Module 4: Question Masters

Learn how to ask the right questions to get the best AI responses

Learning Objectives

  • Learn different types of questions to ask AI
  • Understand how question structure affects AI responses
  • Practice formulating effective questions

Different Types of Questions

Just like when you're talking to a friend or teacher, the way you ask questions to AI makes a big difference in the answers you get. Let's explore different types of questions and when to use them:

Types of questions illustration

1. Open Questions

Open questions invite detailed explanations and can't be answered with just "yes" or "no." They often start with words like what, how, why, or describe.

Examples:

• "How do airplanes stay in the sky?"

• "What makes the ocean salty?"

• "Why do leaves change color in the fall?"

When to use: When you want detailed explanations, creative ideas, or in-depth information.

2. Closed Questions

Closed questions can be answered with a simple "yes," "no," or a specific fact. They're more limited but great for getting precise information.

Examples:

• "Is Jupiter bigger than Earth?"

• "What year was the first iPhone released?"

• "Does water freeze at 0 degrees Celsius?"

When to use: When you need specific facts, confirmation, or simple answers.

3. Hypothetical Questions

Hypothetical questions ask about imaginary situations or "what if" scenarios. They're great for exploring possibilities and creative thinking.

Examples:

• "What would happen if humans could breathe underwater?"

• "How might schools be different 100 years from now?"

• "If animals could talk, what might your pet say to you?"

When to use: When you want to explore creative ideas, future possibilities, or unusual scenarios.

4. Comparative Questions

Comparative questions ask the AI to compare and contrast different things, showing similarities and differences.

Examples:

• "How are dolphins and sharks different?"

• "What are the pros and cons of solar versus wind energy?"

• "Compare learning to play piano versus learning to play guitar."

When to use: When you want to understand differences and similarities between things.

How Question Structure Affects AI Responses

The structure of your question - how you organize and phrase it - has a big impact on the answers you get from AI. Let's look at some important aspects of question structure:

1. Question Focus

What you put at the beginning of your question often gets the most attention from the AI.

Compare these questions:

"Tell me about the most important inventions in history." (Focus is on importance)

"Tell me about the inventions that changed daily life the most." (Focus is on impact on daily life)

"Tell me about the most surprising inventions in history." (Focus is on surprising nature)

2. Question Scope

How broad or narrow your question is affects how detailed the answer will be.

Too broad: "Tell me about animals." (Too many possible animals to cover well)

Too narrow: "What color are a tiger's whiskers?" (Very limited information)

Just right: "Tell me about three interesting adaptations tigers have that help them survive in their habitat." (Focused but with room for detail)

3. Question Assumptions

The assumptions built into your questions shape the answers you get.

With assumption: "Why is reading books better than playing video games?" (Assumes reading is better)

Without assumption: "What are the benefits and drawbacks of reading books compared to playing video games?" (Doesn't assume one is better)

Question structure illustration

Being aware of these structural elements helps you craft questions that lead to the kind of answers you're looking for!

How to Break Down Complex Questions

Sometimes, the questions we have are big and complicated. When this happens, it's often better to break them down into smaller, simpler questions. This is like cutting a big sandwich into smaller bites that are easier to eat!

Here's how to break down complex questions:

Step 1: Identify the main parts of your question

Look at your big question and figure out what different pieces of information you're asking for.

Step 2: Turn each part into its own question

Create separate, focused questions for each part.

Step 3: Ask the questions in a logical order

Start with basic information and then move to more complex aspects.

Complex question: "How do volcanoes form, what are the different types, what famous eruptions have happened in history, and how do scientists predict when they'll erupt?"

Broken down into:

1. "How do volcanoes form and what causes them to erupt?"

2. "What are the main types of volcanoes and how are they different from each other?"

3. "What are three famous volcanic eruptions in history and what impact did they have?"

4. "How do scientists monitor volcanoes and predict when they might erupt?"

Breaking down questions like this helps the AI give you more thorough and organized information!

