AI Prompt Templates and Examples for Authentic Assessments

October 2024
AI, Assessments and Assignments

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can provide faculty with an additional partner to ideate and brainstorm new and innovative authentic assessments in their online courses. These types of assessments engage students with critical thinking, problem solving, and metacognitive strategies to review and evaluate cognitive complex situations.

Interested in using AI as a brainstorming partner for authentic assessments? Get started with these engineered prompts that provide generative AI the prep, purpose and parameters it needs for quality ideation.

Templates and Examples

Below are pre-written prompt templates faculty may use while brainstorming Authentic Assessment ideas with generative AI. For some of the prompts, a completed example is provided. Completed examples are inspired by a sample Business Writing course offered in a MBA program. These examples illustrate how a faculty member can modify the prompts to best fit their subject matter expertise.

Brainstorm Authentic Assessment Ideas

Build Out an Assessment Draft

Evaluating Your Authentic Assessment

Draft Supporting Materials

Draft Aligned Evaluation Criteria and Rubrics

Create Templates for Group or Peer Work

Draft Interaction Expectations

Chunk an Assessment

Scaffolding Major Deliverables

Draft Knowledge Checks and Quizzes

Draft Aligned Objectives

Brainstorm Authentic Assessment Ideas

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the learning environment?	What are you creating? What objectives will you fulfill? Do you have certain topics you want covered? Are there certain aspects to include?	Does AI need any definitions? Does AI need any directives from you? What kind of response do you want?

Prompt Template

I am a faculty member designing an authentic assessment for [insert course name/subject]. My student population includes [insert student population details]. The learning environment is [insert environment and course details], focusing on [insert key aspects like engagement, collaboration, etc.].

I am creating [insert details about the assessment] and that assessment will fulfill the following objectives: [insert objectives]. Students will [insert details about assessment and materials and topics] in preparation for this assessment. Students will have [insert timeframe] to complete this assessment. I am currently working on [insert course info and expectations]. Students should work [insert time frame] .

I define authentic assessment [insert your definition] and has the following characteristics, students can:

[insert characteristics with examples or descriptions]

Not all these items need to be present but at least some should be present. Please provide 3-5 options in a summary format and ask me clarifying questions.

Completed Example Prompt

I am a faculty member designing an assessment for Business, Professional, and Technical writing course. My student population includes MBA students who are enrolled at mid-size university in Florida. The learning environment is an accelerated, asynchronous course focusing on developing writing skills they will later utilize in their professional careers.

I am creating an authentic assessment, and that assessment will fulfill the following objectives: Prioritize information based on the goals and objectives of the communication and Structure messages to achieve the desired impact and response. Students will review materials on rhetorical strategies, business writing genres and platforms, and how to structure a message in preparation for this assessment. I am currently working on module 2 of the course, each module is 1 week, and students complete the assessment within that time. Students should work 5-7 hours on the assessment.

I define authentic assessment as assessments designed to reflect the complexities of real-life situations and applications that mirror professional standards, and has the following characteristics, students can:

Use critical thinking, problem solving, and metacognitive strategies to review and evaluate cognitive complex situations.
Have group work, peer feedback and instructor feedback or similar opportunities
Further their soft skill development, for example adaptability, communication and collaboration skills
Develop skills specific to their discipline to help them prepare for employment or advancement in their field.
Develop their self-efficacy, self-confidence, and the assessment helps them think critically for themselves as a part of the workforce and their role within it.

Not all these items need to be present but at least some should be present.

Please provide 3-5 options in a summary format and ask me clarifying questions.

Build Out an Assessment Draft

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the learning environment? What do you want AI to do?	What option are you selecting? What focus should the assessment have? How long do students have to complete it? How much time should they spend on it?	What should AI include or exclude? Does AI need any definitions? Does AI need any directives from you?

Prompt Template

I would like to use a summary and build it out into a full authentic assessment.

I would like to work with [insert title or option]. I want the assessment to focus on [insert key aspects or topics] Students will have [timeframe] to complete this assessment, and it should take them [workload] to complete it. Please include [insert inclusion criteria]. Please exclude [insert exclusion criteria]. Ask me clarifying questions.

Completed Example Prompt

I would like to use a summary and build it out into a full authentic assessment.

I would like to work with Option #3. I want the assessment to focus on rhetorical strategies, business writing genres and platforms, and how to structure a message. Students will have one week to complete this assessment and it should take them 5-7 hours to complete it.

Please include the assessment relevance in the introduction, step by step instructions, and support materials. Please exclude group work but you can include peer feedback. Ask me clarifying questions.

Evaluating Your Authentic Assessment

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the environment?	What would you like AI to do? What perspective should AI have? Do you have certain characters you want covered?	Add rubric and any evaluation criteria you’d like. How would you like results?

