From Consumers to Critical Users: Prompty, an AI Literacy Tool for High School Students

Abstract

In an age where Large Language Models (LLMs) expedite the generation of text, the skills for critically evaluating and creating meaningful text using these models are often lacking. To help classroom teachers address this, we introduce Prompty, a specialized teaching tool co-designed to facilitate both critical and effective use of LLMs. Prompty serves multiple learning goals: it allows students to critically evaluate text generated by LLMs, aids in their writing practice, and provides a deeper understanding of how LLMs function—all within a student-friendly environment secured by essential guardrails. Prompty was co-designed in collaboration with high school teachers as part of CRAFT, an initiative by Stanford University to promote AI literacy. It was pilot-tested in a high school English class to serve as an AI writing assistant, focusing on the critical evaluation of machine-generated text. This trial yielded preliminary evidence that attests to the tool's effectiveness in fulfilling its educational goals. The findings from the pilot study indicate that easy-to-use tools like Prompty have great potential. These tools can be adapted to fit the goals of individual teachers. They can help in achieving subject-specific learning goals while serving as an effective way to teach AI concepts in high school.