to be compelling. Could you help me rephrase: 'Feel free to read more about black holes if you're interested.' to be more engaging?"

Response

"Certainly! How about:

'Dive deeper into the mysteries of black holes by exploring the additional resources I've provided—you won't want to miss them!'

This is more enthusiastic and encourages immediate action."

Explanation:
She asked for a more compelling call to action. ChatGPT provided an enthusiastic rephrasing that encourages students to explore further.

Prompt

"Nice! I also have: 'Try to apply these concepts in your next assignment.'
How can I make this call to action more motivating?"

Response

"Consider rephrasing it as:

'Challenge yourself to apply these concepts in your next assignment and see how much you can discover!'

This adds a motivational spin."

Explanation:
She wanted to enhance a call to action to be more motivating. ChatGPT suggested a rephrased version that challenges and excites students.

Prompt

"That's great. Lastly, I say: 'Join the forum if you have questions.'
Can you help me make this CTA more compelling?"

Response

"Sure! How about:

'Don't miss out on the vibrant discussions—join the forum now to ask questions and share your insights with your peers!'

This emphasizes the benefits and encourages immediate participation."

Explanation:
She asked for a more compelling call to action regarding the forum. ChatGPT provided a rephrased CTA that highlights the community aspect and urges prompt action.

Conclusion

By incorporating interactive elements, using inclusive language, and crafting compelling calls to action, you can transform your course materials into engaging experiences that resonate with all your students.

Just like Professor Luna, who spiced up her astrophysics lecture with cosmic quizzes and inclusive dialogue, you too can make your content shine brighter than a supernova!