A Practical ChatGPT Toolkit for Teachers

Do you find ChatGPT intimidating? Or maybe you are unfamiliar with its functionalities? Whether you are a beginner seeking to dip your toes into the world of ChatGPT or a more experienced user looking to enhance your skills, this ChatGPT toolkit is for you! I designed a toolkit for teachers that will walk you through an interactive journey to demystify the features of ChatGPT and empower you with the knowledge you need to confidently use it!

Foundation and objectives

Many discussions on the use of ChatGPT are taking place across the college network. However, it is important to base our discussions on a practical understanding of the true limitations and capabilities of generative AI tools like ChatGPT.

In creating the ChatGPT toolkit, my objective was to make teachers feel empowered, to make them feel that they could understand and control the tool. My goal was not to have a conversation about whether we should use it or not in our teaching. I wanted teachers to develop practical knowledge of the tool and to accelerate their learning process with a hands-on guide. There are plenty of resources on integrating ChatGPT into our teaching practices, but few on how to use the tool and how to write an effective prompt.

The toolkit allows teachers to directly explore the capabilities and limitations of ChatGPT. Indeed, it can perform amazingly for difficult tasks and fail completely at others, which is referred to as the “jagged frontier” phenomenon. The only way to truly understand where the tool performs and where it fails is by exploring it, which is why encouraging teachers to spend time with ChatGPT was a priority.

Another objective of the toolkit is to guide teachers in understanding the concept of a prompt, which is completely different from using a search engine. In addition, the toolkit provides the proper vocabulary and terms, such as “delimiters” and “two-shot prompting,” that are needed to become efficient AI users as well as to discuss these tools with colleagues and students.

Essentially, the toolkit serves as an empowering guide where the teacher becomes the expert, and the AI tool is the assistant. Teachers will learn to instruct and program ChatGPT with words to make it perform a specific task adapted to their specific context.

Structure and features of the toolkit

The content of the ChatGPT toolkit was inspired by my interaction with the user community as well as by extensive testing of my own. Engaging in online conversations, particularly on platforms like Twitter, and closely following power users such as Ethan Mollick, allow me to stay up to date on the latest developments and trends in ChatGPT.

The ChatGPT Toolkit is designed and structured for users of all levels, from basic to more advanced features. From setting up your account, to instructing by examples and avoiding common mistakes, this easy-to-use toolkit containing 14 sections provides a complete understanding of the use of ChatGPT. It is designed as an interactive PDF with a clickable menu making it intuitive and user-friendly. In addition, there is no need to log on to a platform to access it; it can be saved on your computer for instant access.

What’s next?

This toolkit was a first step to present what the tool is and encourage teachers to use it to gain their own practical knowledge. However, this is only the very beginning. This semester (Winter 2024), I intend to offer various workshops with a greater emphasis on teacher-centered approaches, such as using AI to generate feedback and integrating AI into our assignments while preserving the validity of our assessments. This next phase will not only guide teachers on integrating ChatGPT into their teaching practices but will also address the essential aspect of limiting and preventing students from misuse.

As we progress, the goal remains to build a solid foundation for teachers to navigate the evolving landscape of AI technologies in education with confidence and efficacy. With this in mind, I encourage you to have a close look at the toolkit, experiment, and share your experience. I look forward to reading your comments below!