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 Activities Idea generation with a chatbot

Idea generation with a chatbot 

Brief description

Grasping a complex academic topic prior to writing an academic assignment, for example, can be challenging for students. During the activity, the students use chatbots as a tool to quickly get an overview of a topic before they investigate it further and in depth. The exercise helps to link relevant theories and concepts to the topics and to shed light on the topics from different and interdisciplinary angles.

Purpose of the activity

PURPOSE

IDEA GENERATION
  • Idea generation with chatbots can help the students to get new ideas for topics, or to discover an interesting issue or a good approach to their work on academic assignments. 

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION
  • Throughout the exercise, the students define their own questions, thus experiencing how small variations in the questions can give different answers from the chatbot. 

SOURCE CRITICISM
  • The students take a critical approach to the chatbot's answers and check sources and references.  

Performing the exercise

IN CLASS

INDIVIDUAL

(10min)
  • Brainstorm: The students use the chatbot to generate ideas within a subject area. Examples of questions: 

    • What topics would it be interesting to elaborate on within...? 

INDIVIDUAL

(15min)
  • Create an overview: The students then use the chatbot to elaborate on the topics. Examples of questions: 

    • What theories can be used to analyse a topic or a description of an assignment...? 

    • What issues...? 

INDIVIDUAL

(15min)

Worth considering

CONSIDER

CHATBOTS HAVE LIMITATIONS

  • Out-of-date information. Chatbots generate their output based on a limited dataset that may not be entirely up-to-date. For example, ChatGPT’s output is based on data from the internet harvested before a specific date (currently before 2021). This means that if your question refers to events or developments after this date, the chatbot’s output may be inaccurate. As a general rule, a chatbot’s ‘knowledge’ of contemporary events will be limited. The same goes for esoteric or specialised subjects and information.    

  • Chatbots make stuff up: Chatbots have been trained to generate coherent, fluent texts but they may not necessarily be correct. Students should therefore adopt a critical approach to the chatbot’s answers and, if relevant, find sources for its answers to specific questions. 

  • Limited subject knowledge: Chatbots don’t necessarily have the advanced knowledge of your subject you as a student are expected to have. That can affect their ability to analyse and interpret data correctly.    

STUDENTS ON THE USE OF CHATBOTS
  • Your students need to know how they may and may not use chatbots. Find more information on AU Educate on how to facilitate a dialogue with the students about the limitations and ethical implications of using a chatbot. Also refer the students to AU Studypedia for more information and inspiration on how to use chatbots in their studies. 

Overview

Time frame Short activity
When In class
Format Individual
Form of instruction  Classroom instruction 
Type of activity Communication & discussion and Investigation & analysis
How will the activity take place?  In person
Technology Chatbots

Links and materials

Contact

Please contact the editors at AU Educate if you have any questions about the content of the platform or if you need consultation on your teaching from one of the many skilled professionals at the Centre for Educational Development. 

Revised 07.02.2024
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Sofie Kathleen Lloyd Thomsen