How to Get the Best Results When Prompting Curriculum Complete's Custom GPT

Introduction

Curriculum Complete’s AI-powered assistant is designed to help educators, trainers, and instructional designers create high-quality educational materials. Whether you're developing a full curriculum, lesson plans, assessments, or instructional materials, prompting effectively is key to getting the best results. Here’s how to optimize your interactions with the AI to maximize efficiency and accuracy: be specific in your requests, define the desired format, align with relevant standards, leverage interactive elements, and customize for multilingual or accessibility needs.

The effectiveness of AI-generated content depends on how well you communicate your needs. By structuring your prompts carefully, you can ensure that the AI delivers exactly what you need, saving time and improving the quality of your educational materials. This guide will walk you through best practices for crafting prompts that yield optimal results.

1. Be Specific About Your Needs

The more detailed your request, the better the AI can tailor the response to your needs. Instead of asking for a "lesson plan on fractions," try:

Example Prompt:

"Create a 5th-grade math lesson plan on fractions focusing on addition and subtraction, aligned with Common Core standards. Include an engaging warm-up, direct instruction, guided practice, independent work, and an assessment."

This ensures that the AI generates a structured and usable lesson that meets your requirements. If you have a preferred teaching style or instructional approach, include that information as well. Providing details such as lesson duration, student learning objectives, and differentiation strategies can help refine the output.

Another useful technique is breaking down complex requests into multiple steps. Instead of asking for an entire unit plan in one go, you might request an outline first, followed by detailed lesson plans and assessments. This allows for more customization at each stage of the process.

2. Define the Format You Want

Curriculum Complete can generate a variety of document types, including Word, PDF, slides, and QTI files for LMS integration. If you need a specific format, make it clear in your prompt.

Example Prompt:

"Generate a multiple-choice quiz on the causes of the American Revolution for high school students. Format it as a QTI file for Canvas LMS."

Beyond format, specifying file structure and layout preferences can further improve results. For example, if you want a quiz with 10 multiple-choice questions and 5 short-answer questions, be sure to mention that. If you need a PowerPoint slide deck, specify the number of slides and the type of content you want on each.

Additionally, when requesting assessments, clarify whether you want answer keys, rubrics, or sample student responses included.

3. Use the Built-In Task Selection for Efficiency

When starting a request, leverage Curriculum Complete’s task options:

• K-12 Education: Courses, units, lesson plans, assessments, IEPs, instructional materials, and multilingual communications.

• IB & AP Curriculum: IB learner profiles, TOK, IA rubrics, AP syllabus creation, and exam prep materials.

• Post-Secondary Education: Course syllabi, lecture planning, research proposals, and accreditation reports.

• Organizational Training: Corporate workshops, eLearning modules, and compliance training.

Example Prompt:

"I need an AP U.S. History unit plan on the Civil War, structured according to the College Board’s Course and Exam Description."

Selecting a predefined category ensures that your request aligns with best practices and established educational frameworks.

4. Align With Standards and Jurisdiction

If you’re designing curriculum or assessments, specify the educational standards you want to align with.

Example Prompt:

"Create a 4th-grade science unit on ecosystems aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Include objectives, key vocabulary, and assessment ideas."

If your jurisdiction has specific requirements, mention them—for example, state-specific high school credit requirements, language of instruction mandates, or unique assessment policies.

Example Prompt:

"Develop an Ontario Grade 9 math course outline following the Ontario Mathematics Curriculum."

This ensures that your content meets legal and institutional guidelines, reducing the need for further revision.

5. Request Interactive and Gamified Elements

For engaging lessons, ask for gamification, case studies, or interactive activities, as these elements help students stay motivated, reinforce learning through real-world application, and enhance participation.

Example Prompt:

"Create a high school economics lesson on supply and demand with an interactive simulation and real-world case studies."

Consider requesting additional features such as discussion questions, collaborative activities, or formative assessments to check for understanding. Interactive content not only keeps students engaged but also encourages critical thinking and application of knowledge.

6. Ask for Multilingual or Accessibility Features

If you need materials in multiple languages or require accessibility modifications, include this in your request. For example, you might ask for screen-reader-friendly formatting, transcripts for videos, or dyslexia-friendly fonts.

Example Prompt:

"Create a bilingual (English/Spanish) parent newsletter about early childhood literacy strategies."

Adding accessibility considerations makes educational content more inclusive and ensures that all students, regardless of language ability or learning needs, can benefit.

7. Clarify Assessment and Grading Preferences

If generating assessments, specify question types and grading formats.

Example Prompt:

"Generate a rubric for a middle school argumentative essay that evaluates thesis strength, evidence support, organization, and mechanics. Format as a PDF."

For AP or IB assessments, reference the relevant grading rubrics.

Example Prompt:

"Create an IB Extended Essay assessment rubric based on IB criteria."

Additionally, if you want assessments that include auto-grading features for LMS platforms, mention that in your prompt.

Conclusion

Using precise and structured prompts ensures that Curriculum Complete delivers accurate, high-quality educational resources tailored to your needs. By specifying content details, format, educational standards, and interactive elements, you can maximize the effectiveness of the AI assistant.

Start prompting today and streamline your curriculum development process! By applying these techniques, you’ll ensure that your AI-generated content is not only useful but also aligned with best practices in education. If you’re unsure about how to phrase your request, experiment with different prompt structures to see what works best for your needs.