OpenAI recently launched a new Study mode for ChatGPT. It’s a great way to turn ChatGPT into an unpaid tutor, but sometimes it doesn’t quite hit the right mark when you want feedback on your work, or you want to learn a particular skill.
Way before Study mode came into existence, I was using this particular trick with ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude to help me learn new skills or critique my work. I’d ask the AI to pretend that it was an expert in whatever field I was interested in, then ask it questions.
It sounds simple enough, but it’s really effective. For example, instead of just writing “Help me understand Python”, I’d write: “You are a computer science professor. I’m a beginner in your class. Please explain the programming language Python to me, walking me through how to create my first program to execute a relatively easy task in a step-by-step manner.”
For each prompt I first state ChatGPT’s role – in this case a computer science professor, then give it some context about what level I’m at, and what I want to learn. I then specify the format, which in this case is a step-by-step approach.
A good tip is to add “then quiz me at the end” to the end of your prompts, then ChatGPT will open up a little quiz to test your understanding.
A simple formula
You can use this simple formula for pretty much any subject you’re interested in, and ask follow-up questions, but you can also use it to get ChatGPT to critique your work. This is where the ability to upload files to ChatGPT, and the other AI chatbots, can come in handy.
For example, say you’ve written an essay, and you want to get ChatGPT to give you some pointers on how good it is and the areas that can be improved. Who better to critique your work than an expert in the subject?
So, say I’ve written an essay on the themes of social class in the classic novel The Great Gatsby, and I wanted to know if I’d missed something important, or if my work was any good, then who better to ask than an English professor?
First, I’d export the essay in a file format like .doc, then I’d upload it into the prompt window of my AI. Next I’d write something like, “Pretend you’re an English professor. I want you to look at this essay I’ve uploaded and give me a full critique of what’s good and bad about it. Don’t spare my feelings, I want the truth. I’m particularly interested in what I could I do to improve it and any things I’ve missed out.”
The results are usually a spot-on analysis of my essay, and hints and tips for other things to consider.
A world of learning
There’s an almost unlimited range of things you can get an AI chatbot to help you learn using this roleplay method.
Of course, you can take AI roleplaying a little bit further with something like character.ai, which is a chatbot that emulates famous people from the past. Want William Shakespeare or Jane Austin to give your writing the once over? Head over to character.ai and you’d can chat with them like they’re in the room with you.