5.5. Role-Based Simulations: Educator, Researcher, Staff
Jennifer Martin
We have explored how AI intersects with education, research, productivity, and personal life. Now it is time to put those ideas into practice. The following short challenges invite you to test AI tools in authentic scenarios. Each task is designed to be brief—about five minutes—but to highlight real strengths and limits of AI. Choose the challenge that best fits your role or current needs.
Challenge Pathways
AI Challenge #1 – Education
Goal: Practice simplifying complex ideas and designing formative checks.
Scenario: Imagine yourself in the role of an educator, researcher, or staff member. Each role illustrates a different way AI can be woven into daily practice:
- Educator Dr. Lee, a history professor, utilizes an AI grading assistant for draft feedback and a chatbot for addressing frequently asked questions. She always reviews AI output to ensure it aligns with her goals.
- Researcher: Miguel, a public health researcher, uses AI to summarize literature, organize themes, and draft sections of a manuscript outline. He verifies citations, confirms accuracy, and ensures all interpretations reflect the data.
- Staff: Renee, an administrative coordinator, uses AI to manage schedules and draft announcements, while carefully protecting privacy and transparency.
Your Task: Pick the role most relevant to you. Using an AI tool, create a short deliverable that demonstrates how you might simplify a complex idea and check understanding in your context:
- Educator: Write a 3-question formative quiz with feedback for each answer.
- Prompt example: “Create three formative questions on [topic] that check comprehension at different cognitive levels. Include brief feedback explaining correct and incorrect answers.”
- Researcher: Write a concise literature summary (3–4 sentences) or a one-paragraph conceptual framework related to your current research.
- Prompt example: “Summarize three key themes from recent literature on [topic], using accessible language for non-specialists.”
- Optional extension: “Generate two reflective questions to help students or collaborators check understanding of this concept.”
- Staff: Draft an announcement email or social media post for an upcoming event.
- Prompt example: “Write a brief announcement (under 150 words) about [event name] that is engaging, clear, and professional. Include a call to action.”
📚 Weekly Reflection Journal
Reflection Prompt: How did AI help you complete this task more efficiently? What limitations did you notice, and how did you refine the output to ensure accuracy and appropriateness?
AI Challenge #2 – Research
Goal: Practice concise academic communication.
Prompt: Copy the following into an AI tool:
“Summarize the following research abstract into one sentence, written in the style of a Tweet (280 characters or less). Keep it clear and engaging. [Paste your abstract here.]”
📚 Weekly Reflection Journal
Reflection Prompt: Did the AI’s summary preserve the main findings? Was the tone clear and engaging? What would you edit before using it in a professional setting?
AI Challenge #3 – Productivity
Goal: Use AI for professional communication.
Prompt: Copy the following into an AI tool:
“Write a polite, professional email to reschedule a meeting with a colleague because of a last-minute conflict. Make it brief, maintain a positive tone, and suggest at least two alternative times.”
📚 Weekly Reflection Journal
Reflection Prompt: Did the AI capture an appropriate tone for your workplace or school? What edits would you make before actually sending it?