Prompt Template

I would like to evaluate this assessment [insert focus of evaluation]. I want to ensure this assessment [insert key areas to assess]

Please use the following criteria and descriptions to rate the assessment . Please provide [insert desired output] for improvement if necessary. As the learner, I feel this assessment has, [insert evaluation criteria or rubric]. Ask me clarifying questions as needed.

Completed Example Prompt

I would like to evaluate this assessment from the learner perspective. I want to ensure this assessment aligns with the objectives and provides students with value.

Please use the following criteria and descriptions to rate the assessment . Please provide recommendations and suggestions for improvement if necessary. As the learner, I feel this assessment has,

Task Value because it practices applicable skills, appropriate to my level of learning, promotes authentic tasks, and includes tasks related to my field or career
Organization because it provides clear instructions including deliverables and timelines, descriptive rubrics, supplementary materials to support the learner, clear formatting expectations, and a rationale for the cognitive complexity
Evaluation and Creation because it aligns assessment with higher levels of cognition (Bloom’s Taxonomy), provides opportunity to generates new ideas and original work.
Transformational Change because it provides opportunity to incorporate student experiences, reflections, and recommendations, uses digital tools to develop my digital literacy skills, provides opportunity to develop transferrable skills, allows me to share my skills and experiences, and provides opportunity for quality feedback to aid revision
Collaboration and Engagement because it provides opportunity to connect to local/regional or campus networks, to collaborate with peers or a group, and uses systems of accountability and/or peer evaluation as well as opportunity for feedback.
Outcome Alignment because it articulates learning goals and aligns the assessment to a learning goal.

Ask me clarifying questions as needed.

Draft Supporting Materials

Assessments in an online format can be complicated to design and execute. In addition to the assessment itself, consider ideating on support materials for students with AI tools that help them feel well prepared to complete an assessment. Support materials like additional instructions, rubrics, exemplars, feedback forms, etc., enhance student understanding and reduce confusion, leading to higher engagement and better assessment completion rates.

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the learning environment?	What are you creating? What kind of materials do you want? What kind of information needs to go in the instructions? What objectives are you supporting? Do you have certain topics you want covered? Are there common challenges students encounter?	Do you want to include or exclude anything? Do you need timeframe and requirements? Does AI need any definitions? Does AI need any directives from you? Are there any requirements for the materials?

Prompt Template

I am a faculty member designing an assessment for [insert course name/subject]. My student population includes [insert student population details]. The learning environment is [insert environment and course details], focusing on [insert key aspects like engagement, collaboration, etc.].

I am creating [insert details about the assessment] and I would like the following materials: [insert types of materials, e.g., instructions, rubrics, example submissions, feedback forms, etc.]. The instructions should include: [insert specific information like assessment goals, criteria for success, submission guidelines, etc.].

The assessment supports the following learning objectives: [insert objectives]. I want to cover the following topics: [insert specific topics]. Common challenges students may face include: [insert challenges.].

Please include: [insert any specific inclusions].
I would like to exclude: [insert any specific exclusions].
The assessment timeframe is [insert duration], and the requirements are [insert specific requirements like word count, format, etc.].
I would like AI to [insert any specific directives, e.g., generate examples, provide explanations, etc.].
The materials should adhere to the following requirements: [insert any specific format, accessibility standards, etc.].
Please include information about: [insert any relevant policies, resources, or university services that could support students, such as tutoring services, academic integrity policies, etc.].

If you have any questions, please ask me first.

Draft Aligned Evaluation Criteria and Rubrics

Evaluation criteria and rubrics outline how students will be assessed once they have submitted their coursework. Providing clear and detailed rubrics helps students understand expectations and enhances the quality of their work, which is particularly important in an online setting where feedback might be delayed. Rubrics can be time-consuming to build, so AI can help reduce that workload by helping you to imagine new ways of evaluating student work.

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the environment?	What objectives will you fulfill? Are there skills or competencies are being assessed? What kind of criteria or rubric will you use? What grading scale will be used?	Do you want to include or exclude anything? What are the criteria, descriptors, or performance levels? Does AI need any definitions? Does AI need any directives from you?

Prompt Template

I am a faculty member designing a course assessment for [insert course name/subject]. My student population includes [insert student population details]. The environment is [insert environment and course details].

I would like to draft grading criteria and rubrics for the assessment here.

The assessment will fulfill the following objectives: [insert objectives].
The skills or competencies being assessed include: [insert specific skills or competencies, e.g., critical thinking, communication, technical skills, etc.].
I would like to develop a rubric that includes the following criteria: [insert criteria, e.g., clarity of expression, depth of analysis, relevance of content, etc.].
The grading scale to be used is [insert grading scale, e.g., letter grades, numerical scale, etc.].
Please include: [insert any specific inclusions].
I would like to exclude: [insert any specific exclusions].
The criteria, descriptors, or performance levels for the rubric should be detailed as follows: [insert specific criteria with descriptors or performance levels for each grade or score].

