Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can act a brainstorming partner to draft engaging and diverse course content and materials. Below are pre-written prompt templates faculty may use while drafting inclusive course content with generative AI. Each selection has a prompt template and completed example prompt. These examples illustrate how a faculty member can modify the prompts to best fit their subject matter expertise.
Looking for more on using AI as a brainstorming partner? Get started with these engineered prompts that provide generative AI the prep, purpose, and parameters it needs for quality ideation.
Prompt Template
You are an expert in [area of expertise]. You are developing personas that will be used to [objective of prompt] for [course context] that are delivered to [student demographics]. You need to create [#] personas that align with the students described and include potential barriers. Include [inclusion list for persona] needs when needed.
Here are the [#] types of barriers with subcategories they can experience.
Completed Example Prompt
You are an expert in diversity, inclusion, and equality. You are developing a persona that will be used to examine course design and course materials for online, accelerated higher education courses that are delivered to working adults with families who want to advance professionally in their careers. You need to create a persona that align with the students described and include potential barriers. Include Cultural background, Life circumstances that could impact barriers, and learning preferences when needed.
Here are the 4 types of barriers with subcategories they can experience. Limit the persona description to no more than 8 sentences.
Representation Barriers
•Limited Formats: Learning materials may not cater to different learners’ needs in a completely online setting.
• Biased Materials: Course materials may contain biases, stereotypes, or unbalanced viewpoints.
• Limited Diverse Perspectives: Course materials may not incorporate diverse perspectives, or examples from a variety of cultural, social, and historical contexts, and perspectives of marginalized groups
Accessibility
• Incompatible Formats: Course materials may not be compatible with assistive technologies, such as screen readers or text-to-speech software. This prevents students with visual or auditory impairments from accessing content independently
• Poor Digital Design: Issues like the use of JavaScript, pop-up windows, problematic links, and tables without headers can make online course content inaccessible. Complex visual layouts without sufficient color contrast. Lack of accessible course materials like transcripts, captions, or alt text for visually impaired students.
• Cognitive Load: Overly dense or jargon-heavy content may exclude neurodivergent learners or those with varying literacy levels.
Design
• Poor Navigation: Online learning platforms that are not intuitive and easy to navigate can hinder access
• Unclear Instructions: A lack of clear and detailed course outlines and timelines for assessments can create confusion and make learning more difficult
• Biased Assessment Methods: Assessment methods can be biased against certain identities, reinforcing unhealthy stereotypes
Technical Access
• Digital Divide: Poor internet connectivity or lack of reliable devices can significantly hinder participation. This includes the lack of devices and internet services as well as disparities in digital literacy.
• Lack of Adaptive Technology: Difficulty accessing course materials due to incompatible software or assistive technology issues for students with disabilities / Inaccessible online learning environments and digital resources, including online databases
Prompt Template
Using the persona below, I want to evaluate a piece of content. Use the persona and answer the following questions:
[definition or criteria for creating inclusive content]
Do not provide recommendations for improvement yet. Here is our first piece of content- [add content link or upload]
Persona:
[copy your persona]
Completed Example Prompt
Using the persona below, I want to evaluate a piece of content. Use the persona and answer the following questions:
- How well does this meet the learner needs?
- What trouble will she have?
Do not provide recommendations for improvement yet. Here is the content- https://every-day-development.com/2021/01/24/leadership-case-study-steve-jobs-apple/
Persona:
Maria Garcia is a 35-year-old Latina mother of two young children, living in a suburban area. She works full-time as a marketing manager at a mid-sized company, pursuing an online MBA to advance her career. Maria faces challenges balancing work, school, and family, often having to manage coursework late in the evening when her children are asleep.
Her primary barriers include Representation—Maria finds that course materials often lack perspectives from people of color, especially in leadership and business case studies, and the examples don’t reflect her cultural background. Accessibility issues also arise, as she sometimes struggles with online platforms that aren’t intuitive, making it hard to navigate assignments or access materials that are compatible with her assistive technology for text-to-speech. Design challenges stem from unclear instructions in course modules, which can cause confusion, and assessment methods that seem to favor more traditional learners, missing her need for clear, actionable feedback. Lastly, Technical Access barriers are significant; despite reliable internet, Maria occasionally experiences digital literacy challenges with unfamiliar tools, which can make managing deadlines and engaging with course content stressful.
Prompt Template
You are teaching [course and learning environment information] and [student demographic and description].
[Problem statement of current content]. You want to provide [objective of request].
You want to find a [type of content] similar to this piece of content [add content].
- I want the content to include: [inclusion list]
- I want the content to exclude/reduce [list]
Completed Example Prompt
You are teaching an online accelerated undergraduate course on Introduction to Leadership and your students are working adults with families who may not have had any higher education experiences. In one module you have a piece of content on leadership style, however, students were having trouble completing the assignment on applying these leadership traits to their own careers. Students mentioned they couldn’t connect the article to the assignment because it was hard to identify with Steve Jobs. You want to provide 2 pieces of content like this so students can select one they like and work on it.
Find content similar to this piece – https://every-day-development.com/2021/01/24/leadership-case-study-steve-jobs-apple/
You want the content to:
• Include real, diverse cultural, gender, and/or professional background and industries outside tech (e.g., healthcare, education) or from underrepresented groups.
• Reduce biases and stereotypes, include marginalized perspectives
Prompt Template
You are teaching [course and learning environment information] and [student demographic and description].
[Problem statement of current content]. You want to provide [objective of request].
You want to find a [type of content] similar to this piece of content [add content].
- I want the content to include: [inclusion list]
- I want the content to exclude/reduce [list]
Completed Example Prompt
You are teaching an online accelerated undergraduate course on Introduction to Leadership and your students are working adults with families who may not have had any higher education experiences. You have 3 PDFs that students read and take a multiple choice quiz on the key concepts.
Provide a list of suggestions for content,the list should include suggestions like:
• Options for different formats
• Resources to connect the readings to key points
• Visual Aids
