Introduction

Well-written course instructions set students up for success by providing clear guidance and eliminating confusion. Enhancing the clarity and accessibility of course instructions is crucial for student comprehension and success. Generative AI tools offer a unique advantage in refining instructions, making them more understandable for all students. Here’s how to leverage AI for this purpose:

Suggested Guidelines

• Break It Down
  • Simplify Complex Instructions.
    • Complex instructions can often be a barrier to understanding. Use AI to break down these instructions into smaller, manageable steps. Request the AI to simplify the language while ensuring that each step is clear and concise. This approach can help students follow along without feeling overwhelmed.
• Adopt the Student Perspective:
  • Ensure Understandability
    • Transforming instructions to reflect a student’s perspective can highlight areas of potential confusion. Ask the AI to rephrase instructions as if explaining them to a peer. This can help identify and eliminate jargon, make implied steps explicit, and ensure the instructions are relatable to the learner’s experience.
• Feedback Loop:
  • Refine with Iterative Feedback
    • Review the instructions yourself for clarity, using your instructional design knowledge base and skillset to identify and revise as needed.

EXAMPLE

• Initial Instructions
  • “For this assignment, you will need to write a high stakes paper, it should cover the topic of renewable energy sources and the topics discussed in this module. Don’t forget to include examples of solar and wind power, and maybe even hydroelectric if you’re feeling adventurous! Make sure it’s at least 10 pages but not more than 12 pages. Include  sources, at least five of them. They shouldn’t be from just anywhere, they need to be academic or from reputable news outlets. Due on Friday. Be sure to give your best work as this is worth a big chunk of your grade!”
• Prompt
  • “Please enhance these instructions, improving their readability for students, and clearly outlining the steps needed to complete the assignment and the expectations for their work- it should be easy to follow and extremely clear! Here are the instructions (PASTE).”
• Output
  • “Assignment: Renewable Energy Sources Research Paper
  • Your task is to write a comprehensive research paper on renewable energy sources. This assignment aims to deepen your understanding of renewable energy’s role in combating climate change. Follow these steps to complete your assignment:
    • Choose Your Focus: Concentrate on at least three renewable energy sources, such as solar power, wind power, and hydroelectric energy.
    • Research: Collect information from a minimum of five reputable sources. Academic journals, government publications, and leading news outlets are preferred. Ensure your sources are current, dating from no earlier than 2015.
    • Write Your Paper:
      • Introduction: Outline the importance of renewable energy and your selected sources.
      • Body: Dedicate at least three sections to discussing each energy source. Include their benefits, challenges, and potential for future development.
      • Conclusion: Summarize your findings and propose a perspective on the future of renewable energy.
    • Formatting Guidelines:
      • Length: Ensure your paper is between 10 to 12 pages, excluding the reference list.
      • Citation Style: Use APA format for all citations and the reference list.
      • Font and Spacing: Use Times New Roman, 12-point font size, and double-space your text.
    • Submission:
      • Prepare your document in a Microsoft Word or PDF format.
      • Name your file as follows: [LastName_FirstName_RenewableEnergy].
      • Submit your paper via the course’s Canvas page under the “Assignments” section by next Friday, 11:59 PM.

    Need Help? If you have questions or need clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Post your questions in the course’s discussion forum on Canvas or email me directly. Additionally, office hours are available on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at this Zoom link (CLICK ME!)”

It is imperative that you review the instructions for quality assurance, making revisions and edits as you see fit to better align with best practices and understandability. The faculty should also have ample opportunity to review and revise the instructions, and you should be prepared to explain why the change was necessary or suggested in the first place. This is where it is crucial to remember- AI can augment our human experience and workflow processes, but it cannot automate or replace them.