E52: Turning ChatGPT into Socrates – Giving students real-time feedback through a clever prompt

Alexander McEwan, an aspiring K-12 teacher set to graduate with his bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Lethbridge, shares about his unique teaching practicum last semester at Chinook High School. 

Along with running an AI research project, Alex explored creative ways to introduce his students to generative AI. Using tools like Class Companion and ChatGPT, Alex showed his students how to simplify dense text, clarify concepts through metaphors and analogies, and assess their knowledge through interactive conversations with AI – i.e., his “AI Socratic Seminar Assignment”. 

Alex goes into depth about this experimental assignment that, through a creative ChatGPT prompt, sparked conversations that helped students think critically and get targeted real-time feedback. 

During the podcast, Alex and Donna (host) mention: 

• University of Lethbridge 
  • Bachelor of Education 
• Chinook High School in Lethbridge, Alberta
• Generative AI – a category of artificial intelligence that creates new content, such as text, images, or music, by learning patterns from existing data and generating output that is similar or inspired by that data. 
• Class Companion 
• ChatGPT 
• Socrates 
• OpenAI 
• French Revolution 
• Alex’s AI Socratic Seminar Assignment ChatGPT prompt to assess students’ understanding: As an expert in the Socratic method, assess my knowledge and understanding by asking me one question at a time about _______. Ask me a series of questions to measure my understanding of _______. Ask follow-up questions when I show shallow understanding or vagueness in my response. Once you are confident you know my level of understanding, please stop the conversation and give me some productive feedback on my responses. Do you understand? 
• Treaty of Versailles 
• Academic integrity – the ethical practice of honesty, fairness, and ethical conduct in all aspects of academic work, including research, writing, and assessments, to uphold the values and standards of educational institutions. 
• "Ableist" refers to discriminatory attitudes, behaviors, or beliefs that discriminate against or marginalize individuals with disabilities, reinforcing prejudices or stereotypes about their abilities and worth. 
• “Burstiness” in AI – the phenomenon where a system or model produces a sudden and concentrated burst of responses, often due to the presence of specific input patterns or triggers, rather than maintaining a consistent or balanced output (read Sherice Jacob’s article: Perplexity and Burstiness in Writing). 
• 21st-century learner – an individual who embraces digital literacy, critical thinking, adaptability, and collaboration skills to effectively navigate and succeed in the evolving and technology-driven learning environments of the 21st century. 
• PIP – Professional Inquiry Project 
• Destination Exploration (University of Lethbridge science camp) 
• Piikani Nation
• Kainai Nation – Blood Tribe