The 3 Ps of Effective Prompting
Overview
In the age of generative artificial intelligence, knowing how to communicate with an AI has become a key skill for university students. Writing effective prompts not only improves the quality of the responses received, but also develops critical thinking, clarity in goal-setting, and the ability to structure information. The 3 Ps —Perspective, Purpose, and Precision— offer a simple yet powerful framework for crafting clear, useful instructions aligned with academic needs. Mastering these three dimensions allows students to make the most of tools like ChatGPT for writing, research, evaluation, and creative tasks.
1. Perspective (Person)
Define who is responding or the role the AI should take.
This helps contextualize the response and adapt the tone, level, and focus appropriately.
Examples:
- Respond as a university professor specializing in digital pedagogy.
- Act as a third-year engineering student explaining a concept to a classmate.
- Speak as an academic tutor supporting students with writing difficulties.
2. Purpose
State what you want to achieve with the prompt.
Do you want the AI to explain, summarize, create, evaluate, compare, propose, etc.?
Examples:
- Explain how a competency-based assessment rubric works.
- Generate a list of ideas for a final project on ethics in artificial intelligence.
- Evaluate this text based on clarity, coherence, and argumentation criteria.
3. Precision
Add specific details to guide the response.
This includes format, length, academic level, language, examples, etc.
Examples:
- The explanation should be brief (maximum 150 words) and use examples related to higher education.
- Include a table with criteria and performance levels.
- Use clear and accessible language for first-year students.
Practice Your Understanding