Asking for Step-by-Step Explanations

When you're learning something new or complicated, it's super helpful to have it explained in clear steps. You can specifically ask the AI to give you step-by-step explanations!

Step-by-step illustration

Here's how to ask for step-by-step explanations:

Instead of: "How do I make a paper airplane?"

Try: "Explain how to make a simple paper airplane in numbered steps. Each step should be one action, and please include what the airplane should look like after each fold."

Instead of: "How does photosynthesis work?"

Try: "Explain the process of photosynthesis in 5-7 simple steps that a 7th grader could understand. For each step, explain what happens and why it's important to the overall process."

Step-by-step explanations are especially useful for:

  • Learning how to do something new (like a craft project or recipe)
  • Understanding complex processes (like how a car engine works)
  • Breaking down math or science problems
  • Planning a project or event

When you ask for step-by-step explanations, you're helping the AI organize information in a way that's easier for you to follow and remember!

Let's Test Your Knowledge!

Time for a quick quiz to see what you've learned about asking questions.

Question 1: Which of these is an open question?

  • "Is the sun a star?"
  • "When was the Great Wall of China built?"
  • "How do birds navigate during migration?"
  • "Does water boil at 100 degrees Celsius?"

Question 2: Which question is most effectively broken down from a complex question?

  • "Tell me everything about space."
  • "What are planets, stars, galaxies, black holes, and the Big Bang theory?"
  • "What are the eight planets in our solar system and what makes each one unique?"
  • "Space is interesting, right?"

Question 3: Which is the best way to ask for a step-by-step explanation?

  • "How do I make slime?"
  • "Slime instructions please."
  • "I need to know about slime making."
  • "Explain how to make basic slime in 5-7 numbered steps. For each step, list the materials needed and what to do."

Question Transformation Challenge!

Let's practice transforming basic questions into more effective ones. For each basic question below, try to improve it using what you've learned.

Basic question: "Tell me about dinosaurs."

Transformed question: "What were the three largest dinosaurs that ever lived? For each one, explain how big they were, when they lived, what they ate, and one interesting fact that would surprise a 7th-grade student."

Practice with Promptie

Here's a basic question: "How do computers work?" How could you transform this into a more effective question? Try to make it specific, ask for step-by-step explanation, or break it down into a smaller focused question!

Now try transforming these basic questions on your own:

  1. "Tell me about the ocean."
  2. "How do plants grow?"
  3. "What's the weather like?"

AI Response Predictor Game

This fun game will help you understand how different questions lead to different answers. For each pair of questions below, try to predict how the AI's answers would be different.

Question Pair 1:

A: "What is the tallest mountain in the world?"

B: "What are some challenges mountain climbers face when climbing very tall mountains?"

How would the answers differ? Question A would get a simple fact (Mount Everest, 29,032 feet), while Question B would get a detailed explanation of challenges like thin air, extreme cold, and dangerous conditions.

Question Pair 2:

A: "Is reading books good for kids?"

B: "What are three specific benefits that children get from reading regularly, and how can parents encourage a love of reading?"

How would the answers differ? Question A would likely get a simple "yes" with maybe a few general benefits. Question B would get detailed specific benefits and practical suggestions for parents.

Try this game with friends or family! One person asks two different versions of a question, and the other person tries to predict how the answers would differ.

What We Learned

  • Different types of questions (open, closed, hypothetical, comparative) serve different purposes
  • The structure of your question affects the focus, scope, and assumptions in the AI's response
  • Breaking down complex questions into smaller parts helps get more thorough and organized answers
  • Asking for step-by-step explanations makes complicated information easier to understand
  • Transforming basic questions into more effective ones is a key prompt engineering skill

Great job completing Module 4! In the final module, we'll put all your prompt engineering skills together to create some amazing projects!

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Promptie

The way you ask questions makes a huge difference! Think of me as a helpful detective - the more clues you give me in your question, the better I can help you!