COMP 3270 / Module 2 / Unit 4

Unit 4 · Week 3 · Reading: Chapter 4

Prompt Design Fundamentals

Transform vague requests into purposeful, privacy-aware prompts with explicit context, audience, format, evaluation criteria, and verification requirements while preserving human judgment and responsibility.

Parent module: Prompt Engineering and Human-AI CollaborationFive lessonsEstimated study: 7–9 hoursAssignment 2 starts hereAssignment 1 continues
Unit
Unit 4 of 20
Recommended period
Week 3
Primary reading
Textbook Chapter 4
Estimated study
7–9 hours
Prerequisites
Units 1–3
Required platform
None
Primary framework
PCAFE-V
Assessment connection
Assignment 2 starts

Recommended first action: Select one weak prompt from a supplied example or your own low-risk practice. Save the original before revising it so Assignment 2 can show an authentic development process.

Begin the prompt diagnostic

Unit overview

Unit 4 introduces purposeful prompt design as a structured communication and workflow task. You will learn to define the human purpose before composing the prompt, separate task instructions from context and sources, specify the intended audience and output format, establish observable evaluation criteria, and identify what must be verified independently. The unit introduces the author-approved PCAFE-V framework and emphasizes that a detailed prompt may improve relevance without guaranteeing accuracy, fairness, safety, authorization, or suitability.

Purpose and task

Define the problem, intended outcome, AI role, scope, and constraints before requesting an output.

Context and audience

Provide only necessary, authorized information and adapt the requested output to the intended reader or user.

Evaluation and verification

Specify observable quality criteria and identify consequential claims requiring independent evidence.

Central idea: An effective prompt improves the conditions for a useful provisional output. Human users remain responsible for context, sources, evaluation, verification, decisions, and consequences.

Unit learning outcomes

By the end of Unit 4, you should be able to:

  1. Distinguish human purpose, task, prompt, context, source, audience, format, criterion, and verification requirement.
  2. Diagnose a weak prompt by identifying missing purpose, audience, constraints, evidence, and review expectations.
  3. Write a bounded task statement that defines what the AI may and may not do.
  4. Select only the context necessary and authorized for the legitimate purpose.
  5. Specify an audience and output format appropriate to the intended use.
  6. Develop observable evaluation criteria for relevance, completeness, accuracy, structure, accessibility, and usability.
  7. Distinguish output evaluation from independent verification.
  8. Identify ambiguity, assumptions, missing information, conflicts, and conditions requiring clarification.
  9. Apply the author-approved PCAFE-V framework to design and revise a prompt.
  10. Compare initial and revised prompts and outputs using evidence rather than preference alone.
  11. Document the prompt-development process for Assignment 2.
  12. Identify when prompting is unsuitable and a human-led or non-AI approach should be used.

Unit 4 lessons

Complete the five lessons in order. These filenames are local to the Unit 4 folder.

Lesson 1 of 5 · Suggested time: 70–85 minutes

4.1 Purpose, Task, and Prompt Boundaries

Define the human purpose, intended outcome, scope, constraints, AI role, human-only activities, and conditions requiring clarification or stopping.

Open Lesson 1: Purpose and Task Boundaries
Lesson 2 of 5 · Suggested time: 70–85 minutes

4.2 Context, Sources, Privacy, and Assumptions

Separate necessary from unnecessary context, establish source boundaries, minimize sensitive information, and make assumptions and missing information explicit.

Open Lesson 2: Context and Sources
Lesson 3 of 5 · Suggested time: 70–85 minutes

4.3 Audience, Format, and Accessible Output

Specify intended users, language, structure, length, tone, accessibility, and output constraints without treating style as proof of quality.

Open Lesson 3: Audience and Format
Lesson 4 of 5 · Suggested time: 75–90 minutes

4.4 Evaluation Criteria and Verification Requirements

Develop observable criteria, identify claims and calculations requiring evidence, and define reviewer, escalation, and stop conditions.

Open Lesson 4: Evaluation and Verification
Lesson 5 of 5 · Suggested time: 90–120 minutes

4.5 PCAFE-V Prompt Redesign and Comparison

Apply the author-approved PCAFE-V framework, compare initial and revised results, document corrections, and preserve the evidence required for Assignment 2.

Open Lesson 5: PCAFE-V Redesign
Folder convention: Keep unit-04.html and t-01.html through t-05.html together in a dedicated Unit 4 folder or Moodle content package.

Embedded Unit 4 study guide

This sequence supports one week of asynchronous study and begins the Prompt Engineering Portfolio.

  1. Diagnose
    Identify what a weak prompt fails to define.
  2. Design
    Add purpose, context, audience, format, and criteria.
  3. Test
    Generate or inspect a provisional output and verify important content.
  4. Compare
    Explain which revisions helped, which did not, and why.

