Getting Better Results out of Generative AI

The prompt to use before you prompt generative AI

Last month, I discussed a GPT that I had created around enhancing prompts. Since then, I have been actively using my Prompt Enhancer GPT to much more effective outputs. Last week, I did a series of mini-talks on generative AI in different parts of higher education (faculty development, human resources, grants, executive leadership, etc) and structured it as “5 tips”. I included a final bonus tip in all of them—a tip that I heard from many afterwards was probably the most useful tip—especially because you can only access the Prompt Enhancer GPT if you are paying for ChatGPT.

It’s pretty simple and I remember in the first 6 months or so seeing prompts like this and occasionally using them. But this one, for me, has seemed to stick. It’s pretty simple. You enter the prompt above into the chatbox (“Improve this prompt to maximize the creativity and analytical abilities of a large language model:”).

After the colon, I usually select the Ctrl and the Enter button together to add at least one space. I find that when I add spaces it also changes the results and the AI pays better attention to the different aspects of a prompt. Another way to do this is to write up the prompt in a notepad or document file with spaces and such and then copy and paste the full prompt into the chatbox.

When I enter the prompt that comes after the colon, I will then start with quotation marks, add the prompt I want to improve, and then close quotations. It’s important to use the quotations as that too helps the AI to understand what it is being reworked.

The purpose of doing this is that you’re trying to use generative AI to improve the quality of its output by based upon what it knows about prompting a large language model.

Here’s what follows.

1. I have created a prompt.

2. I’ll feed it into ChatGPT 3.5 and then 4.0 and share the responses.

3. I’ll then use the special revising prompt (“Improve this prompt…”) into ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.0 along with my Prompt Enhancer GPT.

4. Following each improved prompt, I’ll also show the answer that each AI has generated.

5. I’ll reflect on the differences in the prompts and the answers.

6. Worth noting: I started a new thread with each prompt because I did not want the context to influence the outcome. That is, I wanted to replicate how someone might be doing this when first coming to a generative AI tool.

An Example

So here is the prompt that I created without using AI to enhance it.

“You are an expert in faculty developer for an institution that works primarily with part-time faculty at a 4-year college. You want to provide meaningful support, learning opportunities, and chances to grow for part-time faculty. You also do not really have a budget and can be challenged by the amount of work it takes to fully develop and sustain such training. What are some strategies you can recommend?

With each strategy, be sure to include an estimate of the amount of time it would take. This should be how long it would take to get up and running and the amount of hours it would take for a faculty developer to actually do per week in order to maintain the strategy.

Where relevant, provide additional details such as modalities to use, why it would be helpful to part-time faculty, and what are the likely costs to do this. Provide at least 3 robust examples.”

Answer from Chatgpt 3.5 without Extra Prompt

Online Resource Repository and Self-Paced Learning Modules:

Strategy: Develop an online repository of resources, including teaching tips, best practices, sample lesson plans, and links to relevant scholarly articles. Create self-paced learning modules on topics such as effective grading techniques, active learning strategies, and technology integration in the classroom.

Time to Set Up: Approximately 40 hours to curate initial content and design the online platform.

Maintenance Time: 2-4 hours per week to update resources, respond to inquiries, and monitor engagement.

Additional Details: Utilize free or low-cost platforms like Google Sites, Moodle, or WordPress to host the repository and modules. This strategy allows part-time faculty to access valuable resources at their convenience, catering to their often varied schedules. The self-paced nature accommodates their time constraints while still providing opportunities for professional development. Minimal ongoing costs may include web hosting fees, if applicable.

Peer Mentoring Program:

Strategy: Establish a peer mentoring program pairing experienced full-time faculty or seasoned part-time faculty with newer part-time faculty members. Provide training for mentors on effective mentoring techniques and support structures.

Time to Set Up: Around 20 hours to develop program guidelines, recruit mentors, and provide training.

Maintenance Time: 1-2 hours per week to oversee the program, check in with mentor-mentee pairs, and facilitate mentorship activities.

