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The Power of Examples

Sometimes, telling AI what you want isn’t enough. Showing it can make all the difference.

Zero-shot: When the task is straightforward, just describe what you want.

  • "Write discussion questions about Romeo and Juliet"

One-shot: Give an example of what you want to guide the style or depth without being overly prescriptive.

  • "Write discussion questions about Romeo and Juliet. Like this: 'How does the balcony scene reveal the impulsive nature of young love?'"

Few-shot: Give multiple examples when the task is complex, you want a specific style, or previous attempts haven't hit the mark.

  • "Write discussion questions about Romeo and Juliet. Like these: 'How does the balcony scene reveal the impulsive nature of young love?' and 'What role does fate play in the lovers' downfall?'"
tip

Start with zero-shot. If the output isn't quite right, try again with one or two examples.

The Bottom Line

Modern AI is good at understanding what you mean, even when you don't perfectly express it. Start simple, be specific about what matters to your teaching context, and add structure when you need it.