Effects of a prompt engineering intervention on undergraduate students' <scp>AI</scp> self‐efficacy, <scp>AI</scp> knowledge and prompt engineering ability: A mixed methods study

Abstract

Abstract Prompt engineering is critical for effective interaction with large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT. However, efforts to teach this skill to students have been limited. This study designed and implemented a prompt engineering intervention, examining its influence on undergraduate students' AI self‐efficacy, AI knowledge and proficiency in creating effective prompts. The intervention involved 27 students who participated in a 100‐min workshop conducted during their history course at a university in Hong Kong. During the workshop, students were introduced to prompt engineering strategies, which they applied to plan the course's final essay task. Multiple data sources were collected, including students' responses to pre‐ and post‐workshop questionnaires, pre‐ and post‐workshop prompt libraries, and written reflections. The study's findings revealed that students demonstrated a higher level of AI self‐efficacy and an enhanced understanding of AI concepts and suggested improvements to prompt engineering skills because of the intervention. While a greater sample size would be required for a more thorough understanding of prompt engineering intervention, these findings nevertheless have implications for AI literacy education as they highlight the potential importance of prompt engineering training for specific higher education use cases. This is a significant shift from students haphazardly and intuitively learning to engineer prompts. Through prompt engineering education, educators can facilitate students' effective navigation and leverage of LLMs to support their coursework.

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