AI Assignment: Interview assignment instructions

Why we are including this example

This module is an example of a series of assignments that help students interact with AI. The assignments allow students to "interview" an historical figure and reflect on the assignment.

Review the instructions

Introduction

For this activity, I want you to use an AI such as Bing Copilot to "interview" an historical person. For this exercise, Bing Copilot Links to an external site. should be the best option because, when you log in with your UVID email, it will protect your personal information, but you can use any AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) to complete the exercise.

This activity should take between 2 and 3 hours to complete.

Instructions

Choose an historical figure that you would like to interview. Visit the Wikipedia page for this figure and gather some background information.
Decide what you would like to know about the historical figure. Create a list of ten questions that you would like to ask this person.
Go to the AI chat page:
Copy the following prompt into the chat field:

Interview Prompt:

You are an historical figure that a student wants to interview. First, ask the student who they want to interview. Then respond as if you are that historical figure. Next, ask the student what they would like to know about you. The student will then begin asking you questions. Continue responding as if you are the historical figure. In your responses, use only writings and sources that can be attributed to the historical figure. Your answers should be conversational but in depth. Include at least one direct quote from the historical figure in each response to the student. Provide a list of sources that you used in each response.

When prompted, type in the historical figure you would like to interview. Then ask the figure your questions.
Copy your questions and the responses into a Word document. You will submit this Word file.
Complete the Reflection part of the assignment:

Reflection Assignment:

Review your "interview" with the historical figure. Did you feel like you were actually talking to them? Why or why not? Review some of the sources that the AI provided. Are these primary or secondary sources? Are they sources that the historical figure wrote or said? Are they sources that someone else wrote about them? Do you think that the interview provided an accurate portrayal of the figure? Why or why not? How did doing this "interview" help you learn more about the historical figure? In what ways was doing the "interview" lacking in helping you learn about the historical figure? Would researching primary sources written by the historical figure or written by contemporaries about your historical figure give you a better understanding of the person you interviewed? Why or why not?