Using AI Effectively: A Quick Reference Guide

Generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can save you time and sharpen your work, but only when you use them well. The difference between a useful response and a generic one usually comes down to a few habits: knowing what you need before you prompt, picking the right tool for the task, writing prompts that give the AI enough to work with, and refining the results through iteration.

This Quick Reference Guide walks through those habits. It's written for Lesley faculty, staff, and students at any level of familiarity with AI.

This is the first of two articles in the Using AI Effectively series. This guide covers the practical workflow of using AI well. A forthcoming companion article will go deeper on prompting technique.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Getting Ready: Define the Problem
• Choose Your Tool
• Prompt with Strategy
• Treat It Like a Conversation
• Workflow Strategies
• Use AI Thoughtfully

Getting Ready: Define the Problem

Don’t jump straight to prompting. Instead, take a moment to clarify:

• What are you trying to accomplish?
• Who is your audience?
• What kind of help are you looking for (ideas, summaries, analysis, feedback, etc.)?
• What kind of output do you need (spreadsheet, webpage, infographic, slideshow)? 

This sets the direction for your prompt and affects the quality of your results.

Choose Your Tool

Different AI models excel at different things depending on the task.

• Copilot: Integrated into Microsoft 365 and helpful for working inside Word, Outlook, and other tools. Useful for document work and summaries
• ChatGPT: Works well for structured planning, conversational prompting, custom formatting, and mock-ups.
• Claude: Proficient at synthesizing long, complex text. Provides thoughtful summaries and feedback. Includes a coding tool optimized for developers.
• Gemini: Useful for fast drafting in the Google workspace. Features web-based integrations and search blending.

Tip: Try the same prompt with several models and see which one works best for you; or use one model to evaluate the output of another model.

Prompt with Strategy

Recall the work you did up front to clarify your goals and use that to guide your prompt.

• Include the goal and audience
• Give examples or structure to build from
• Ask for 2-3 variations or formats
• Be specific, but flexible

Example: “I need help using these notes, emails, and slideshows to draft an outline for a workshop presentation on accessibility in digital communications. My target audience is higher education professionals. Can you give me three versions, each with a different tone and style? Please generate your results in Microsoft Word format.” 

Treat It Like a Conversation

You don’t have to get it right on the first try.

• Tell the AI what worked or didn’t: “These are too long.” “Make it friendlier.” “Keep the beginning but replace the rest.”
• Ask for variations: “Shorten this.” “Turn it into a list.” “Add detail.” “Reword for clarity.”
• Change directions: “Forget the last answer. Let’s try a different angle.”

Tip: If you’re not getting useful responses, start fresh by editing a prior request or even your initial prompt.

Workflow Strategies

Use AI at different points in your process:

• Early on: for outlines, questions, or summaries.
• Midway: to check tone and clarity, reorganize, or rephrase.
• At the end: to review for confusing language, edge cases, or gaps.

Tip: Don’t hesitate to divide a big project across several conversations at any point in your process, and then synthesize them on your own later.

Use AI Thoughtfully

AI is powerful, but it’s not perfect. Some things to keep in mind:

• Don’t skip your own thinking; engage with the task before, during, and after prompting.
• Watch out for biases in your outputs and always double-check objective details like facts, dates, names, etc.
• You make the final judgment call. Generative AI is most useful when it reflects your strategy and values. 

Think of AI as your assistant, not your replacement.