# Ask AI Wisely
## How to Ask Questions to AI Chat: Improving Your Prompting Skills
### What is a Prompt and Why Does it Matter? π€
A prompt is simply the question or instruction you give to an AI assistant. Think of it as a conversation starter that guides what the AI will respond with. Just like asking a human colleague for help, how you phrase your request significantly impacts the quality of assistance you'll receive.For UNESCO professionals, mastering effective prompting means getting better research summaries, more accurate translations, more creative project ideas, and saving valuable time.
### Understanding AI Capabilities and Limitations π‘
#### What AI Does Well:
* Summarize and organize information
* Draft content in multiple languages
* Explain complex topics in accessible ways
* Structure data into useful formats
#### What AI Struggles With:
* Recent events beyond its training data
* Highly specialized UNESCO technical knowledge
* Accessing real-time information without internet
* Verifying factual accuracy without sources
* Understanding cultural nuances without guidance
### The WISER Framework: Your Prompting Blueprint π§ββοΈ
```mermaid
flowchart LR
A["Start Here"] -->|"WISER Method"| B["Better Results"]
B -->|"Branch"| W["W - Who"]
B -->|"Branch"| I["I - Instructions"]
B -->|"Branch"| S["S - Sub-tasks"]
B -->|"Branch"| E["E - Examples"]
B -->|"Branch"| R["R - Review"]
W -->|"Define role"| W1["UNESCO expert"]
I -->|"Clear task"| I1["Analyze..."]
S -->|"Step by step"| S1["First...Then..."]
E -->|"Show format"| E1["Example..."]
R -->|"Refine"| R1["Improve..."]
W1 -->|"Lead to"| C["Effective AI Use"]
I1 -->|"Lead to"| C
S1 -->|"Lead to"| C
E1 -->|"Lead to"| C
R1 -->|"Lead to"| C
%% Light theme with visible text on all backgrounds
style A fill:#FFFFFF,stroke:#333333,color:#333333
style B fill:#7FBF7F,stroke:#333333,color:#333333,font-weight:bold
style W fill:#FFEB3B,stroke:#333333,color:#333333,font-weight:bold
style I fill:#64B5F6,stroke:#333333,color:#333333,font-weight:bold
style S fill:#EF5350,stroke:#333333,color:#333333,font-weight:bold
style E fill:#4FC3F7,stroke:#333333,color:#333333,font-weight:bold
style R fill:#BDBDBD,stroke:#333333,color:#333333,font-weight:bold
style C fill:#7FBF7F,stroke:#333333,color:#333333,font-weight:bold
style W1 fill:#EEEEEE,stroke:#333333,color:#333333
style I1 fill:#EEEEEE,stroke:#333333,color:#333333
style S1 fill:#EEEEEE,stroke:#333333,color:#333333
style E1 fill:#EEEEEE,stroke:#333333,color:#333333
style R1 fill:#EEEEEE,stroke:#333333,color:#333333
linkStyle default stroke:#777777
```
#### π€ W - Who
Establish the expertise you need:
> "You are a UNESCO education policy specialist focused on inclusive education in developing regions."
#### βοΈ I - Instructions
Be crystal clear about what you need:
> "Analyze these survey results from our literacy program in rural communities."
#### π S - Sub-tasks
Break complex tasks into manageable pieces:
> "First, identify key trends. Next, compare with our previous findings. Finally, suggest three potential improvements."
#### π E - Examples
Show what success looks like:
> "For example, your analysis might include a section on gender disparities in program outcomes, like this: \[example]"
#### π R - Review
Request improvements or changes:
> "Please make this more concise and highlight actionable recommendations."
### Garbage In, Garbage Out: The Importance of Quality Input ποΈβ‘οΈπ
AI assistants work based on the information you provide. If your prompt is vague, contains incorrect assumptions, or lacks context, the response will reflect these shortcomings.
#### Example of a Weak Prompt:
> "Tell me about UNESCO projects."
#### Improved Version:
> "Summarize UNESCO's current water management projects in North Africa, focusing on community engagement strategies and measurable outcomes from the past 3 years."
### Practical Techniques for Better Results π οΈ
#### 1. Provide Relevant Context
> "I'm preparing a presentation for ministry officials with limited technical background about our new digital literacy initiative."
#### 2. Specify Your Audience
> "This explanation should be appropriate for high school educators implementing our heritage education program."
#### 3. Set the Format
> "Present this information as a one-page briefing with bullet points for key takeaways."
#### 4. Include Constraints
> "Focus only on approaches that would be feasible in regions with limited internet connectivity."
#### 5. Request Multiple Perspectives
> "Provide both advantages and challenges of this approach for different stakeholder groups."
### UNESCO-Specific Prompt Templates π
#### For Policy Analysis:
```markdown
You are a UNESCO policy expert specializing in [area].
ANALYZE: [policy/document/issue]
CONTEXT: [relevant UNESCO frameworks or priorities]
AUDIENCE: [who will read this analysis]
FOCUS ON:
- Alignment with UNESCO's strategic priorities
- Implementation considerations
- Potential impacts on [relevant stakeholders]
FORMAT: [desired output format]
```
#### For Educational Content:
```markdown
You are an education specialist with expertise in [subject area].
DEVELOP: [type of educational content]
TARGET: [learner profile, age group, context]
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- [objective 1]
- [objective 2]
- [objective 3]
CONSTRAINTS: [any limitations to consider]
FORMAT: [how the content should be structured]
```
### Improving Through Iteration: A Case Study π
#### Initial Prompt:
> "Ideas for World Heritage education."
#### First Improvement:
> "Generate 5 interactive activities for teaching students about World Heritage sites."
#### Final Effective Prompt:
> "You are an education specialist focusing on cultural heritage. Design 5 interactive, low-resource activities for 12-14 year old students in rural communities to learn about the significance of World Heritage sites in their region. Each activity should take no more than 30 minutes, promote critical thinking, and require minimal materials. Include learning objectives and assessment suggestions for each activity."
### Common Pitfalls to Avoid β οΈ
1. Being too vague - "Help with my report" vs. "Help me structure the findings section of my literacy program evaluation report"
2. Assuming specialized knowledge - Always provide necessary context about UNESCO-specific terms, programs or frameworks
3. Overlooking biases - Remember that AI may reflect biases in training data; request balanced perspectives
4. Not iterating - Don't hesitate to refine your prompt based on initial responses
5. Forgetting to verify - Always fact-check critical information, especially statistics and specific program details
### Start Small, Think Big π±β‘οΈπ³
Begin with simple tasks to build your prompting skills:
* Draft email responses
* Summarize meeting notes
* Create simple data visualizations
* Brainstorm project names or slogans
As you become more comfortable, progress to more complex tasks:
* Developing program evaluation frameworks
* Creating multilingual educational resources
* Analyzing cultural preservation approaches
* Drafting sections of technical reports
Remember: AI assistants are tools to enhance your expertise, not replace the unique human understanding that makes UNESCO's work valuable. Your knowledge of cultural contexts, educational needs, and heritage preservation remains irreplaceableβAI just helps you apply it more efficiently.
### UNICEF Playbook
### Your Turn to Practice π
\
[https://chat.unesco.org](https://chat.unesco.org/)
---
# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:
```
GET https://unesco.gitbook.io/unesco-data-ai/good-practices/ask-ai-wisely.md?ask=
```
The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.