Suffering from Recycling Prompts? “SQT Prompt” to the Rescue

I have been hearing the word “prompt” a lot more lately. “Prompt engineering” to be exact. This recent IT term is all the buzz, and it is paired with terms like artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLM). This blog post, however, is about another type of prompt: the one that language and communications teachers at the college level have been engineering since time immemorial and students write in response. And there lies the problem! The prompts are being recycled and passed on from the classroom to students’ sharing sites such as Studocu and Course Hero, and then making their way back to the classroom. It is not the type of recycling teachers want to see. Going viral is not always a good thing; it kills originality for everyone, so I have started to retreat my prompts and generate new ones. This time with a different twist.

The Birth of the SQT Prompt

I have been teaching English communications at the college level for over 10 years. One of the main objectives of these courses is reading to write. Students are assigned a reading (or another type of text such as a podcast or video) and asked to write and cite from the text in their response. The task, however, can become mechanical if students fail to find the purpose or transferable skill in their writing other than producing a piece of writing. When students do not see a purpose, authenticity is lost.

Experimenting with SQT Prompt

In my search for authenticity, I have been experimenting with a new type of prompt. It starts with a situation, then a question, and finally a task. (SQT for short). So far, it has produced motivating results.

Background to SQT

I created the following example to help students develop skills in argumentation, paragraph writing and citing in APA style. The reading¹ students needed to cite discusses the reasons why young women should wait until after their mid to late thirties to consider marriage.

The First SQT Prompt Prototype

Situation: You are hired as a content creator at a prestigious marketing agency and your manager assigns you to write a 12-15 sentence paragraph to be featured on a brochure designed to promote a new model of sports cars. The paragraph should attract local young professionals between the ages of twenty to early thirties who prefer to marry young, and as a result prefer to buy four-door cars (sedans) and sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

Question: Why should these young, married professionals buy a sports car instead of a sedan or SUV?

Task: Your goal is to convince these young, married professionals that they should buy the new model sports car instead of a sedan or SUV. To support your argument, include no more than two ideas from the assigned reading, cited in APA style (7th edition). Your paragraph should follow a formal tone and be ready for publication.

Results from the SQT Prompt

Student engagement with the task has been positive. I suspect that role-playing the situation has helped with answering the question as well as creativity. My next move is to explore the reasons more in-depth.

What changes have you made to your teaching lately? Have you experienced positive results?

¹ Link to reading https://macleans.ca/culture/how-to-get-happily-married/amp/

Cecilia Aponte-de-Hanna

Hi, my name is Cecilia. I love taking part in good brain awakening discussions. Blogging, I find, lends itself for that. I also believe in sharing my skills through scholarly practice, which is why I write regularly and have presented at several conferences, including TESL Ontario, TESL Toronto, CALL, and at Seneca College. My M.A. in applied linguistics along with my skills and experience have led me to my current position at Centennial College, where I teach English and ESL in the School of Advancement. I'm truly passionate about what I do: teaching, writing, creative expression, and helping my students (both L1 and L2) gain agency and take control of their own learning. Thank you for your readership and I look forward to reading and answering your comments. You can find me on Twitter @capontedehanna