Additional Details: This strategy fosters a sense of community and support among part-time faculty, allowing them to learn from their peers' experiences and receive personalized guidance. It encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing within the institution. Costs are minimal, primarily associated with any training materials or resources provided to mentors.

Brown Bag Workshops and Virtual Roundtables:

Strategy: Organize regular brown bag workshops on various pedagogical topics, inviting guest speakers or faculty experts to lead discussions. Additionally, host virtual roundtable sessions via video conferencing platforms for part-time faculty to share challenges, successes, and strategies.

Time to Set Up: Approximately 30 hours to plan the workshop schedule, invite speakers, and set up virtual meeting platforms.

Maintenance Time: 3-5 hours per week to coordinate workshop logistics, communicate with speakers, and moderate virtual roundtables.

Additional Details: Brown bag workshops offer an informal setting for part-time faculty to engage in professional development without requiring a significant time commitment. Virtual roundtables provide opportunities for networking and peer support, fostering a sense of belonging within the academic community. Costs are minimal and can be further reduced by utilizing in-house expertise for workshop presentations and free video conferencing tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams for virtual roundtables.

Answer from Chatgpt 4 without Extra Prompt

Supporting and developing part-time faculty in a 4-year college setting, especially with limited resources, requires innovative, sustainable, and efficient strategies. Here are three robust examples of strategies that could be employed, including time estimates for both setup and ongoing maintenance, as well as considerations for modalities, benefits for part-time faculty, and potential costs.

1. Peer Mentoring Program

Description: Pair experienced full-time faculty with part-time faculty members to provide mentorship, share experiences, and offer guidance. This program could include regular meetings, observation opportunities, and feedback sessions.

Setup Time: Initial setup may take about 2-4 weeks, including identifying willing full-time faculty mentors, matching them with part-time faculty, and organizing an initial training session for mentors on how to be effective in their role.

Ongoing Time Commitment: The faculty developer would need to dedicate around 2-3 hours per week managing the program, facilitating connections, and addressing any issues that arise.

Modalities: Utilize both face-to-face and virtual meetings to accommodate varying schedules.

Benefits: Provides personalized support to part-time faculty, enhances their teaching skills, and fosters a sense of community.

Costs: Primarily time investment from participating faculty. Some minimal costs for virtual meeting platforms if not already available.

2. Online Professional Development Workshops

Description: Develop a series of asynchronous online workshops focusing on key areas such as pedagogical strategies, technology integration, classroom management, and course design.

Setup Time: Developing content for online workshops could take 3-6 months, depending on the depth and breadth of the topics covered. This includes creating videos, readings, and interactive activities.

Ongoing Time Commitment: Once the workshops are developed, the faculty developer might spend about 1-2 hours per week monitoring participation, responding to questions, and updating materials as needed.

Modalities: Asynchronous online modules hosted on a learning management system (LMS) or a similar platform.

Benefits: Offers flexible professional development opportunities that part-time faculty can engage with at their convenience, leading to enhanced teaching practices.

Costs: Initial development costs for creating workshop materials and possibly for an LMS subscription if not already available.

3. Teaching Circles

Description: Organize small groups of part-time faculty to meet regularly (e.g., monthly) to discuss teaching experiences, share strategies, and collaboratively solve teaching challenges.

Setup Time: Planning and organizing teaching circles could take about 1-2 weeks, including recruiting participants, scheduling, and preparing initial discussion prompts.

Ongoing Time Commitment: The faculty developer would need to spend around 1-2 hours per week coordinating meeting times, providing resources, and facilitating discussions if needed.

Modalities: Both in-person and virtual meetings, depending on preferences and availability.

Benefits: Encourages peer support and sharing of best practices among part-time faculty, contributing to professional growth and a supportive teaching community.

Costs: Minimal, mostly related to the time spent by the faculty developer and participants. If virtual, any costs associated with a video conferencing platform if not already provided by the institution.

