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Mini-Projects Overview

Hands-On AI mini-projects are designed to provide hands-on learning experiences with large language models across different application types. These projects range from beginner to advanced levels and cover the various modules in Hands-On AI.

Project Structure

Each mini-project follows a consistent structure:

  • Title and Difficulty Level: Clearly indicates the project focus and complexity
  • Learning Objectives: What students will accomplish and learn
  • Required Background: Prerequisites and knowledge needed
  • Implementation Guide: Step-by-step instructions
  • Extension Activities: Ways to expand on the basic project
  • Assessment Criteria: How to evaluate project success

Project Categories

Chat Module Projects

Chat projects focus on creating conversational applications:

  • Personality Bots: Custom chat personalities for specific purposes
  • Interactive Applications: Goal-oriented conversation systems
  • Educational Assistants: Subject-specific tutoring systems
  • Creative Writing: Story generation and creative applications

RAG Module Projects

Retrieval-Augmented Generation projects combine document processing with LLMs:

  • Custom Knowledge Bases: Creating systems that answer questions from specific sources
  • Document Analysis: Processing and extracting information from documents
  • Hybrid Systems: Combining retrieval with additional processing

Agent Module Projects

Agent projects implement tool-using, reasoning systems:

  • Custom Tool Creation: Building specialized tools for agents
  • Multi-step Problem Solving: Complex reasoning tasks
  • Domain-specific Assistants: Specialized agents for particular fields

How to Use These Projects

  1. Browse the Project Gallery to find a suitable project
  2. Review the project documentation to understand requirements
  3. Follow the implementation guide, making adaptations as needed
  4. Use the provided starter code and templates when available
  5. Evaluate based on the assessment criteria

Project Implementation Workflow

  1. Setup: Configure the required environment and dependencies
  2. Planning: Sketch the solution approach and identify key components
  3. Implementation: Code the solution, following the project guide
  4. Testing: Verify functionality with appropriate test cases
  5. Extension: Add additional features or improvements
  6. Documentation: Add comments and documentation for your code

Contributing New Projects

If you'd like to contribute a new mini-project:

  1. Use the Project Template as a starting point
  2. Ensure your project includes clear learning objectives
  3. Provide a step-by-step implementation guide
  4. Include sample code and expected outputs
  5. Add assessment criteria and extension activities

Using Projects in the Classroom

For educators, these projects can be:

  • Individual assignments: Students complete projects independently
  • Group projects: Teams collaborate on more complex implementations
  • In-class demonstrations: Showcase capabilities and concepts
  • Course capstones: Combined with other modules for comprehensive projects

See the Education Guide for more information on integrating these projects into your curriculum.