If you have any questions, please ask me first.

Create Templates for Group or Peer Work

Group dynamics and projects are difficult to manage in educational settings. Online environments amplify these difficulties require structured agreements between students to set expectations and responsibilities. Group work contracts and evaluations help mitigate conflicts, enhance communication, and ensure fair contributions, which is essential in remote collaboration. These materials require careful consideration of detail, so consider using AI as you draft and redraft group work expectations.

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the environment?	What objectives will you fulfill? Will students submit contracts? Will you need templates? Are collaborative activities graded?	Do you want to include or exclude anything? Are there interaction standards set by your institution? Define what you mean by accountable, collaboration and participation.

Prompt Template

I would like to draft templates for group work for the assessment here. The assessment will fulfill the following objectives: [insert objectives]. For this assessment, I would like to establish a collaborative framework that includes the following: [insert type of contract, e.g., collaboration contract, group work agreement, etc.]. This contract should outline the [insert expectations and responsibilities] of each team member.

Collaborative activities will be [insert whether they are graded or not].
There will be team check-ins scheduled [insert details about the frequency and format of check-ins].
Please include: [insert any specific inclusions related to collaboration.].
I would like to exclude: [insert any specific exclusions].
Please incorporate any institutional standards on collaboration into the materials. They can be found at [insert web link].

If you have any questions, please ask me first.

For clarity, I define the following terms as:

Accountable:
Collaboration:
Participation:

Draft Interaction Expectations

Communication protocols in online courses facilitate engagement and prevent misunderstandings between students. Students need to understand where, why, how, and when they are expected to interact. They’ll also need to clearly understand what you will monitor their interactions for. AI can be a helpful tool as you craft clear expectations promote respectful interactions and foster a sense of community.

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the environment?	What objectives will you fulfill? What types of interactions do you expect to occur? How they will be communicating? What resources do they need?	Do you want to include or exclude anything? Do you need timeframe and requirements? Are there interaction standards set by your institution? Does AI need any definitions?

Prompt Template

I would like to draft interaction expectations for the assessment here.

The assessment will fulfill the following objectives: [insert objectives].
I expect the following types of interactions to occur: [insert types of interactions,].
Students will be communicating through [insert communication methods of LMS or other].
They will need the following resources: [insert resources, e.g., articles, case studies, videos, etc.].
The tools and technology support required includes: [insert tools and technology, e.g., specific software, learning management systems, collaboration tools like Google Docs, etc.].
The timeframe for the collaborative activities is [insert duration, e.g., a week, a month, etc.], and the requirements include: [insert specific requirements].

Please include: [insert any specific inclusions related to collaboration.]. I would like to exclude: [insert any specific exclusions]. Please incorporate any institutional standards on collaboration into the materials. They can be found at [insert web link]. If you have any questions, please ask me first.

For clarity, I will define the following terms as:

Interaction:

Chunk an Assessment

Chunking assessments means breaking larger assignments into smaller, manageable parts to improve student engagement and comprehension and build learning over time. Chunking helps students manage their workload, reduce anxiety, and facilitate better learning by allowing for incremental mastery. AI can help you reimagine how you structure existing assessments by prompting it to consider chunking.

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the environment?	What are you creating? What objectives will you fulfill? Do you have certain topics you want covered at certain times? How should the information be chunked? Are you using collaborative activities?	Do you want to include or exclude anything? Do you need timeframe and requirements? Does AI need any definitions? Does AI need any directives from you? How many deliverables would you like? What is the time frame of all deliverables? How far spaced is each deliverable?

Prompt Template

I would like to update the assessment here and chunk it.

The assessment will fulfill the following objectives: [insert objectives].
I would like to cover the following topics at certain times: [insert specific topics and their associated timelines].
The information should be chunked as follows: [insert details on how – e.g., by week, by topic, by deliverable, etc.].
I am using collaborative activities that will [insert details about the collaborative activities, e.g., involve group work, peer feedback, etc.].
Please include: [insert any specific inclusions, e.g., guidelines, additional resources, etc.].
I would like to exclude: [insert any specific exclusions].
The timeframe for the assessment is [insert total duration], and the requirements include: [insert specific requirements].
I would like to have [insert number of deliverables] for this assessment.
The time frame for all deliverables is [insert total duration for deliverables].
Each deliverable should be spaced [insert the spacing between each deliverable].

If you have any questions, please ask me first.

Scaffolding Major Deliverables

In online learning, scaffolding ensures that students receive step-by-step guidance throughout course materials and their assessments. Scaffolding builds students’ confidence and skills progressively, making challenging tasks more manageable and enhancing learning outcomes. AI can help save you time as you craft supporting, scaffolding language.

