AI is rapidly becoming part of how we learn, work, and collaborate, whether we are ready for it or not. For students, the challenge is not avoiding AI altogether but figuring out how to use it responsibly to enhance learning rather than shortcut it.
As a graduate student, I’ve been experimenting with AI in my own coursework, from double-checking my notes to creating personalized study plans. In a recent conversation with colleagues at the Teaching and Learning Center, I shared some of these strategies, and we realized they could help other students. That discussion is what led to this post, which highlights ways to use AI to support, but not replace, learning.
When used responsibly, AI tools can help you organize your time, reinforce your understanding of key ideas, and prepare you for assessments. Here are five ways students use AI to support their learning along with example prompts to help you get started.
1. Double-Check Your Notes
Use AI to double-check the quality of your notes. It is easy to miss important material when trying to synthesize into your notes the main points from a lecture or a reading. When you run your notes and the original materials through an AI tool, you can have a “second set of eyes” check whether you captured the big ideas.
I use this strategy in all my courses. Most recently, in my Workplace Stress and Health class, I ran my notes on an empirical article through AI along with the DOI for the article. I asked whether my notes captured the key methodology details and clearly explained the researchers’ findings. AI flagged that I missed some key limitations of the study, so I was able to go back to my notes and adjust accordingly.
Example Prompt:
“Here are my notes on an article reading for class [attach notes], and here is the article [attach article]. Do my notes match the key concepts in the article? Help fill any gaps I may have missed.”
2. Expand on Complex Topics
AI tools can also help break down complex topics or explain them in ways different from what was presented in the lecture or text. Students can struggle with in-depth comprehension of dense readings or solidly grasping confusing concepts. AI tools help to re-explain this material in different terms, provide analogies, or summarize key ideas.
I’ve used this strategy often, especially in statistics or research classes. As someone who doesn’t naturally excel in math, I’ve asked AI to explain concepts in layman’s terms or with real-world examples. For instance, I recently had it re-explain the difference between a mediator and a moderator in research. The everyday examples it generated made the distinction much clearer than the technical language used in my textbook.
Example Prompt:
“Re-explain these topics from my lecture in different terms. Be sure to include a feasible example to help solidify the material, as well as a summary of the key points for reinforcement.”
3. Customized Study Plans
Use AI tools to craft customized study plans. Balancing classes, assignments, projects, and exams can often feel overwhelming, especially for students who are also balancing work, extracurriculars, or other responsibilities. AI tools can help create a realistic study plan tailored to course deadlines and a personal schedule helping students optimize their valuable time.
I use AI to create customized study plans every semester that help me stay on track. I first upload my syllabi and work schedule, then add the suggestion to also schedule “off days”. This addition is optional, but I recommend incorporating an “off day”. I use my own “off day” to run errands, spend time with friends, or simply relax. The result is a balanced study plan. One that ensures I have enough time to complete work prior to the due date for assignments/assessments in my various courses, but also that the study schedule is not unmanageable for my schedule.
Example Prompt:
“Here are my course syllabi for the semester [attach course syllabi with deadlines included] and my personal commitments [if applicable, insert work schedule, extracurricular schedule, etc.]. Create a study plan that ensures sufficient time is given to prepare/complete all assignments/assessments for each course.”
4. Generate Practice Materials
Use AI to generate practice materials for a course. Quizzing yourself is one of the best ways to prepare for an assessment, but it can be difficult to find the time to create a comprehensive practice quiz. Drawing on your class notes, an AI tool can create practice materials so that you can test your knowledge leading up to the assessment. AI can also create visual materials! Try asking an AI tool to generate diagrams or figures.
I use this strategy in any course that has exams or other forms of assessment. I usually compile extensive study guides for any given exam, using my lecture notes and textbook to do so. However, I typically don’t include practice questions while crafting the study guide, focusing mostly on synthesizing the material into a comprehensive guide. By feeding the guide I created into AI, I can quickly generate a 50-question practice assessment in multiple question formats. By using these practice quizzes, I can identify the areas I still need to review and go back to add to those sections of my study guide.
Example Prompt:
“Create practice materials to test my knowledge on the material from my class [attach class notes and/or lectures]. Be sure to provide a variety of practice questions, including: matching definition to term, short answer, multiple-choice, or true/false.”
5. Receive Writing Feedback
AI tools can help refine written work. Writing is a process involving multiple sets of revisions before landing on a final draft. When moving through this process, AI tools can act as a helpful early reviewer. Remember AI won’t replace direct feedback from your professor or peers, but running an AI tool scan can help you catch issues with clarity, flow, organization, or grammar before seeking additional feedback or making a submission. It can be helpful to include the instructions of the assignment to provide the AI tool with context and help ensure your work meets the guidelines.
I regularly paste drafts of any substantial writing assignment I complete into AI along with the assignment instructions. I then ask for feedback on clarity, flow, and whether I’ve met the requirements. While I don’t take every suggestion (using my own judgment is key), the feedback generated often includes a few key issues that I then address in my writing before turning in my work.
Example Prompt:
“Provide feedback on my writing [attach written work]. Identify the weakest points and provide suggestions for improving the work. Check that the assignment requirements are clearly met.”
Recommendations for Using AI Ethically
Remember that AI tools are not shortcuts to learning material. Whether you’re using AI to review your notes, create practice quizzes, polish up your writing, or better manage a busy study schedule, AI can be a powerful assistant in learning. Ethical and responsible use of AI tools does not replace the hard work of studying or completing assignments.
A good rule of thumb for using AI to supplement learning is that the goal should not be to do less work. Rather students should use AI tools with the intention of enhancing and building upon completed work.
Some final tips on responsible AI tool use include:
- Protect sensitive information and avoid entering such information into AI tools.
- Take ownership of AI outputs you create by verifying the accuracy of the information.
- Be transparent about the contributions of AI to your work.
- Reference your course syllabus and the University guidelines on the appropriate uses of AI for all courses. For West Chester University students that information is in the Generative AI @ WCU Framework.
