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AI Fundamentals with Prompt-a-Thon (Claude Edition)

This one-day course introduces participants to the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and hands-on practice with Anthropic’s Claude, an advanced conversational AI model. In the morning, learners explore what AI is, how Claude fits into the broader AI ecosystem, and how to craft effective prompts tailored to Claude’s strengths, particularly its nuanced reasoning and summarization capabilities. In the afternoon, participants engage in a guided Prompt-a-Thon, collaborating in teams to apply Claude to real-world workplace challenges. The experience builds confidence and creativity while reinforcing core prompting and ethical AI principles.
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Course Overview

This one-day course introduces participants to the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and hands-on practice with Anthropic’s Claude, an advanced conversational AI model. In the morning, learners explore what AI is, how Claude fits into the broader AI ecosystem, and how to craft effective prompts tailored to Claude’s strengths, particularly its nuanced reasoning and summarization capabilities. In the afternoon, participants engage in a guided Prompt-a-Thon, collaborating in teams to apply Claude to real-world workplace challenges. The experience builds confidence and creativity while reinforcing core prompting and ethical AI principles.
  • Scroll right to view Objectives, Prerequisites, and Agenda

Define AI and describe its role in today’s workplace. Explain how Claude and similar large language models (LLMs) function. Recognize common AI use cases that enhance productivity, communication, and creativity. Apply effective prompting strategies specific to Claude, including contextual and chain-of-thought prompting. Evaluate and refine prompts to achieve accurate and useful responses. Collaboratively design and present an AI-driven solution using Claude. Discuss ethical considerations such as bias, privacy, and transparency in generative AI.

Basic computer literacy No prior AI or coding experience needed

1 – Welcome & Course Overview

  • Introductions and learning goals
  • Course flow and expectations

2 – Introduction to AI Concepts

  • What is AI?
  • Core terminology: models, parameters, tokens, hallucinations, context windows
  • How Claude differs from other LLMs (e.g., Gemini, ChatGPT)
  • Real-world examples of AI in work and life

3 – Introduction to Anthropic’s Claude

  • Overview of Anthropic and the Claude family of models
  • How Claude handles reasoning, summarization, and document analysis
  • Interface walkthrough (Claude.ai, integrations with Notion, Slack, etc.)
  • hen to use Claude vs. other AI assistants

4 – Prompting Fundamentals in Claude

  • What is prompting and why it matters
  • The anatomy of a Claude-optimized prompt
  • Key prompt types with examples and live demos:
    • Instructional prompts
    • Question prompts
    • Role-based prompts
    • Contextual/few-shot prompts
    • Chain-of-thought and reasoning prompts
    • Refinement and iteration prompts
  • Hands-on practice: crafting, testing, and improving prompts in Claude

5 – Transition to Prompt-a-Thon

  • Overview of the Prompt-a-Thon challenge and goals prompts
  • Team formation and expectations prompts
  • Tips for applying Claude effectively during the Prompt-a-Thon

6 – Kickoff & Instructions

  • Review of structure and deliverables
  • Emphasis on creativity, iteration, and collaboration

7 – Group Brainstorming

  • Identify time-consuming or repetitive workflows suitable for AI assistance
  • Select one challenge per team

8 – Prompt Design & Iteration

  • Develop prompts in Claude to address the challenge
  • Experiment with context, tone, and structure
  • Document iterations and results

9 – Group Review & Selection

  • Teams share best examples and decide on final approach

10 – Presentations & Wrap-Up

  • Present problem, prompts, iterations, and outcomes
  • Peer and instructor feedback
  • Discussion: lessons learned, ethical reflections, and real-world application
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