Suggested study sessions

Total: 7–9 hours
  • Session 1: Retrieval and weak-prompt diagnosis, 60–75 minutes.
    Retrieve Unit 3 suitability principles, read Chapter 4, and annotate a weak prompt.
  • Session 2: Lesson 1, 70–85 minutes.
    Define purpose, task, scope, constraints, AI role, human-only activities, and stopping.
  • Session 3: Lesson 2, 70–85 minutes.
    Minimize context, define sources, remove identifying details, and surface assumptions.
  • Session 4: Lesson 3, 70–85 minutes.
    Specify audience, format, language, accessibility, length, and structure.
  • Session 5: Lesson 4, 75–90 minutes.
    Build evaluation and verification requirements and identify qualified reviewers.
  • Session 6: Lesson 5 and portfolio preparation, 90–120 minutes.
    Apply PCAFE-V, compare versions, document the revision rationale, and update Assignments 1 and 2.

Evidence to retain

  • Original weak prompt and diagnosis
  • Purpose and task boundary
  • Context-minimization record
  • Audience and format specification
  • Evaluation and verification checklist
  • PCAFE-V prompt
  • Initial and revised outputs or supplied alternatives
  • Comparison and correction record
  • Assignment 1 reflection notes
Show the prompt-development sequence
  1. Confirm that AI is suitable for the human purpose.
  2. Define the task, AI role, scope, and constraints.
  3. Provide only necessary and authorized context.
  4. Identify permissible sources and excluded sources.
  5. Specify the audience and output format.
  6. Define observable evaluation criteria.
  7. State verification requirements and responsible reviewers.
  8. Ask for clarification when essential information is missing.
  9. Evaluate, verify, correct, and compare.
  10. Document the process, human decisions, and remaining uncertainty.

Assessment milestones in Unit 4

Assignment 2: Prompt Engineering Portfolio

Weight: 15%

Start: Unit 4, Week 3

Develop: Across Units 4–6

Recommended submission: End of Module 2, Week 4

Official Moodle due date and time: ____________________

Assignment 1: Journal continues

Record how defining purpose, minimizing context, specifying criteria, and requiring verification changed the output and your responsibilities.

Recommended final submission: End of Module 6, Week 11

Official Moodle due date and time: ____________________

Preserve the process: Assignment 2 should show prompt development. Save the initial prompt, output, diagnosis, revised prompt, revised output, evaluation, verification, and explanation of changes.
Show the Unit 4 portfolio-record checklist
  • Task and legitimate purpose
  • Original prompt and output
  • Weakness diagnosis
  • PCAFE-V redesign
  • Context and source decisions
  • Audience and format
  • Evaluation criteria
  • Verification performed
  • Corrections and comparison
  • Final human decision and required disclosure

Required learning activities

Unit 4 activities and evidence
Activity Purpose Expected product Estimated time
Weak-prompt diagnosis Identify missing purpose, context, audience, format, criteria, and verification. Annotated prompt 30–45 minutes
Purpose and task statement Define legitimate purpose, scope, AI role, constraints, and human-only activities. Task brief 25–35 minutes
Context-minimization exercise Separate necessary, optional, sensitive, and prohibited information. Context inventory 30–45 minutes
Audience and format design Specify intended reader, language, structure, accessibility, and output limits. Output specification 25–35 minutes
Evaluation and verification plan Define quality criteria, evidence requirements, reviewers, and escalation. Review checklist 35–50 minutes
PCAFE-V redesign Transform the weak prompt into a complete purpose-driven prompt. Revised prompt 40–55 minutes
Prompt comparison Compare initial and revised outputs using observable evidence. Comparison record 45–60 minutes

Participation options

Option A: Approved AI system

Test prompts in an approved system using synthetic, public, supplied, or authorized information.

Option B: Supplied records

Use supplied prompts, outputs, context inventories, and revision records.

Option C: Non-AI analysis

Design, critique, and compare task instructions without operating an AI platform.

All options assess the same prompt-design, evaluation, verification, and responsibility outcomes.

Responsible-use boundaries and support

Boundaries for Unit 4

  • Do not enter confidential, personal, proprietary, privileged, security-sensitive, or culturally governed information.
  • Do not assume that more context is always better.
  • Do not request fabricated citations, concealed AI use, impersonation, or unauthorized perspectives.
  • Do not treat a detailed prompt or polished output as verified.
  • Do not delegate approval, consequential decisions, or accountability to AI.

Support and accessibility

  • Use supplied prompts and outputs if live AI is inaccessible, unavailable, or unwanted.
  • Specify accessible output requirements where relevant.
  • Contact the course coordinator for assignment or permitted-use questions.
  • Use library, accessibility, privacy, or technical support as needed.

Unit 4 completion checklist

Unit 4 completion items

Previous: Module 1Return to Module 2Go to Unit 5: Advanced Prompting and Context Engineering
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