Have your students been struggling to generate a driving question for their project-based learning? Back when I was a computer teacher, the driving question was one of the most complicated things that students had difficulty understanding and then creating. I tried different methods to explain it to them, but sometimes explaining it was more difficult than what I was trying to introduce. A real breakthrough happened with the advent of AI. In particular by using a chatbot such as ChatGPT and specifically when OpenAI created the GPT, which is a custom versions of ChatGPT that combines instructions, extra knowledge, and any combination of skills.
The process of project-based learning starts with a driving question, that was either given to students by their teacher or when they have to come up with one on their own. This is where students can stumble because they just have no clue how to do research that aligns with their project needs or because they lack metacognitive strategies to come up with the right set of questions. Krajcik and Shin (2014), acknowledge that students struggle to create questions that incorporate all the elements of a good driving question.
In order to help students with these metacognitive challenges, we designed the Project Topic Advisor GPT to assist both K-12 and university level students and teachers in developing effective driving questions for projects, understanding the topics their subject entails, and generating project resources, focusing on grade-appropriate materials. Initially, the GPT will ask the user about their education level, distinguishing between K-12 and university. If the user is in K-12, it will further inquire about their specific grade level. Based on the education level, the GPT provides tailored assistance in three areas: generating a driving question, understanding the topics their subject entails, or generating project resources. For driving questions, it assesses clarity, scope, and relevance, offering guidance to refine them. In subject topics, it provides the different topics that are necessary for answering the driving question. For project resources, it suggests materials aligning with the project’s goals and educational level and links to them. The GPT maintains a supportive and engaging tone, ensuring users feel confident and involved in their project planning.
The Project Topic Advisor provides clarity about the question they need to solve, the topics they need to investigate to solve it and which resources they can rely on to research it. Students can immediately embark on executing the project, feeling confident that they are being led in the right direction to solve the driving question. That can be a great relief for students because it can save them many false attempts to find the correct path to accomplish their goal.