Prompts for Socratic Teaching

Project Background & Description

The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become deeply integrated into everyday life, from facial recognition to the algorithms driving social media. AI is also influencing the educational space, providing accessible resources for students and teachers through tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Meta AI. However, the widespread use of Large Language Models (LLMs) brings challenges, such as AI hallucinations where nonsensical or inaccurate outputs arise, as well as biases in training data that can lead to unfair outcomes. But this problem isn’t limited to the accuracy of these LLMs. For students, reliance on these tools means that they lose the ability to critically process their thoughts, risking a dependence that could undermine their problem-solving skills and their ability to independently address complex questions.

Thus, this solution offers an alternative approach by combining the Socratic Method with LLMs through prompts, allowing students to interact with AI in a way that fosters understanding. By guiding users through questions rather than providing direct answers, this approach encourages deeper thinking and helps learners grasp essential concepts without shortcuts. This Socratic integration could help students build confidence in their critical thinking abilities and apply knowledge effectively, even in contexts where AI assistance is unavailable.