Each of these strategies is designed to be sustainable with limited resources, focusing on leveraging existing faculty expertise and fostering communities of practice among part-time faculty. While initial setup times and ongoing commitments vary, all are aimed at providing meaningful support and development opportunities within the constraints of a tight budget and workload.

New Prompt Created by ChatGPT 3.5

I had to play with this one a few times. First, I tried to condense the prompt by putting it into 2 paragraphs. Paragraph 1 was the sentence to revise the following prompt; paragraph 2 was the prompt without breaks. Breaking out the prompt into a few paragraphs which is usually helpful with ChatGPT 4, didn’t help here because the AI got confused and largely ignored the first part of the full prompt asking it to revise the following prompt

I further adjusted the prompt and added the last part as a reminder about what it is supposed to do. These are the quirks of the machine that I think can really throw others off. So I combined the prompt as such.

“Improve and expand the following prompt to maximize the creativity and analytical abilities of a large language model:

‘You are an expert in faculty developer for an institution that works primarily with part-time faculty at a 4-year college. You want to provide meaningful support, learning opportunities, and chances to grow for part-time faculty. You also do not really have a budget and can be challenged by the amount of work it takes to fully develop and sustain such training. What are some strategies you can recommend? With each strategy, be sure to include an estimate of the amount of time it would take. This should be how long it would take to get up and running and the amount of hours it would take for a faculty developer to actually do per week in order to maintain the strategy. Where relevant, provide additional details such as modalities to use, why it would be helpful to part-time faculty, and what are the likely costs to do this. Provide at least 3 robust examples.’

Before answering, review the first sentence and its direction to revise the prompt in quotations and not to answer it.”

My guess is that it is harder for ChatGPT 3.5 to get the nuance of the overall prompt (to improve the second prompt) with the prompt itself (the prompt we want to improve). It provided a revised prompt but not one that expanded much as you can see.

You are tasked with creating a comprehensive faculty development program for a 4-year college that predominantly employs part-time faculty. The goal is to provide meaningful support, learning opportunities, and avenues for growth for these educators while operating within tight budget constraints and limited resources. What innovative strategies can you propose to achieve this objective? For each strategy, outline the estimated time required to implement it and the ongoing commitment in hours per week for faculty developers. Include details such as the preferred modalities, the specific benefits to part-time faculty, and any associated costs. Offer at least three detailed examples.

Given that, I decided to parse down the original prompt to see what ChatGPT 3.5 would do. I tried a simpler prompt:

“Improve and expand the following prompt to maximize the creativity and analytical abilities of a large language model:

‘Provide guidance on how to effectively create faculty programming for mostly part-time faculty with little funding and in the most efficient use of a staff member's time for getting the best results.’”

That yielded a much better result:

Design an innovative strategy for developing faculty programming tailored to predominantly part-time faculty members, leveraging limited financial resources, and optimizing staff time allocation to yield optimal outcomes. Consider novel approaches, such as collaborative online platforms, peer-led workshops, or resource-sharing networks, to foster engagement and professional growth within this demographic. Explore efficient methods for content delivery, incorporating technology and asynchronous learning opportunities to accommodate diverse schedules. Additionally, emphasize strategies for maximizing the impact of each staff member's efforts through streamlined processes, effective delegation, and leveraging existing resources within and beyond the institution. Ultimately, aim to cultivate a supportive and dynamic learning community that empowers part-time faculty to thrive professionally despite resource constraints.

New Answer by Prompt-Created ChatGPT 3.5

I used the revised prompt from the last section and used it with ChatGPT 3.5:

Title: EmpowerED: Revolutionizing Part-Time Faculty Development

Introduction: Part-time faculty play a crucial role in higher education, yet often lack the support and resources necessary for professional growth and success. "EmpowerED" is a visionary faculty development program designed to revolutionize the support system for part-time instructors at our prestigious 4-year college. This comprehensive plan aims to empower faculty, maximize creativity and analytical prowess, all within the constraints of limited budgets and time shortages.

