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How can GenAI help me?

Overview: Example use cases for learning

Before exploring examples of applications for learning, consider reviewing issues related to the responsible use of AI and its potential for error on the page Can it make mistakes?

The following are general applications that can be customized for various contexts and disciplines. Several examples are provided but are not an exhaustive list. 

Reminder

Before using ChatGPT or other GenAI tools, always make sure to check with your professor for each course to find out if you can use AI, and if so, what exactly is permitted for a specific assignment.

If you are permitted to use ChatGPT or similar AI, be sure to evaluate the content/output carefully and critically. Content produced may contain incorrect or biased and therefore unreliable information. These tools may also infringe on your privacy (e.g., collecting data about you and sharing it), so use them with caution.

–TRU Library’s Artificial Intelligence Guide for Students

How might GenAI be used?

Generative AI can help you generate ideas for projects, essays, and assignments. By providing prompts and suggestions, AI can stimulate creativity and help you explore different perspectives and approaches.

  • Literature and Creative Writing: In a creative writing course, you could use AI to generate unique story ideas or explore different narrative styles.
  • Business and Economics: In business courses you could use AI to brainstorm innovative business strategies or analyze market trends.
  • Engineering: In a mechanical engineering course, AI could suggest improvements to a design or generate ideas for new projects based on current technological trends.
  • Medicine and Health Sciences: In a medical research course, you could use AI to explore new approaches to treating a disease.

AI can tailor learning experiences to individual needs, preferences, and learning styles. Some platforms can adjust the difficulty of tasks based on your skill level, providing personalized feedback and recommendations.

  • Computer Science: If you are struggling with a specific concept or function, the platform can provide additional practice and resources on that topic, gradually increasing the complexity as you improve.
  • Language Learning: If you have difficulty with verb conjugations, the platform can offer targeted exercises and feedback.
  • Psychology: If you are interested in clinical psychology, the platform can provide more case studies and research articles related to mental health disorders and treatments.
  • Business: If you are interested in entrepreneurship, the platform can offer scenarios related to startup management and innovation.

Tools like copilot can help you with coding tasks by suggesting code snippets, debugging, and offering solutions to programming problems. This can accelerate learning and improve coding skills.

  • Computer Science: If you are working on a project involving machine learning, the platform can suggest algorithms and help optimize code for better performance.
  • Data Science: If you are analyzing a large dataset, the platform can suggest efficient ways to clean and preprocess the data, as well as provide code for creating insightful visualizations.
  • Psychology: If you are conducting a study on cognitive behavior, the platform can help with coding tasks related to data collection, analysis, and visualization, provided the source data is not confidential. 
  • Environmental Science: If you are working on a project to model the impact of pollution on a local ecosystem, the platform can suggest code for data analysis and simulation.

AI can automate the creation of self-quizzes and act like a tutor to provide feedback on a specific subject area, checking or growing your foundational knowledge. 

  • Use to ask questions related to a midterm.
  • Ask for clarification on key concepts. 
  • Support self-quizzing for formative feedback.
  • Enhance readings by providing fuller context or extra detail.

Generative AI can assist you in analyzing large datasets, identifying trends, and generating insights that can inform your research projects. 

  • Medicine and Health Sciences: When appropriate, AI may be used to analyze electronic health records to identify patterns in patient outcomes, which can inform clinical practices and improve patient care.
  • Biology: In a genetics course, AI may be used to analyze DNA sequences to identify mutations associated with specific diseases, aiding in the development of targeted therapies.
  • Business and Management: AI may be used to analyze sales data from various regions to identify factors driving consumer preferences, which can inform marketing strategies and business decisions.

AI-powered tools can help you with editing and proofreading your written work. These tools can suggest improvements in grammar, style, and coherence, ensuring that you produce high-quality written content.

  • Social Sciences: In disciplines like psychology and sociology, you write research papers and essays. AI tools can help improve the clarity and coherence of your arguments, ensuring that your writing is well-organized and free of grammatical errors.
  • Art and Design: You may need to write project proposals and artist statements. AI tools can help ensure that your writing is clear and persuasive, suggesting ways to improve the presentation of your ideas and ensuring that your writing is free of errors.
  • Environmental Science: You often write research papers and project reports. AI tools can help ensure that your writing is clear and well-structured, suggesting improvements in the presentation of data and ensuring that your terminology is used correctly.
  • Engineering: You may need to write technical reports and project documentation. AI tools can help ensure that your writing is precise and free of jargon, making complex technical information more accessible and understandable.

Gen AI can assist you as you explore image input and output features, including analyzing images or creating images based on text descriptions.

  • Art and Design AI: In a graphic design course, you can use AI to generate visual concepts for a project, exploring different styles and compositions.
  • Biology: You can use AI to analyze cell images to detect abnormalities, aiding in research on diseases and treatments.
  • Environmental Science: In an environmental science course, you can use AI to track deforestation or monitor the health of coral reefs over time.
  • Archaeology: You can use AI to identify and classify artifacts, helping to uncover historical insights and patterns.
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Content Attribution

University of Toronto. (2025). Coursework and GenAI: A Practical Guide for Students. Innovation in Digital Learning, Information Technology Services. https://ocw.utoronto.ca/innovation-projects/genai-literacy-course-modules/

This section refers to the content of the module “Example Use Cases For Learning”