GenAI as concept tutor

Students use GenAI to develop and test their understanding of difficult concepts.

Purpose

This activity allows students to experiment with GenAI as a learning aide. Students will use GenAI to develop explanations of difficult concepts, checking the accuracy of such explanations. Students will then practice formulating their own explanations and receiving feedback from GenAI.

What will students achieve?

Students will be able to:

  • Use GenAI to generate explanations for complex concepts.
  • Practice comprehension through explanation.
  • Adapt explanations to different contexts or audiences.

Required resources

Access to at least one GenAI tool such as Aila, ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot etc.

Activity instructions

  1. Students identify a concept in their subject they find challenging.
  2. Students prompt GenAI to explain the concept. For example, they could use the following prompt:
    "Explain [concept] using three different approaches: a technical definition, a real-world analogy, and a concrete example from [relevant context]."
  3. Students review GenAI's explanations and verify the output against subject material or with tutors.
  4. Students then practice explaining the concept back to GenAI with the prompt:
    "I will explain [concept] back to you. Point out any errors or gaps in my explanation."
  5. Students reflect on GenAI’s response and iterate, checking their understanding against subject material or tutors.

Considerations

  • GenAI may provide oversimplified or inaccurate explanations. Students should always verify explanations against verifiable sources such as subject material or tutors.
  • Provide concept lists for students who struggle to identify challenging areas.
  • Encourage students to use academic language and discipline-specific terminology in their explanations.