Program Components:

Flexible Online Training Modules (Time Investment: 3 months to develop, 1 hour/week for updates): Develop a series of interactive online modules covering topics such as effective teaching strategies, student engagement techniques, and assessment methods. These modules will be accessible at any time, allowing part-time faculty to engage with the content at their convenience. Estimated cost: $10,000 for initial development, $2,000/year for updates.

Peer Mentoring Program (Time Investment: 2 months to establish, 2 hours/week for coordination): Pair part-time faculty with experienced full-time faculty mentors. Mentors will provide guidance, feedback, and support tailored to the unique needs of part-time instructors. Regular check-ins and training sessions will ensure the success of the mentoring relationships. Estimated cost: $5,000 for training materials and coordination.

Monthly Workshops and Webinars (Time Investment: Ongoing, 3 hours/month for planning and coordination): Host monthly workshops and webinars on topics relevant to part-time faculty, such as inclusive teaching practices, technology integration, and career development. These events will provide opportunities for networking, collaboration, and professional growth. Estimated cost: $3,000/year for guest speakers and materials.

Innovative Approaches:

Microteaching Sessions: Organize microteaching sessions where part-time faculty can practice new teaching techniques in a supportive environment. These sessions will be facilitated by experienced educators and followed by constructive feedback from peers. Time Investment: 1 month to establish, 2 hours/session, bi-monthly. Estimated cost: $1,000 for facilitator stipends.

Virtual Communities of Practice: Create virtual communities of practice where part-time faculty can connect, share resources, and collaborate on projects. These online forums will foster a sense of belonging and encourage ongoing professional development. Time Investment: 1 month to set up, ongoing moderation, 1 hour/week. Estimated cost: $2,000/year for platform maintenance.

Action Research Projects: Encourage part-time faculty to engage in action research projects focused on improving teaching and learning outcomes in their classrooms. Provide support for project design, data collection, and analysis. Time Investment: Ongoing, 5 hours/month for consultation and support. Estimated cost: $3,000/year for research materials and stipends.

Conclusion: "EmpowerED" represents a transformative approach to part-time faculty development, leveraging flexible online training, peer mentoring, workshops, and innovative initiatives to empower educators and maximize their impact in the classroom. Despite budget constraints and time shortages, this comprehensive plan ensures that part-time faculty receive the support and resources they need to thrive in their roles. By investing in their professional growth, we invest in the success of our students and the future of our institution.

New Prompt Created by ChatGPT 4

Here’s the new prompt that ChatGPT 4 creates when I prompt it to improve my original prompt. This is the full response but what it’s telling me to actually use is that which is in the quotation marks.

To enhance the creativity and analytical depth of this prompt for a large language model, we can focus on refining the request to stimulate detailed, innovative solutions and encourage the exploration of diverse strategies. Here's an improved version:

"As an expert faculty developer at a 4-year college, your goal is to enrich the professional journey of part-time faculty members, who form the backbone of the institution's academic delivery. The challenge is to design a support and development ecosystem that is both impactful and sustainable, considering the constraints of a minimal budget and the substantial effort required for the creation and continuation of such programs.

Craft a comprehensive plan that outlines innovative strategies for nurturing the growth, learning, and engagement of part-time faculty. For each strategy:

Provide a detailed implementation timeline, breaking down the initial setup phase and the ongoing maintenance efforts. Include specific time estimates for both phases, expressed in terms of hours or weeks needed for realization and the weekly commitment required from a faculty developer.

Explore a variety of delivery modalities (e.g., digital platforms, peer mentoring, collaborative projects) and justify your choices based on their accessibility, effectiveness, and relevance to part-time faculty's unique needs and schedules.

Assess the potential impact of each strategy on part-time faculty's professional development and satisfaction. Discuss how these initiatives can facilitate their integration into the institutional community, enhance their teaching skills, and support their academic careers.

Estimate the financial implications of your proposed strategies, identifying cost-effective solutions and suggesting ways to leverage existing resources or partnerships to minimize expenses.

