**This class will be taught In-Person**
For many computer users ChatGPT has replaced the traditional search engines (e.g., Google, Bing, Yahoo! and others) as the “go to” way for answering questions online. Its natural language interface and conversational style makes it very appealing and fun to use. To take full advantage of this powerful AI technology, a course on how to use ChatGPT can be very useful for maximizing its potential for learning, productivity, and creativity. By understanding its capabilities, limitations, and best practices, users can craft more effective prompts, critically evaluate responses, and integrate AI assistance seamlessly into their workflows. Such a course can help individuals—from students to professionals—enhance their research, automate routine tasks, and generate high-quality content while maintaining ethical considerations. Learning how to interact with ChatGPT efficiently ensures that users harness AI as a valuable assistant rather than relying on it uncritically, fostering both digital literacy and responsible AI usage. This course will cover the fundamentals of ChatGPT and the crafting of query prompts and other mechanisms for interfacing with it. Extensive use of examples will be used, and surprises can certainly be expected.
Topics (by session):
Session 1:
- What exactly is a chatbot and ChatGPT?
- Popular perceptions about ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in general
- How to access ChatGPT via computer and mobile devices
- How to get started with ChatGPT – free and paid access
- How to compose prompts and queries in order to get the best results
- Templates for some useful prompts
- ChatGPT and trust
- When not to use ChatGPT (or other Generative AI clients/chatbots)
- How ChatGPT is integrated with other tools (e.g., Apple Siri)
· Session 2:
- Tips for verifying ChatGPT results
- Trolling ChatGPT
- Case studies and hands-on exercises for good ChatGPT usage
- Assistance with writing composition
- An alternative to search engines (e.g., Google)
- Personal research
- Language translation
- Summarizing articles and documents
- Lifestyle applications
- Volunteer and pro bono applications
- Education and training (e.g., learning languages)
- ChatGPT vs. other widely available/popular chatbots (e.g., Gemini, Anthropic, etc.)
- Future prospects for ChatGPT
- Tips on becoming a ChatGPT guru for your friends and family