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the environment?	What objectives will you fulfill? What are you creating? Do you have certain topics you want covered? What characteristics are important to include?	Are you using collaborative activities? How many deliverables would you like? What is the time frame of all deliverables? How far spaced is each deliverable? Do you want to include or exclude anything? Does AI need any definitions? Does AI need any directives from you?

Prompt Template

I would like to update the assessment here and scaffold it. The assessment will fulfill the following objectives: [insert objectives]. The topics I want covered include: [insert specific topics you want to address throughout the assessment].

Important characteristics to include in the scaffolding materials are: [insert characteristics, e.g., clarity, step-by-step instructions, examples, opportunities for feedback, etc.]. The skills or knowledge needed at each stage of the project are:

Stage 1: [insert skills/knowledge needed for the first stage]
Stage 2: [insert skills/knowledge needed for the second stage]

I am using collaborative activities that will [insert details] I would like to have [insert number of deliverables, e.g., three deliverables] for this assessment. The time frame for all deliverables is [insert total duration for deliverables]. Each deliverable should be spaced [insert spacing between each deliverable]. If you have any questions, please ask me first.

For clarity, I will define the following terms as:

Scaffolding:

Draft Knowledge Checks and Quizzes

Knowledge checks and quizzes can help students gauge how well they know course material and offer insights into areas where they may have knowledge gaps. Adding lecture transcripts, video transcripts, or book or article titles to an AI prompt can help you imagine new knowledge check questions. AI can brainstorm questions for you based on provided information, making your quiz questions more targeted and directly related to the content you want to evaluate students on.

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the environment?	What objectives will you fulfill? Do you have certain topics or material you want covered? What characteristics are important to include? What kind of questions do you want? How many questions do you need? Do you want feedback for incorrect and correct answers?	Do you want to include or exclude anything? Do you need timeframe and requirements? Does AI need any definitions? Does AI need any directives from you?

Prompt Template

I am a faculty member designing a quiz for [insert course name/subject]. My student population includes [insert student population details]. The environment is [insert environment and course details].

This quiz will fulfill the following objectives: [insert objectives].
I would like the quiz to cover the following topics or materials: [insert specific topics or materials you want included].
Important characteristics to include in the quiz are: [insert characteristics, e.g., clarity, variety of question types, relevance to course content, etc.].
I want the following types of questions: [insert types of questions].
I need [insert number of questions you want] for this quiz.
I would like to provide feedback for both incorrect and correct answers.
Please include feedback that addresses [insert specifics on the type of feedback desired].
I would also like to have answers to the questions included in the quiz.

If you have any questions, please ask me first.

Draft Aligned Objectives

Objectives help faculty check that all elements in a course have a clear purpose and place while at the same time communicating final outcomes to students. In any quality course, objectives should be clearly aligned to your assessments. If you’re added an assessment for the first time, brainstorm with AI on possible objectives that guide students on how they will be measured.

Questions to Consider

Prep	Purpose	Parameters
Who are you? Who is your student population? What is the environment?	What are you creating? Do you have additional competencies you want to measure? Are there skills you want measured? How are students demonstrating mastery? Do you have certain topics you want included? What characteristics are important to include?	Do you want to include or exclude anything? Does AI need any definitions? Does AI need any directives from you?

Prompt Template

I would like to create objectives that align with this assessment.

I have additional competencies I want to measure, which include: [insert specific competencies].
The skills I want to be measured are: [insert specific skills].
Students will demonstrate mastery through [insert methods of demonstration].
I would like to include the following topics in the objectives: [insert specific topics you want to cover].
Important characteristics to include in the objectives are: [insert characteristics, e.g., specificity, measurability, relevance to real-world applications, etc.].
Please include: [insert any specific inclusions, e.g., interdisciplinary connections, alignment with industry standards, etc.].
I would like to exclude: [insert any specific exclusions].

If you have any questions, please ask me first.

A Note on AI Artificial Intelligence (AI) functionality and responsiveness depend on the type and version of AI used. Risepoint encourages the responsible use of AI, including careful review of all outputs for accuracy and potential bias. Please refer to your campus' policy regarding the use of AI before entering content into any AI system.

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AI Prompt Templates and Examples for Authentic Assessments

Templates and Examples

Questions to Consider

Prep

Purpose

Parameters

Prompt Template

Completed Example Prompt

Questions to Consider

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Prompt Template

Completed Example Prompt

Questions to Consider

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Prompt Template

Completed Example Prompt

Questions to Consider

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Prompt Template

Questions to Consider

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Prompt Template

Questions to Consider

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Prompt Template

Questions to Consider

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Prompt Template

Questions to Consider

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Prompt Template

Questions to Consider

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Prompt Template

Questions to Consider

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Purpose

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Prompt Template

Questions to Consider

Prep

Purpose

Parameters

Prompt Template

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