4 Easy Ways to Introduce AI Chatbots to Students
Have you introduced AI chatbots to your students? With more and more schools exploring ways to prepare students to interact with AI tools, you might need a low-stakes way to bring this technology to your class.
Most of my work this year has focused on the ways educators can use AI. It’s been the topic of keynotes I’ve given at various conferences as well as workshops I’ve led across the country. I often get questions about whether or not teachers should acknowledge the widespread use of AI tools. So, in my book, EdTech Essentials: 12 Strategies for Every Classroom in the Age of AI, 2nd Edition, I share strategies that address these very valid questions.
In today’s blog post, I have an excerpt from Chapter 1 of EdTech Essentials to share with you. If you already have a copy of the book, make sure to download the free study guide you can use on your own or as part of a book club.
How to Find Answers with Chatbots
If you want to keep students off of chatbots while introducing them to this technology at the same time, there are four strategies you can use to make this happen. Here is an excerpt (with slight modifications) from pages 15 and 16 of EdTech Essentials: 12 Strategies for Every Classroom in the Age of AI, 2nd Edition.
The widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence has shifted the way we think about traditional searches. Instead of hearing someone use “Google” as a verb when they say, “Let’s Google the answer…”, you might now hear someone say, “I asked ChatGPT to find the answer.” It is essential for students to understand how to navigate online searches when chatbots present a viable option for locating information.
With some exceptions, popular chatbot technologies like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are not designed for students to use in a school setting at this time. Keeping this in mind, you might model strategies for conducting queries with a chatbot in preparation for a time when students will navigate these tools independently inside a classroom setting or out of the classroom with a family member’s support.
You can customize the following four activities for your group of students. You might change the subject matter and discussion goals as needed:
Compare and contrast
Have students review the results you received from a traditional keyword search. And have them review the results of your chatbot query, comparing and contrasting the results. Ask them to share their thoughts in a graphic organizer or turn-and-talk to a partner.
Provide feedback
Share the output from a chatbot and have students provide feedback on the response. They can write down what important information is missing. Or they can write what they would have expected to see based on the query.
Fact-check
Provide the output of a query for students to fact-check. They can practice their keyword searches to “fact-check” the results. Then they can evaluate whether the response produced by the chatbot is accurate.
Rewrite the prompt
Share with students your intended output, the actual output from the chatbot, and the prompt you used. Ask them to rewrite the prompt to better align with your intended output to help you receive a stronger response.
There are a few factors that make a keyword search different from using a chatbot to find answers to a question. A keyword search can provide a quick answer to a simple question with only one correct response (e.g., “year Declaration of Independence signed”). Or it can provide a list of resources a student can use when researching a topic (e.g., “How to join the Space Force”).
A chatbot will respond to a query in a format it thinks will be helpful. This can include a list, or in a format you ask for, like a table. It will respond to deep-dive questions by synthesizing information from a variety of sources. Some chatbots provide a link to the source material for their response, whereas others do not. And it’s important to note that the output of a chatbot may be inaccurate or biased.
Students—and educators—who use a chatbot to search for information need to take these factors into consideration when reviewing responses in the same way they review the recommended resources from a search engine like Google.
More Resources from EdTech Essentials
If you’re looking for more strategies to introduce AI chatbots to your students or ways to incorporate technology into your teaching, head over to this special page of ClassTechTips. On that page I share resources, blog posts, and activity ideas to help educators explore different AI topics. For more in-depth conversations on these topics, tune into the Easy EdTech Podcast! You’ll find episodes that dive into using AI tools in the classroom. Including this one: “6 Ways to Customize Any Assignment with AI.”
Don’t forget to check out my book, EdTech Essentials: 12 Strategies for Every Classroom in the Age of AI, 2nd Edition. It’s available now on Amazon. It’s packed with actionable ideas and strategies, including expanded chapters on creating, collaborating, and personalizing learning with AI tools. Already have a copy? Download the free study guide to explore the content further, whether you’re working through it on your own or using it in a book club. These resources are here to help you make the most of technology in your classroom and support your students in meaningful ways.
Source: https://classtechtips.com/2025/02/05/introduce-ai-chatbots-to-students/
