AI Prompt Engineering Syllabus: A Comprehensive Guide
This syllabus is designed to equip trainers with the fundamental knowledge and
practical skills in AI prompt engineering. It aims to be clear, concise, and easy to
understand, facilitating both teaching and learning.
Course Title: Mastering AI Prompt Engineering for Professionals
Target Audience: IT Professionals, Students, Freshers, Developers, and anyone
interested in leveraging AI effectively.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
● Understand the basics of Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models
(LLMs).
● Formulate effective prompts to achieve desired AI outputs.
● Apply various prompting techniques for different use cases.
● Identify and mitigate common challenges in prompt engineering.
● Utilize prompt engineering for practical applications.
● Understand ethical considerations and best practices in AI interaction.
Syllabus Modules:
Module 1: Introduction to AI and Prompt Engineering
● 1.1 What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
○ Brief overview of AI concepts and history.
○ Types of AI (Narrow AI, General AI).
● 1.2 Introduction to Large Language Models (LLMs)
○ What are LLMs and how do they work (simplified explanation)?
○ Common LLM applications (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, Claude).
● 1.3 What is Prompt Engineering?
○ Definition and importance in interacting with LLMs.
○ Why effective prompting matters (garbage in, garbage out).
Module 2: Understanding LLM Capabilities and Limitations
● 2.1 Core Capabilities of LLMs:
○ Text generation (creative writing, summaries, emails).
○ Information retrieval and question answering.
○ Code generation and debugging assistance.
○ Translation and summarization.
● 2.2 Limitations and Challenges:
○ Hallucinations and factual inaccuracies.
○ Bias and ethical concerns.
○ Lack of real-world understanding.
○ Context window limitations.
Module 3: Core Prompting Techniques
● 3.1 The Basics of a Good Prompt:
○ Clarity, conciseness, and specificity.
○ Providing context and constraints.
○ Defining desired output format.
● 3.2 Zero-Shot Prompting:
○ Direct questions without examples.
○ When to use it.
● 3.3 Few-Shot Prompting:
○ Providing examples for desired behavior.
○ Demonstrating input-output pairs.
● 3.4 Chain-of-Thought (CoT) Prompting:
○ Guiding the model through reasoning steps.
○ Breaking down complex problems.
● 3.5 Role Prompting:
○ Assigning a persona to the AI (e.g., "Act as a senior software engineer").
Module 4: Advanced Prompting Strategies
● 4.1 Iterative Prompting:
○ Refining prompts based on initial AI responses.
○ Trial and error approach.
● 4.2 Persona-Based Prompting (Deep Dive):
○ Crafting detailed personas for specific tasks.
○ Examples: marketing specialist, technical writer, customer support agent.
● 4.3 Constraint-Based Prompting:
○ Setting strict rules for output (e.g., word count, tone, format).
○ Using negative constraints ("Do not include...").
● 4.4 Output Formatting Techniques:
○ JSON, Markdown, bullet points, tables.
○ Using delimiters for clarity.
Module 5: Practical Applications & Use Cases
● 5.1 Content Generation:
○ Drafting technical documentation, reports, emails.
○ Generating marketing copy for IT products.
● 5.2 Code Assistance:
○ Generating code snippets (Python, JavaScript, etc.).
○ Debugging and explaining code.
○ Refactoring suggestions.
● 5.3 Data Analysis & Summarization:
○ Summarizing long technical articles or research papers.
○ Extracting key information from unstructured text.
● 5.4 Problem Solving & Brainstorming:
○ Generating ideas for new features or solutions.
○ Troubleshooting technical issues.
● 5.5 Customer Support & Training:
○ Creating FAQs and chatbot responses.
○ Developing training materials.
Module 6: Ethical Considerations & Best Practices
● 6.1 Bias in AI Models:
○ Understanding how bias can manifest in AI outputs.
○ Strategies for mitigating bias through prompting.
● 6.2 Data Privacy and Security:
○ Avoiding sensitive information in prompts.
○ Understanding data handling by AI providers.
● 6.3 Responsible AI Use:
○ Avoiding misinformation and harmful content generation.
○ Transparency in AI-generated content.
● 6.4 Continuous Learning and Adaptation:
○ Staying updated with new LLMs and prompting techniques.
Module 7: Tools and Platforms (Overview)
● 7.1 Popular LLM Interfaces:
○ ChatGPT, Google Bard/Gemini, Claude, etc.
● 7.2 API Access and Integration:
○ Brief mention of using LLMs via APIs for custom applications.
● 7.3 Prompt Management Tools (Optional):
○ Tools for organizing and testing prompts.
Assessment & Activities:
● Interactive Demos: Live demonstrations of prompting techniques.
● Hands-on Exercises: Participants create and refine prompts for various
scenarios.
● Case Studies: Analyze real-world problems and develop prompting solutions.
● Group Discussions: Share insights and best practices.
● Mini-Projects: Apply learned skills to a small, practical task (e.g., generating a
code function, summarizing a technical document).
This syllabus provides a solid foundation for teaching AI Prompt Engineering, focusing
on practical application and clear understanding for trainers.
