AI Prompt Engineering
Michael Myers | Digital Literacies Librarian | michael.myers1@senecapolytechnic.ca
Agenda
Prompt Structure
Sandbox
Types of Prompts
Prompt Basics
Prompt Frameworks
Prompt Libraries
Prompts? What are they?
How we can use them with AI
Definition
A prompt is an instruction, question, or input that guides the AI's response or action. Prompts play a crucial role in AI systems for several reasons:
- Context: Prompts give the AI context about what the user wants. This helps the AI generate responses that are relevant and useful to the user.
- Direction: Prompts provide a clear direction for the AI to follow. They specify the task that the AI needs to perform, whether it's answering a question, writing an essay, generating a poem, or any other task.
- Control: Through prompts, users can control the AI's behavior. For example, by changing the prompt, a user can make the AI generate different types of content.
Privacy Reminder
Prompts are also used in training AI models. During training, AI models learn to generate responses based on the prompts and the corresponding correct responses in the training data.
Copyright Reminder
Due to licensing contracts, any paid content that the Library subscribes to, should not be uploaded and hosted on a third party platform, which includes AI tools.
Types of Prompts
Different situations call for different types of prompts
Casual or Brief
Casual or brief AI prompts are short, straightforward instructions or questions given to an AI to elicit a quick response. These prompts are typically used for simple tasks, quick information retrieval, or casual conversation
Conversational or Refined
Conversational or refined AI prompts are more detailed and nuanced, often designed to elicit a deeper, more thoughtful response. These prompts are typically used for more complex tasks, in-depth information retrieval, or engaging discussions.
Structured or step-by-step
Structured or step-by-step AI prompts are designed to guide the AI through a series of specific instructions or stages to achieve a detailed and accurate response. These prompts are useful for complex tasks that require a methodical approach.
Prompt Frameworks & Structures
An exploration of some frameworks to use
CLEAR Framework
Concise: brevity and clarity in prompts Logical: structured and coherent prompts Explicit: clear output specifications Adaptive: flexibility and customization in prompts Reflective: continuous evaluation and improvement of prompts
RRFF Structure
Prompting Basics
Basic Rules
Make it Specific
Give some Context
Guide the Response
Review and Revise
Basic Prompt Phrases
Acting as a.....
Think deeply before responding
Ask me any follow-up questions that you need answered to produce a better output
Focus your research on scholary peer reviewed articles
Instructions
Include explicit instructions for the desired behaviour, for instance, asking the model to think step by step, rephrasing, searching, summarizing, synthesizing and so on. Be sure to build in a logical progress for these instructions, and be very concise and specific.
Outcome Indicators
Direct the model to generate a response utilizing clear specific elements to achieve before stopping such as style, tone, format or length. User: Assist me to finalize the gathered data. Divide them into four parts: Opening Statement, Supporting Arguments, Possible Counterarguments, and Conclusion restating our main points and emphasizing why our team's stance is more convincing.
Examples
Providing example inputs can help the model understand the desired patterns or formats for its responses. Example inputs may include the use of examples, demonstrations of the expected behavior, a set of relevant keywords or descriptors, the abstract of an interested article, a reference text and so on.
Image Prompting
Be clear about details that matter to you. Here are some areas to consider:
- Subject: Who or what? (person, animal, character, location, object)
- Medium: In what form? (photo, painting, illustration, sculpture, etc.)
- Environment: Where? (indoors, outdoors, on the moon, underwater, etc.)
- Lighting: What kind? (soft, ambient, overcast, neon, studio lights)
- Colour: In what shades? (vibrant, muted, bright, colourful, B&W, pastel, etc.)
- Mood: Feelings to evoke? (playful, calm, gloomy, energetic)
- Composition: How is it framed? (portrait, headshot, closeup, birds-eye view)
Prompt Libraries
Exploring some places to find educational prompts
Prompt Library
Prompt Library
Prompt Library
AI for Education Prompt Library
Prompt Activity
Let's break out and practice and learn from each other
Prompt Activity - Padlet
Prompting Exercise - Academic uses
Scenario: You are a history professor preparing a lecture on the impact of the Industrial Revolution on urbanization. You want to use AI to generate a detailed outline for your lecture, including key events, figures, and societal changes. Formulate a prompt that will help you get a comprehensive and organized outline.
Prompting Exercise - Creative
Scenario: You are an author working on a science fiction novel. You want to use AI to help you brainstorm ideas for a unique alien species, including their physical characteristics, culture, and technology. Formulate a prompt that will inspire creative and original ideas for your novel.
Prompting Exercise - Personal Use
Scenario: You are planning a two-week vacation to Europe and want to use AI to help you create a detailed itinerary. You want recommendations for must-see attractions, local cuisine, and cultural experiences in each city you plan to visit. Formulate a prompt that will provide you with a well-rounded and exciting travel itinerary.
Prompting Exercise - Image
Scenario: You are a graphic designer tasked with creating a promotional poster for a music festival. You want to use AI to generate a vibrant and eye-catching image that captures the essence of the festival, including elements like musical instruments, a lively crowd, and a colorful background. Formulate a prompt that will help you get the perfect image for your poster.