Aim to propose at least three distinct and actionable strategies, grounding your recommendations in practicality and innovation. Consider the broader institutional context, including how these initiatives align with the college's mission and values, and the potential for scalability and adaptation to future changes in the academic environment."

This version encourages a more nuanced exploration of the problem, inviting the model to think critically about the challenges and to propose solutions that are both inventive and feasible. It also emphasizes the importance of considering the institutional context and the specific needs of part-time faculty, ensuring that the strategies are aligned with broader educational goals and constraints.

New Answer by Prompt-Created ChatGPT 4

To develop a sustainable and impactful support and development ecosystem for part-time faculty at a 4-year college, we propose a multi-faceted approach that leverages cost-effective technologies, fosters community through peer engagement, and enhances professional competencies. Our plan outlines three innovative strategies, detailing implementation timelines, delivery modalities, potential impacts, and financial implications.

Strategy 1: Digital Learning and Development Platform

Implementation Timeline:

Initial Setup Phase: 3 months for platform selection, content development, and beta testing. This involves 80-100 hours of a faculty developer's time for coordinating content creation, liaising with platform providers, and training.

Ongoing Maintenance: Weekly commitment of 5 hours for content updates, platform maintenance, and user support.

Delivery Modalities:

Utilize an existing Learning Management System (LMS) or a cost-effective cloud-based platform to host asynchronous learning modules, webinars, and forums for peer interaction.

Justification: Digital platforms offer flexible access to resources, enabling part-time faculty to engage with professional development opportunities on their schedules.

Potential Impact:

Enhances teaching skills through access to pedagogical resources and technology training.

Facilitates integration into the academic community via forums and collaborative learning opportunities.

Financial Implications:

Minimal if leveraging existing LMS or open-source platforms.

Potential costs include content creation and occasional expert webinar fees. Budget allocation: $2,000-$5,000 annually for expert contributions and platform fees (if any).

Strategy 2: Peer Mentoring Program

Implementation Timeline:

Initial Setup Phase: 6 weeks to recruit mentors, design the mentoring framework, and match mentors with mentees. Requires 40-50 hours of a faculty developer's time for planning, recruitment, and training sessions.

Ongoing Maintenance: Bi-weekly check-ins requiring 2-3 hours weekly to facilitate discussions, address challenges, and monitor progress.

Delivery Modalities:

Face-to-face or virtual meetings, structured peer observations, and feedback sessions.

Justification: Peer mentoring offers personalized support, promoting professional growth and fostering a sense of belonging within the institution.

Potential Impact:

Supports part-time faculty's academic careers through shared experiences and guidance.

Enhances teaching effectiveness and faculty satisfaction by building a supportive community.

Financial Implications:

Primarily requires time investment; minimal direct costs.

Small budget for recognition events or materials: $1,000 annually.

Strategy 3: Collaborative Research and Development Projects

Implementation Timeline:

Initial Setup Phase: 4 months to identify project opportunities, form teams, and outline project goals. Involves 60-70 hours of a faculty developer's time for coordination and support.

Ongoing Maintenance: Ongoing project support, requiring 3-4 hours weekly to facilitate meetings, provide resources, and monitor progress.

Delivery Modalities:

Teams work on projects that align with institutional goals and personal interests, using a combination of in-person and digital collaboration tools.

Justification: Encourages innovation and practical application of skills, while also contributing to the institution's academic offerings and research profile.

Potential Impact:

Enhances part-time faculty's engagement with their field and the institution.

Provides tangible outcomes that can bolster academic careers and institutional reputation.

Financial Implications:

Some costs associated with project materials or software. Potential for external funding or partnerships to offset expenses.

Estimated budget: $3,000-$6,000 annually, depending on the scale and scope of projects.

Conclusion

This plan provides a comprehensive and practical framework for supporting part-time faculty's professional development and integration into the academic community. By leveraging existing resources, prioritizing cost-effective solutions, and fostering a collaborative culture, we can significantly enhance the professional journey of part-time faculty members, aligning with the college's mission and values while remaining adaptable to future academic environment changes.

