Lesson Content

An assumption is something the AI is acting like it knows, even though you did not provide it. Asking for assumptions helps you catch weak spots before you use the answer.

Professional Use Case: You ask AI for a study plan. It assumes you can study every night, but you only have weekends. You revise the prompt with your real schedule.

Student task: Ask AI for a one-week study plan for a beginner. Then ask it to list assumptions it made about your time, tools, and goals. Copy the assumptions into a notes file and correct at least one of them. Student task help: Use pretend, public, or low-risk practice material. Copying the first AI answer into a text editor means pasting it into a plain text or document editor so you can compare it with your revised answer. A clarification prompt is a short follow-up that tells the AI what to fix, add, remove, or explain. Example clarification prompt: "Make this easier for a beginner, add one concrete example, and show the next three steps as a checklist."

Starter clarification prompt: "List the assumptions you made about my schedule, skill level, tools, and goal. Then rewrite the plan for someone who only has Saturday and Sunday mornings."

Troubleshooting: If the AI only repeats the plan, ask specifically for "hidden assumptions." If the revised plan still ignores your schedule, give exact time blocks.

Quality Rubric:

• At least one assumption is identified.
• The revised prompt corrects the assumption.
• The new output fits the corrected context.