Appendix D — Glossary

This glossary provides definitions for key terms and concepts used throughout the book. Terms are listed alphabetically.

D.1 A

AI (Artificial Intelligence): Software systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as pattern recognition, decision-making, language understanding, and problem-solving.

AI Ethics: The study of moral principles and guidelines for the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence systems.

AI Literacy: The ability to understand, evaluate, and effectively use AI systems and their outputs.

Assessment Rubrics: Structured evaluation criteria used to assess student work against specific learning outcomes and standards.

D.2 B

Bias in AI: Systematic errors in AI systems that result in unfair or discriminatory outcomes, often due to biased training data or algorithmic design.

D.3 C

Chain of Thought: A prompting technique where AI is guided to show its reasoning step-by-step, rather than jumping directly to a final answer.

CRAFT Framework: A structured approach to writing effective prompts, consisting of: - C: Context (background information) - R: Role (AI persona to adopt) - A: Action (specific task to perform) - F: Format (desired output structure) - T: Tone/Target (intended audience and style)

Critical Engagement: The practice of actively questioning, evaluating, and critiquing AI outputs rather than accepting them passively.

D.4 D

Deep Learning: A subset of machine learning using neural networks with multiple layers to process complex patterns and data.

dialogue-Based Assessment: Assessment methods that evaluate student thinking through interactive conversations rather than static products.

D.5 E

Evidence-Based Practice: Professional decision-making grounded in research, data, and systematic evaluation rather than intuition alone.

D.6 F

Few-Shot Learning: AI’s ability to learn and perform tasks from just a few examples, rather than requiring extensive training data.

D.7 G

Generative AI: AI systems that can create new content, such as text, images, or code, rather than just analysing existing data.

D.8 H

Hallucination: When AI generates false or misleading information confidently, as if it were factual.

Human Oversight: The practice of humans reviewing, validating, and intervening in AI processes to ensure accuracy and ethical outcomes.

D.9 I

Iterative Refinement: The process of repeatedly improving AI outputs through feedback and revision cycles.

D.10 L

Large Language Models (LLMs): Advanced AI models trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like language. Examples include ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Learning Outcomes: Specific statements describing what students should know, understand, or be able to do after completing a learning experience.

D.11 M

Machine Learning: A type of AI where systems learn patterns from data and improve performance without being explicitly programmed for each task.

Meta-Prompting: Using AI to help you create better prompts for AI, essentially using AI to improve your AI interactions.

Metacognition: Awareness and control of one’s own learning processes, including planning, monitoring, and evaluating learning strategies.

D.12 P

Process-Based Assessment: Evaluation methods that focus on how students think and work through problems, rather than just the final product or answer.

Product-Based Assessment: Traditional evaluation methods that focus primarily on the final output or result, rather than the thinking process.

Prompt Engineering: The practice of crafting effective instructions (prompts) to get desired outputs from AI systems.

Prompting: The act of providing instructions or questions to AI systems to elicit specific responses or behaviours.

D.13 R

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): A technique where AI combines its training knowledge with real-time data retrieval to provide more accurate and current information.

Rubrics: Detailed scoring guides that specify criteria for different levels of performance on assessment tasks.

D.14 S

Scaffolding: Educational support structures that help students achieve tasks they couldn’t accomplish independently, gradually removed as competence develops.

Self-Assessment: The process where students evaluate their own work and learning progress against established criteria.

D.15 T

Transparency Model: An approach to AI integration where students openly acknowledge AI use, submit their interaction history, and critically evaluate AI outputs.

Transfer Learning: AI’s ability to apply knowledge learned from one task to perform well on related tasks.

D.16 V

Virtual Company: Simulated business environments created through AI conversations, allowing students to practice professional scenarios safely. /Users/michael/Projects/ai-as-a-teaching-partner/glossary.qmd