SKILLS / FOR CHATGPT

Work through
the difficult bit.

Sometimes you need help getting started. Sometimes it’s one equation that makes no sense. We’ve made three skills you can add to ChatGPT and use with the work in front of you.

Find a skill How to use them

Where are you stuck?

Pick the one that fits. Each download is a small text file with the full workflow inside. No sign-up here.

These are learning resources. AI responses and results aren’t guaranteed. Use the downloads at your own risk, subject to your legal rights. Privacy & use.

01

Unpack the assignment.

Got the brief but still unsure what you’re meant to do? Work out what matters, how the parts fit together and where to start.

Bring along
Your assignment brief and rubric, if you have one. Add any lecturer clarifications and what you’ve done so far.
What you’ll work towards
A plan you can trace back to the brief, with one clear action to start on.

For example: “I have eight days for this policy report. What does “critically evaluate” mean for this assignment?”

Download skill : Unpack the assignment (text file)Read the instructions: Unpack the assignment (opens in a new tab)
How to start this skill

Attach the file and your material, then send:

Use the attached MiAI skill, Unpack the assignment. Here is my brief and rubric. Help me work out what I need to do.

Be specific about what you’re stuck on. You can use just one skill, or come back for another when you need it.

The research behind it

Making assessment criteria explicit can help students plan and review their work. Results vary, and reading a rubric alone does not guarantee improvement.

Panadero & Jonsson, 2013 (opens in a new tab)
02

Understand the difficult part.

You’ve read the explanation. It still hasn’t clicked. Work through the exact bit that’s confusing, then try it yourself.

Bring along
The concept, equation, passage or code you’re stuck on. Include the course explanation and your attempt if you can.
What you’ll work towards
An explanation you can put into your own words, followed by a different example to try.

For example: “I can use Bayes’ theorem, but I don’t understand why the denominator is there.”

Download skill : Understand the difficult part (text file)Read the instructions: Understand the difficult part (opens in a new tab)
How to start this skill

Attach the file and your material, then send:

Use the attached MiAI skill, Understand the difficult part. Help me understand this, one step at a time.

Be specific about what you’re stuck on. You can use just one skill, or come back for another when you need it.

The research behind it

Research on self-explanation supports asking learners to explain why something works. The cited study tested learning from a biology text; it did not test this ChatGPT file.

Chi and colleagues, 1994 (opens in a new tab)
03

Find the weakness.

Already written something or tried the problem? Find the part that needs attention and work through the fix yourself.

Bring along
Your draft, calculation or code, plus the question. Add the rubric and relevant sources so feedback can be checked.
What you’ll work towards
Specific feedback tied to your work, then a check of whether your revision fixed the issue.

For example: “Does my discussion actually support this conclusion? Start with the biggest gap in the reasoning.”

Download skill : Find the weakness (text file)Read the instructions: Find the weakness (opens in a new tab)
How to start this skill

Attach the file and your material, then send:

Use the attached MiAI skill, Find the weakness. Review my attempt and help me fix the most important issue first.

Be specific about what you’re stuck on. You can use just one skill, or come back for another when you need it.

The research behind it

Useful feedback connects the goal, the current work and a practical next step. Its effect depends on the type of feedback and how students use it.

Hattie & Timperley, 2007 (opens in a new tab)

Add it to ChatGPT.

Download a skill, add your course material and tell ChatGPT to use it. You’ll still do the thinking. The skill is designed to help you work through it.

For a chat.

  1. Download the skill you want.
  2. Attach the text file to your ChatGPT chat, along with the brief, notes or work you want help with.
  3. Send the starting message under that skill. Add what you’re stuck on.

If you can’t attach files, open the download and paste its instructions into the chat instead.

For a Project.

  1. Create or open a ChatGPT Project for your assignment.
  2. Add the skill files and relevant course material to the Project’s sources.
  3. Add the instruction below to Project instructions. Start a chat and name the skill you want to use.
When I name a MiAI skill, read its attached file and follow that workflow for this chat. Ask for it if you cannot access it.

Use a separate chat for each workflow so the conversation stays focused.

Adding a file gives ChatGPT something to follow. It doesn’t automatically switch the skill on, so ask for it by name. About ChatGPT Projects (opens in a new tab)

A quick note
on trust.

We’ve based these workflows on learning research. These exact files haven’t been through student trials yet, and ChatGPT can still get things wrong. Check important claims against your course material, and follow your assignment’s rules on AI use.

Keep them
handy.

Download all three and use whichever fits the work. The aim is to finish with a better understanding than you started with.

Download all three (ZIP file)