Prompt Activity - Padlet
Q&A
Thank you very much!
library.senecapolytechnic.ca/sandbox/
michael.myers1@senecapolytechnic.ca
Resources
For deeper learning
Prompt Engineering Specialization
Prompt Engineering for Generative AI
Effective Prompts for AI: The Essentials
Learn Prompting
Prompting 101
Getting started with prompts for text-based Generative AI tools
Prompting - Faculty Session
Jennifer Peters
Created on November 4, 2025
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Transcript
AI Prompt Engineering
Michael Myers | Digital Literacies Librarian | michael.myers1@senecapolytechnic.ca
Agenda
Prompt Structure
Sandbox
Types of Prompts
Prompt Basics
Prompt Frameworks
Prompt Libraries
Prompts? What are they?
How we can use them with AI
Definition
A prompt is an instruction, question, or input that guides the AI's response or action. Prompts play a crucial role in AI systems for several reasons:
Privacy Reminder
Prompts are also used in training AI models. During training, AI models learn to generate responses based on the prompts and the corresponding correct responses in the training data.
Copyright Reminder
Due to licensing contracts, any paid content that the Library subscribes to, should not be uploaded and hosted on a third party platform, which includes AI tools.
Types of Prompts
Different situations call for different types of prompts
Casual or Brief
Casual or brief AI prompts are short, straightforward instructions or questions given to an AI to elicit a quick response. These prompts are typically used for simple tasks, quick information retrieval, or casual conversation
Conversational or Refined
Conversational or refined AI prompts are more detailed and nuanced, often designed to elicit a deeper, more thoughtful response. These prompts are typically used for more complex tasks, in-depth information retrieval, or engaging discussions.
Structured or step-by-step
Structured or step-by-step AI prompts are designed to guide the AI through a series of specific instructions or stages to achieve a detailed and accurate response. These prompts are useful for complex tasks that require a methodical approach.
Prompt Frameworks & Structures
An exploration of some frameworks to use
CLEAR Framework
Concise: brevity and clarity in prompts Logical: structured and coherent prompts Explicit: clear output specifications Adaptive: flexibility and customization in prompts Reflective: continuous evaluation and improvement of prompts
RRFF Structure
Prompting Basics
Basic Rules
Make it Specific
Give some Context
Guide the Response
Review and Revise
Basic Prompt Phrases
Acting as a.....
Think deeply before responding
Ask me any follow-up questions that you need answered to produce a better output
Focus your research on scholary peer reviewed articles
Instructions
Include explicit instructions for the desired behaviour, for instance, asking the model to think step by step, rephrasing, searching, summarizing, synthesizing and so on. Be sure to build in a logical progress for these instructions, and be very concise and specific.
Outcome Indicators
Direct the model to generate a response utilizing clear specific elements to achieve before stopping such as style, tone, format or length. User: Assist me to finalize the gathered data. Divide them into four parts: Opening Statement, Supporting Arguments, Possible Counterarguments, and Conclusion restating our main points and emphasizing why our team's stance is more convincing.
Examples
Providing example inputs can help the model understand the desired patterns or formats for its responses. Example inputs may include the use of examples, demonstrations of the expected behavior, a set of relevant keywords or descriptors, the abstract of an interested article, a reference text and so on.
Image Prompting
Be clear about details that matter to you. Here are some areas to consider:
Prompt Libraries
Exploring some places to find educational prompts
Prompt Library
Prompt Library
Prompt Library
AI for Education Prompt Library
Prompt Activity
Let's break out and practice and learn from each other
Prompt Activity - Padlet
Prompting Exercise - Academic uses
Scenario: You are a history professor preparing a lecture on the impact of the Industrial Revolution on urbanization. You want to use AI to generate a detailed outline for your lecture, including key events, figures, and societal changes. Formulate a prompt that will help you get a comprehensive and organized outline.
Prompting Exercise - Creative
Scenario: You are an author working on a science fiction novel. You want to use AI to help you brainstorm ideas for a unique alien species, including their physical characteristics, culture, and technology. Formulate a prompt that will inspire creative and original ideas for your novel.
Prompting Exercise - Personal Use
Scenario: You are planning a two-week vacation to Europe and want to use AI to help you create a detailed itinerary. You want recommendations for must-see attractions, local cuisine, and cultural experiences in each city you plan to visit. Formulate a prompt that will provide you with a well-rounded and exciting travel itinerary.
Prompting Exercise - Image
Scenario: You are a graphic designer tasked with creating a promotional poster for a music festival. You want to use AI to generate a vibrant and eye-catching image that captures the essence of the festival, including elements like musical instruments, a lively crowd, and a colorful background. Formulate a prompt that will help you get the perfect image for your poster.
Prompt Activity - Padlet
Q&A
Thank you very much!
library.senecapolytechnic.ca/sandbox/
michael.myers1@senecapolytechnic.ca
Resources
For deeper learning
Prompt Engineering Specialization
Prompt Engineering for Generative AI
Effective Prompts for AI: The Essentials
Learn Prompting
Prompting 101
Getting started with prompts for text-based Generative AI tools