New Prompt by Prompt Enhancer

To enhance clarity, directness, and specificity, and to elicit a response that maximizes creativity and analytical abilities from a large language model, consider restructuring the prompt as follows:

"As a faculty development expert at a 4-year college focusing on part-time faculty, your goal is to design support and growth opportunities without a significant budget. You face challenges in developing and sustaining training programs due to limited resources. Given these constraints:

Identify and elaborate on innovative strategies to support part-time faculty's professional development. For each strategy:

Time to Implement: Provide an estimated timeframe required to launch the strategy effectively.

Ongoing Effort: Estimate the weekly hours needed by a faculty developer to sustain the initiative.

Detail the Execution: For each proposed strategy, include:

Modalities: Suggest delivery methods (e.g., online workshops, peer mentoring, micro-credentialing) and justify their suitability for part-time faculty.

Benefits: Explain how each strategy specifically aids part-time faculty in their professional growth and teaching effectiveness.

Cost Analysis: Where applicable, outline the likely costs involved or strategies to minimize financial impact while maximizing benefits.

Provide at least three comprehensive examples, ensuring each is actionable, aligned with part-time faculty needs, and feasible within the constraints of minimal budget and workload.

Your response should leverage your analytical prowess to navigate these constraints creatively, proposing solutions that are both innovative and practical."

This revised prompt focuses on specificity by asking for detailed strategies, including time and cost considerations. It emphasizes clarity by structuring the request into distinct segments, guiding the AI to respond in a well-organized manner. The use of direct and affirmative language ("Identify and elaborate," "Provide an estimated timeframe") encourages a straightforward and actionable response. Additionally, by asking for modalities, benefits, and a cost analysis, it ensures that the AI's creativity is channeled into formulating solutions that are not just imaginative but also grounded in the practicalities of educational support.

New Answer by Prompt-Enhancer Prompt in ChatGPT 3.5

Strategy 1: Virtual Communities of Practice

Time to Implement:

Initial setup: 1-2 months

Launching and recruitment: 1 month

Total: 2-3 months

Ongoing Effort:

2-4 hours per week for moderation and facilitation

Execution:

Modalities: Create online spaces, such as forums or group chats, where part-time faculty can engage in discussions, share resources, and seek advice. Use platforms like Slack, Discord, or even dedicated Facebook groups. Periodically host virtual meetups or webinars for more structured discussions or presentations.

Benefits: Virtual communities provide ongoing support and opportunities for collaboration, enabling part-time faculty to exchange ideas, seek guidance, and foster a sense of belonging within the academic community. They can access resources and expertise at their convenience, overcoming barriers of time and location.

Cost Analysis: This strategy primarily requires time investment for setting up and moderating the community. Utilize free online platforms and tools to minimize costs. Encourage voluntary participation to keep expenses low.

Strategy 2: Peer Mentoring Program

Time to Implement:

Design and planning: 1-2 months

Recruitment and matching: 1 month

Total: 2-3 months

Ongoing Effort:

1-2 hours per week for coordination and check-ins

Execution:

Modalities: Pair experienced part-time faculty (mentors) with newer colleagues (mentees) based on shared interests or disciplines. Facilitate regular meetings or check-ins, which can be conducted in person or virtually depending on availability. Provide training for mentors on effective mentoring techniques.

Benefits: Peer mentoring offers personalized support and guidance tailored to individual needs and challenges. Mentees benefit from the wisdom and experience of their mentors, gaining practical insights into teaching strategies, classroom management, and navigating institutional policies.

Cost Analysis: This strategy may involve minimal costs for organizing training sessions and materials for mentors. Leverage existing resources within the institution, such as meeting spaces or online communication tools, to keep expenses low.

