Six months ago, hardly anyone had heard of ChatGPT. Now people think you’ve been hiding under a rock if you haven’t. But having heard about the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by Open AI and using it effectively are two different things.
The key to using ChatGPT, I’ve found, is prompts. I have developed close to 1,000 prompts since I started using ChatGPT. The first were quite crude, but over time, I’ve gotten better and better. I’ve been using ChatGPT for more than six months in a variety of ways, but for this article, let’s look at four that relate to training and instructional design. I’m using ChatGPT to:
1. Design custom training programs. I am in my sixth decade as a Learning and Development (L&D) professional. Many times, I ask ChatGPT for information, then provide it information based on my experience, and then input another prompt. ChatGPT knows a lot about a lot, but it does not have my 54 years of experience with what works. I use ChatGPT as a collaborator and can generate content more quickly—then I use my experience to shape it. Here are two sample prompts:
Prompt 1: How can I customize a customer service training program for call center agents?
Prompt 2: What are some key considerations when designing a sales training program for new hires?
2. Create interactive training materials. I develop custom prompts that help create interactive exercises to keep my learners engaged throughout the training program. I have more than 60 alternatives to lecture. By working with these and ChatGPT, I can create even more quick, fun, relevant ways to engage learners and reinforce content. I input prompts into the model, and I get a variety of options for how to structure the exercise. Here are two sample prompts:
Prompt 1: Develop a role-playing exercise for teaching conflict resolution skills.
Prompt 2: Develop a group activity for teaching problem-solving skills.
3. Develop assessment tools. I use ChatGPT to create assessment tools that help measure the effectiveness of my training programs and help students assess their skills and knowledge pre- and post-training. I input questions into the model, and receive a variety of options for how to structure the assessment. This helps me create assessments that accurately measure learners’ understanding of the material. Here are two sample prompts:
Prompt 1: Develop a multiple-choice assessment for testing learners’ knowledge of customer service skills.
Prompt 2: Create a scenario-based assessment for testing learners’ understanding of compliance regulations.
4. Generate instructional videos. I use ChatGPT’s text-to-speech capabilities to help me create instructional videos that are customized to the needs of my organization and learners. Right now, I am using ChatGPT to translate 73 videos I helped develop from Japanese to English, so I can recreate the course in English. In this instance, I am using audio-to-text software to get a transcript in Japanese, then I give the transcript to ChatGPT to provide the text in English.
A TOOL, NOT A REPLACEMENT
Will AI replace us? My short answer is “No.” ChatGPT is only as good as the prompts you use. Sometimes when asked a question, it makes up the answer. For example, I can ask, “What are Bob Pike’s five laws of adult learning?” ChatGPT knows who I am, but sometimes instead of saying it doesn’t know the answer to my question, it makes something up. The answer sounds good, but it is not my five laws.
That said, ChatGPT is a great tool for me— especially when I can mix in my skills and knowledge. So what are you waiting for? Try it out. And look for more from me on using ChatGPT—maybe a TrainingMagNetwork Webinar or a conference presentation.
Do you have a question about ChatGPT or a comment on this article? Send an e-mail with ChatGPT in the subject line to me at:
Until next time—add value and make a difference.