Strategy 3: Open Educational Resource (OER) Workshops

Time to Implement:

Curriculum development: 1-2 months

Promotion and scheduling: 1 month

Total: 2-3 months

Ongoing Effort:

2-3 hours per workshop session

Execution:

Modalities: Offer workshops or webinars focused on integrating open educational resources into course materials. These can be delivered through online platforms like Zoom or recorded for asynchronous access. Provide hands-on guidance on finding, adapting, and incorporating OER materials into existing curricula.

Benefits: OER workshops empower part-time faculty to explore cost-effective alternatives to traditional textbooks, enhancing course affordability and flexibility. By engaging with OER, faculty can customize content to better align with their teaching objectives and student needs, fostering innovation and creativity in course design.

Cost Analysis: While there may be minimal costs associated with workshop promotion and materials, leverage existing expertise within the institution to lead sessions and provide support. Consider partnering with libraries or consortia to access additional resources and expertise at no or low cost.

New Answer by Prompt-Enhancer Prompt in ChatGPT 4

To support part-time faculty's professional development effectively under budget constraints, innovative strategies that leverage existing resources, technology, and collaborative efforts are essential. Here are three comprehensive strategies:

1. Peer Mentoring Program

Time to Implement: 1-2 months for planning, recruiting mentors, and matching pairs.

Ongoing Effort: 2-4 hours weekly to facilitate discussions, monitor progress, and provide support.

Execution Details:

Modalities: This program involves matching experienced faculty members with new or less experienced part-time faculty for mentorship. The modality is primarily one-on-one meetings, which could be conducted virtually to accommodate part-time faculty schedules, supplemented by group meetings or workshops on specific topics of interest.

Benefits: Peer mentoring provides direct, personalized support and knowledge sharing, enhancing teaching skills, and fostering a sense of community and belonging among part-time faculty. It aids in quicker acclimation to institutional culture and teaching resources, directly impacting teaching effectiveness and faculty satisfaction.

Cost Analysis: Costs are minimal, primarily involving administrative time for setup and ongoing coordination. To minimize costs, existing communication platforms (e.g., institutional email, LMS forums) can be used for interactions, and incentives for mentors can be non-monetary, such as professional development credits or recognition awards.

2. Online Professional Development Workshops

Time to Implement: 2-3 months to develop content and schedule the series.

Ongoing Effort: 3-5 hours weekly to manage registrations, facilitate sessions, and provide follow-up resources.

Execution Details:

Modalities: The workshops can be delivered through a webinar format, recorded for asynchronous access, and supplemented by discussion forums for ongoing engagement. Topics can range from pedagogical techniques to technology tools and classroom management, tailored to part-time faculty needs.

Benefits: This strategy allows part-time faculty to engage in professional development flexibly, accommodating their schedules and commitments. It supports their teaching effectiveness by providing access to current educational strategies and tools, fostering continuous learning and adaptation to educational trends.

Cost Analysis: The primary cost involves the development of workshop content and the use of a webinar platform. Costs can be minimized by utilizing free webinar platforms or institutional licenses and by sourcing presenters internally from among faculty or staff willing to share expertise voluntarily.

3. Micro-Credentialing and Badging Programs

Time to Implement: 3-6 months for program design, platform setup, and content creation.

Ongoing Effort: 2-3 hours weekly to review submissions, provide feedback, and issue credentials.

Execution Details:

Modalities: This strategy involves creating a series of short, focused online courses or modules that part-time faculty can complete to earn digital badges or micro-credentials. These can cover various topics, such as inclusive teaching practices, online teaching tools, or curriculum design, and be hosted on an existing LMS to streamline access and tracking.

Benefits: Micro-credentialing offers tangible recognition of professional development efforts, motivating part-time faculty to engage in continuous learning. It allows for the demonstration of competencies in specific areas, enhancing their teaching portfolio and potentially their career advancement opportunities.

Cost Analysis: Initial costs include content development and platform setup. However, by leveraging existing LMS infrastructure and crowdsourcing content creation to willing faculty experts or utilizing open educational resources, costs can be significantly reduced. Long-term, the program can sustain itself with minimal oversight, and the digital nature of badges minimizes distribution costs.

Conclusion

Implementing these strategies requires a balance between initial setup efforts and ongoing management, with a focus on maximizing existing resources and fostering a culture of collaboration and self-directed learning among part-time faculty. By creatively leveraging technology, peer networks, and micro-credentialing, institutions can offer impactful professional development opportunities that align with the unique needs and constraints of part-time faculty, enhancing their teaching effectiveness and satisfaction without necessitating significant financial investment.

Reflection on this practice

The Different "Improve Prompts"

So there was some trouble with getting a better prompt from ChatGPT 3.5 using the "improve the prompt" language. I would tinker with that more to see if it's a matter of the original prompt being too long or complex for ChatGPT 3.5--that's good to know and be aware of when playing with it. I think there's still much to be gained from using lower-level AIs to improve the prompt that you actually want.

Improving the prompt with ChatGPT 4 yielded better and more detailed results. It certianly expands and fine-tunes what I'm ultimatley asking with more details and context. I would probably tweak the language in some area and pull back in others, but it's getting at what I want. For instnace, I might actually include the college's mission rather than vaguely mentioning it. And that's the thing, is that this expansive prompt gives me new ideas of what to include and exclude--and that's helpful.

Now, the Prompt Enhance GPT, I found to be more direct and specific. It also broke things out more clearly (that is, less long paragraphs and more distinct chunks of exactly what it wants). Interestingly, it skips out on some pieces from the version in ChatGPT 4.

In the end, I might look to combine both (and maybe ask ChatGPT 4 to do exactly that--combine these two into 1 prompt that reduces redundancies and maximizes insights from a LLM).

The Different Answers

The straight prompt and response from ChatGPT 3.5 is a reasonable good start actually. I think it undersells the time investment and such (e.g 20 hours to develop the program, recruit mentors, and provide training), but offering mentoring, brown bags, and an online resource are pretty good and low-bar marks to get up and started to supporting PT facutly.

The ChatGPT 4 response provides some similar practices (gatherings and peer mentoring). It doesn't set a specific hour amount for setting up but the course of time it might take. Largely reflects what we get from ChatGPT 3.5 but with a little more clearly laided out.

New Answer by Prompt-Created ChatGPT 3.5 seemed to add more detail and clarity. It gave it a name which I wasn't excited about but it did provide a bit more promo details that could be used for recruiting faculty or pitching it to supervisors. The answer was also more comprehensive with the idea that it was a contained package that interconnected in some ways. It was also interesting to see that this version also included actual costs. I would inquiry further about how it got to those allotments but it seems clear that it's also thinking about the time needed by staff to do it and cost to the institution.

The New Answer by Prompt-Created ChatGPT 4 answer also seemed to get certain details clearer such as real investment of staff time and possible costs. These answers felt more direct and practical and were I looking to do something more with any of them, would continue to converse with the the AI to flesh those parts out.

Meanwhile New the Answer by Prompt-Enhancer Prompt in ChatGPT 3.5 provided more structure but continued to be a bit vague and lacking in certain aspects that would be helpful such as real-time allotment and costs.

Interestingly, the New Answer by Prompt-Enhancer Prompt in ChatGPT 4 wasn't that much better in its output. It seems like using the "Improve this prompt" seemed most helpful with ChatGPT 4, which means I need to revisit and revise my Prompt Enhancer.

Final Thoughts

Also, I'll say that if you work with faculty, this post also will have given you some great ideas and ways of approaching part-time faculty and supporting there work. At least that was part of my hope in using the prompt that I came up with.

In total, this was a useful excercise for me to play across the different ones. Maybe I should do a follow up with some of the other tools (Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Bing, etc) to compare and constrast. Drop a comment if you'd like to see that!

One final note--where I find this most useful has been with visuals. That is, using generative AI to help me craft descriptions that I can then put into image-creating generative AI tools. That has helped me get a lot better with what it is I'm trying to envision.

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AI+Edu=Simplified by Lance Eaton is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International